Challenges 

The Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO) supports over 4 million caregivers in Ontario, working collaboratively with caregivers, healthcare providers, and other organizations to enhance the caregiving experience. Since 2019, we have had the privilege of partnering with OCO on various digital and advertising projects to raise awareness about the support and resources available to caregivers. Recognizing that digital communications are the primary source of information for many, OCO sought to improve the user experience on their website and engage with caregivers in an impactful way.  

Insights 

Given our ongoing partnership with OCO, we have developed a deep understanding of their brand and the core values that drive their mission. This insight was important in designing and developing a functional website tailored to the needs of Ontario’s caregivers. Previously, the website was large and difficult to navigate with important resources and information scattered across the site. This made it challenging for caregivers to find the support they needed. The site needed to be user-friendly, AODA compliant, and intuitive for their key audiences. Once the website was completed, we launched the “Do You Care” campaign to raise awareness about the support OCO offers to caregivers. 

Solutions 

To ensure that we were meeting the needs of caregivers, we worked with OCO to develop a digital engagement strategy. In our strategy work, we developed user journey-maps which informed our site architecture. We listened to caregivers and learned more about their unique experiences so we could design and develop a website that allowed them to access information quickly and efficiently. The new website launched in April 2024. 

For the new OCO website we: 

• Ensured that it is WCAG 2.2, AODA compliant, and compatible with all devices and modern browsers 
• Reduced the page count by 47% by creating a more logical information architecture 
• Built a custom resource library that featured all of OCO’s media (publications, podcasts, videos, etc.) and was filterable and searchable by the user 
• Developed a favouriting system so users can favourite and save resources for later access 
• Integrated an AI chatbot to help users navigate the site 

• Designed and developed an interactive quiz to help users find the information they are looking for 

We’re proud to have designed and developed our most complex site to date and you can visit it at https://ontariocaregiver.ca/