Jekyll2025-04-23T13:57:22-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/feed.xmlYellow Pencil creates services that citizens prefer. We help public sector organizations accelerate their digital transformation. Offices in Edmonton, Toronto, and Vancouver.Yellow Pencil2021-11-06T00:00:00-05:002021-11-06T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-WHARTON<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>How we conducted the business school choir</h1> <p class="metadata">The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <!-- <img src="/assets/img/test-brainphone3.png" alt=""> --> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large"> Wharton is the business school at the Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. It was established in 1881 and carries a storied past and deep traditions. Unfortunately, their website also has a storied past. <!--The platform employs a range of tools and systems that perform very different and important functions, but all require special coordination in order for information to flow seamlessly to and from users. But they weren’t always singing the same tune, causing disruptions in user experience and the delivery of out-of-date content.--> </p> <p class="large"> Over time, the site had grown in both size and complexity, relying on a wide range of tools and systems. This complexity made the site difficult to use for both Wharton's staff and students. </p> <h2>Work</h2> <p> The big challenge was to get all these different systems working in harmony. Wharton was upgrading their overall content management system (CMS) and needed integrations with their existing marketing software, customer relationship management tools, payment systems, program repositories, and more. Our content strategists began working to ensure that relevant, structured content was available to users, while our developers started building bridges between platforms to maximize their capabilities. </p> <h2>Solution</h2> <p> We deployed both custom and off-the-shelf integrations and automations that synced the new CMS with Wharton’s other digital tools, feeding up-to-date information where it needed to go and enabling more effective marketing and communications projects. For end users like students, the experience of researching and registering for programs was smooth and simple — even if the backend was a masterful arrangement of plugins, APIs and integrations. </p> <h2>Results</h2> <p> Supported by our continuous feature development, now including an overhauled program finder and a new mega-menu, Wharton’s site is easier to navigate and delivers current and useful content. On the back-end, the site has dramatically increased the number of leads generated for Wharton’s marketing team, helping them make a perfect pitch to prospective new students. </p> </div>Yellow Pencil

How we conducted the business school choir The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

2021-11-05T00:00:00-05:002021-11-05T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-AGLC<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>How we got drinks to the party and saved some trees</h1> <p class="metadata">Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <img src="/assets/img/yp-site-images--gala.png" alt=""> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large">Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) needed to improve customer experience and reduce workload by replacing slow and clunky paper application systems with a digital service solution.</p> <p class="large">As a regulatory body, AGLC has a lot of information to communicate, but its online content was dense and hard to navigate. Users were frustrated.</p> <h2>Work</h2> <p>Four discovery sessions with stakeholders enriched our understanding of AGLC’s various business streams and user groups. Together, we developed a framework for what information and experiences really mattered to the organization and its customers.</p> <h2>Solution</h2> <p>We built a clean, approachable platform powered by a flexible content management system that allowed customers to find relevant information, quickly apply for and receive permits, and engage deeply with AGLC’s new brand. </p> <h2>Results</h2> <p>The platform received over 200 applications for special event liquor licenses on its first day of operations, alone. Customers are happier, paper and processing costs are down and the AGLC is delivering on its core values. Cheers to that.</p> </div>Yellow Pencil

How we got drinks to the party and saved some trees Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis

2021-11-04T00:00:00-05:002021-11-04T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-AUPE<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>How we uploaded Susan’s brain</h1> <p class="metadata">Alberta Union of Provincial Employees</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <img src="/assets/img/yp-site-images--AUPE-susans-brain.png" alt=""> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large">Representing 95,000 members, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) had developed a number of complex analog processes to deal with stakeholder requests and communication protocols. But many of these relied entirely on the experience, time and knowledge of specific staff members. The result was a lot of negative pressure on people’s workloads and on service response timelines.</p> <h2>Work</h2> <p>We worked with AUPE staff and members to clearly map out the bottlenecks and blockages involved in their legacy systems. Yellow Pencil’s service design approach means we’re not just looking to build a web solution, but to thoroughly examine the end-to-end service experience across all channels and touchpoints from an end-user perspective.</p> <h2>Solution</h2> <p>We didn’t just build AUPE a more functional, usable and attractive website, we developed new ways for stakeholders to work, communicate and solve problems. Important first-hand knowledge that had previously resided solely with staff members (like Susan) was leveraged to inform simple, repeatable, automated service practices.</p> <h2>Results</h2> <p>AUPE is now able to work in ways that make more sense, processing a higher volume of service requests, supported by real-time data. More importantly, they’ve reduced undue demands on staff and increased trust and affinity with their membership.</p> </div>Yellow Pencil

How we uploaded Susan’s brain Alberta Union of Provincial Employees

2021-11-03T00:00:00-05:002021-11-03T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-OTF<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>A website redesign making grant application easier</h1> <p class="metadata">Ontario Trillium Foundation</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <!-- <img src="/assets/img/test-grant-app.png" alt=""> --> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large">The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is a Government of Ontario agency. It awards over $100 million a year in grants and streams to help build healthy and vibrant communities. People in need of funding weren't clear on which grants they were eligible for. This meant a lot of invalid applications were being submitted. <p class="large">OTF needed a way to clarify its offering so they could be more efficient, and communities could get the help they needed. They also needed a way to measure the impact that their grants were having on communities.</p> <h2>Results</h2> <ul> <li>Complete website redesign providing clear and accessible content in English and French</li> <li>Reorganized information architecture to simplify and clarify complex user journeys and remove confusion</li> <li>An overhauled visual design that showcased the human impact of the Foundation, including a pattern library</li> <li>A powerful bank of testimonials focusing on the communities improved by OTF grants</li> <li>A series of writing for the web workshops to help ensure the OTF team was able to continue creating accessible, user-focused content</li> </ul> <h2>Our methods</h2> <p>The processes of applying for OTF grants was confusing users. We needed to understand how applicants were using the site and where their pain points were.</p> <p>We conducted internal and external user interviews to give us a clear picture of user needs. Then, we ran usability testing to figure out how existing users expected to find information. This helped us reorganize the IA in a way that aligned with the way users needed information.</p> <p>We didn't work with the internal application site, but we needed to ensure users knew what was ahead. We introduced clear overviews of the different grants and told applicants what the process ahead involved. We focused on accessible, plain language so information was easier to access for all users.</p> <p>We also wanted to ensure the site gave the right message to users. OTF is an organization that works exclusively with non-profits to improve communities in Ontario. The new look and feel needed to better showcase this, and work well across different device sizes. Now, prospective applicants are able to read about their options from their mobile device, wherever they have service.</p> <h2>What happened next?</h2> <p>We continue to work with OTF, providing ongoing support for various web projects. Most recently, we built new templates, or content types in Drupal, to help OTF expand their digital offering in a way that is structured and easy to manage.</p> </div>Yellow Pencil

A website redesign making grant application easier Ontario Trillium Foundation

2021-11-02T00:00:00-05:002021-11-02T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-CAP<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>A storytelling platform about the lives changed by a university</h1> <p class="metadata">Capilano University</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <img src="/assets/img/yp-site-images--university-stories-4.png" alt=""> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large">Capilano University is a public university nestled in the mountains of North Vancouver. Capilano wanted to create an experiential and interactive digital platform to showcase the school and its creative community. Capilano approached us to build on our past design work and create a home for these stories.</p> <h2>Results</h2> <ul> <li><span class="nudge-wider-2x">Creative direction and designs for the online storytelling platform: Capsule</span></li> <li>Reusable, modular front-end templates ready to become an online hub for immersive storytelling</li> <li>Updates to information architecture to highlight the stories and improve user experience</li> <li>Updated digital style guide to reflect creative direction, brand differentiators, naming and layout design</li> <li>Taxonomy and guidelines for storytelling</li> </ul> <h2>Our methods</h2> <p>We collaborated with Capilano's editorial team on this project, as they had deep knowledge of these stories. We needed a way to showcase the stories while leave room for creative differences between tales. We worked with Capilano’s existing stylesheets to build efficiencies into the work process. We also needed to reformat and rework stories from the Capilano 50-year anniversary site and find a home for them in the new hub.</p> <h2>What happened next?</h2> <p class="nudge-wider">The reusable templates we created for Capilano's Capsule were used beyond the platform to tell Capilano's story in a more visual way.</p> <p>We continue to work with Capilano on multiple projects that focus on improving user experience across the site.</p> </div>Yellow Pencil

A storytelling platform about the lives changed by a university Capilano University

2021-11-01T00:00:00-05:002021-11-01T00:00:00-05:00https://yellowpencil.com/work/-COE<div class="o-section-header"> <h1>A digital assistant to help a city reduce trash</h1> <p class="metadata">City of Edmonton</p> </div> <div class="o-section-body"> <figure class="banner"> <img src="/assets/img/yp-site-images--trash.png" alt=""> <!-- <figcaption></figcaption> --> </figure> <p class="large">The City of Edmonton set a goal to stop 90% of single-use residential waste from reaching landfill. To help reach this goal, they wanted residents to sort their waste before disposal. The city made a new sorting system, changed collections and gave residents new bins.</p> <p class="large">The city needed to share these changes with residents, then <!--quickly and easily--> answer all the questions that came with them. We were tasked with finding a solution that would take pressure off staff and help residents understand the new system.</p> <h2>Results</h2> <ul> <li>A powerful digital assistant that answers queries via web chat and telephone</li> <li>Clarified and structured content enabling the assistant to source information for future requests</li> <li>Introduction of a headless CMS for structured content, setting up a 'create once, publish everywhere' style of content management and governance</li> </ul> <h2>Our methods</h2> <p>We analyzed existing communication channels to learn how city residents sought information. This included phone lines, email and even social media. For such a diverse audience, the solution needed to work across channels. We chose Google's conversational design platform, Dialogflow, to create Eddy: Edmonton's digital assistant. To set the City up for success, our content strategists structured information on the city’s website to make it easy for the assistant to learn.</p> <h2>What happened next?</h2> <p>Today, the digital assistant is successfully answering enquiries about waste. Tomorrow, Eddy could be taking on pothole reporting or payment options.</p> <p>Building on a successful relationship since 2008, we continue to work with the City of Edmonton, ensuring its residents have the information they need to thrive in the city.</p> </div>Yellow Pencil

A digital assistant to help a city reduce trash City of Edmonton