Gentofte Kommune
Citizen-Centered Digital Design
Citizen-Centered Digital Design
Gentofte Kommune, just north of Copenhagen, has 7 distinct towns and over 80.000 people. Their previous website relied on older technologies, making it less effective to share information about the kommune. Together with Gentofte and its people, we set out to revamp their platform. We aspired to make a contemporary site reflective of Gentofte's values, catering to an audience ranging from teenagers to retirees. A platform-based solution that minimises the information gap between government and citizens.
Project
Client: Gentofte Kommune
Year: 2020
Industry: Public Sector
Deliverables
Digital Design
Corporate Website
Pictograms
Age-old coat of arms, brand new UI
To create a coherent feel and look on the website, we took inspiration from different details from the Gentofte coat of arms, giving it a subtle Gentofte-feel. Together with Gentofte, we also defined a set of core values to design from; a bold and expressive design with a tacticle and layered touch. A delightful and welcoming experience that would portray the proud traditions of Gentofte and stand the test of time.
At your service
Municipality websites are usually heavy on information, containing multiple cross-referencing navigation elements. Gentofte was no different. We dealt with this by creating a clear hierarchy, using colors, images and composition to show what 'level' users are on. On top of this we added a number of visual clues and a layered-based look to add tactility, together making for a calm and clean app-like interface.
Accessibility in colours
For optimal legibility and ease of navigation, we took time to validate the colours of Gentofte. We wanted to create a website that stood out from the state-website-crowd and where 12 and 92 year old's alike would feel welcome. From looking into other municipality-sites and through user research, we developed two sets of color palettes; a set of vibrant brand colours with focus on legibility and a set of functional colors with Gentofte's very own Gentofte Green as the centrepiece.
A card-feel bringing flexible features
To help Gentofte Kommune succeed after the handoff, we created a system of components and modules. This makes it easy to set up and layout any type of page for any kind of device. We also made sure to keep the design simple and nimble to enable as much flexibility as possible going forward, keeping the online Gentofte-experience flowing.
Usability through bespoke icons
Icons speak clearer and quicker than words. When done right, they act as visual guides, making users understand the content much faster. We designed a set of icons with inspiration from Gentofte’s coat of arms to ensure consistency and coherence across the website.
