nonPareil Institute
Building Better Futures for Adults with Autism
• UX Research
• UI Design
• Graphic Design (Brand Guide, Brochure)
• HTML/CSS Web Development
• Project Management & Client Service
The Client:
nonPareil Institute is a post-secondary non-profit program for autistic adults. At nonPareil, the ‘Crew’ (students) learn app development, graphic design, 3D animation, and other vocations in an environment tailored to their specific needs. The unique nonPareil environment provides time and space for students to find their passion, grow their potential, and discover their purpose. This experience builds skills that enable students to work on teams, thrive in a professional environment, and create products for market release or work on third-party outsourced projects.
The Challenge:
The existing site presented minimal information, was difficult to navigate, and cumbersome to make a donation. It was also missing critical information on future locations and fundraising efforts. The site needed to showcase the student’s personal and professional development toward their future careers. The goal was to inform parents and donors about the NonPareil Institute’s programs, benefits, and locations.
PREVIOUS SITE:
RESEARCH:
Target Market:
Donors who are looking for a valuable, non-profit agency to invest in. Somewhere local so they can see how it benefits people in their own community. Many donors are also parents of current or future students.
Parents of autistic individuals often find themselves worried about their child’s future after high school. Their child needs a place they can learn a vocation, but many traditional universities are not equipped to handle the needs of autistic individuals. Many autistic people are drawn to coding, programming and game design. Therefore, building upon those interests, nonPareil develops career paths, in a supportive learning environment surrounded by other students and teachers who understand what they need to be successful.
What makes nonPareil stand out from the competition:
nonPareil seeks to set up their students for future success through career growth, social skills development, and fostering partnerships with accommodating corporations. nonPareil doesn’t seek to teach just life skills like shopping, cooking and living on one’s own. They go further by giving the individual a future career to support themselves. Many other schools are for-profit, require hefty tuition payments and/or require the student to live on campus.
Special Considerations:
We had to carefully consider design, typography, color and layout for autistic individuals. We used mostly shades of blue and gray, no flashy graphics, sounds or animations, and simple, san-serif typography. Paragraph text was concise and we used bulleted lists when appropriate. We worked closely with nonPareil staff to make sure the site would not be difficult to view for people with autism.
SWOT Analysis:
Sitemap:
Wireframe:
SOLUTION:
The updated site is responsive, modern and showcases the amazing work of the nonPareil Insitute. The imagery was updated, pages added for each existing and future location, and now it is very easy to find a donate button and fill in a simple form to make a donation. Copywriting was refreshed to include SEO keywords and tell a more compelling story about nonPareil’s learning programs and student development.
Reflection:
Overall, the project was a success and we solved the problems of the original site. I would have liked to curate more content for future students: highlight success stories of former student and showcase some of the games the current crew has released. I believe that would have rounded out the storyline and really shown families how they can be #poweredbyautism.
To learn more about this amazing non-profit and how they are helping students prepare for the future, please visit npitx.org.
