Providing Safety and Assurance to People in Crisis

We rarely get to save lives through website development — but this is exactly what the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay challenged us with. As they ushered in a new era of their brand, they needed a website that reflected their trauma-informed approach.

By digging deeper into audience data and performing focused user testing, we developed targeted user journeys that triage and connect diverse audiences to the right resources and services — especially while they are in a moment of crisis. To overcome stigmas surrounding crisis and mental health, we transformed operational content into empathetic and informative language that broadens what crisis means.

Users are also invited to post messages of support for others in a unique feature that reinforces the Crisis Center’s belief that no one must face life’s challenges alone. These messages are reviewed and approved by an administrator, appearing on pages where the content speaks directly to others. By creating moments of connection throughout the site, users could feel seen on their journey to healing. This innovative approach to web design was recently recognized with a Silver American Advertising Award.