New website build for UK Council for Psychotherapy
UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
The new UKCP website was designed to enhance accessibility for the Find a Therapist tool, ensuring that vulnerable individuals and those in need of assistance can easily locate the help they require. The initial challenge was to identify the various user personas that would interact with the UKCP website. The primary users were those pursuing training in psychotherapy and those seeking support. Additionally, there were other personas to consider, such as members, professional commissioners, policymakers, the media, and training partners. The project commenced with comprehensive user research, involving both primary and secondary research phases, which helped us create detailed user personas, content maps, and define essential journeys and needs.
The design approach also significantly contributed to the website’s positive outcomes. The final product is modern, bright, and uses carefully selected imagery and serif fonts to create a sense of safety for users. The design, combined with a streamlined navigation developed through thorough user research, is fundamental to the website’s success. It avoids limitations imposed by templates or strict structures; instead, the website is built modularly with a well-defined style guide, allowing each page to be tailored to its purpose without being confined by fixed templates. This structure provides maximum flexibility for content editors while ensuring consistency with the brand's identity.
One of the key features of the website is the ‘Find a Therapist Tool.’ This tool enables individuals seeking therapy to locate therapists based on various attributes and refine their searches accordingly. UKCP-accredited members can create profiles and are encouraged to showcase their psychotherapy expertise to connect with those in need of therapy.