United Nations Free & Equal
UNFE website refresh
The United Nations Free & Equal (UNFE) website is the online presence of the UN's global public information campaign for LGBTI+ equality. We reviewed the site's architecture, implemented a new digital CMS platform, and, as lead designer, I reimagined the front-end design and visual identity of the new website.
The UNFE website educates a global audience on LGBTI rights, challenges, definitions, and standards, communicating the UN’s stance while providing valuable resources for allies, including activists, civil society, and nation states.
The UX and design direction needed to accommodate a diverse audience, from the highly educated to those with limited formal education. Primary users include UN Country Teams, member states, civil society, the private sector, and the general public.
To meet UN accessibility guidelines, we addressed several complexities such as mobile compatibility, responsive design, browser consistency, support for all UN languages, functionality for low bandwidth countries, long content design, and ensuring the site is self-sustaining for UNFE teams.
Agency Host/Havas
Project Role Lead Digital Designer
Skills Web design
Bold typography and a vibrant colour palette using the 6 colours of the LGBTI+ flag sets the tone for a warm, inviting and conversational visual identity across the site.
The background fades between each colour over time, bringing personality and a sense of celebration when you land on the homepage.
The 6 colours have been thoughtfully implemented across the site to colour code each of the category pages, flowing down to the topic and content pages.
A brief fly through of a few pages from the site on mobile and desktop.
Lo-fi wireframes allowed for good flexibility and exploration when creating the design system.
A variety of requirements were needed to be met for AA compliance including testing colour contrast, movement impacting dizziness and translation across the 7 UN languages.