Good Schools Guide International is a web-based resource of information on schools and schooling for expatriates, written by a network of parents and editors.
The company wanted to build on the 22-year publication of sister title Good Schools Guide by developing an online service covering international English-speaking schools. According to GSGI editor Harriet Plyler, a design consultancy was needed to develop the structure and functionality of the site, as well as the look and tone of the brand.
The website needed interfaces for the parent end-users, the businesses that employ them, GSGI administration and a network of GSGI editors. Visually, it also needed to present a GSGI brand identity in keeping with the target audience of expatriate families.
An initial consultancy phase was undertaken looking at the project from different perspectives - business objectives, audience, content development, technical considerations and operational requirements. CogApp then developed specifications for the structure and look of website, which had to be ‘fresh, clean, elegant and not cluttered,’ according to Harriet Plyler.
‘You are the client. If something isn’t making sense, stop the designers dead in their tracks and make them explain.’