The Teaching Council

The Teaching Council, the professional standards body for teaching in Ireland, is responsible for maintaining, setting standards, and assessing applications for the Register of Teachers.

Objectives

The primary objectives for the redesign were centred around a user-centric design approach focusing on clarity, simplicity, and accessibility. Working with the National Adult Literacy Agency, we rewrote key areas in plain English, aligning with the Teaching Council’s strategic goal of promoting plain language. To simplify the user experience, we conducted a complete audit of the website’s information architecture. This process reduced the number of pages, updated the structure and content, improved navigation, and streamlined the content overall.

Design & User Experience

Creating an intuitive design and keeping accessibility to the forefront was a top priority. Through an extensive audit process which included UX workshops, we identified pain points for both the Council staff and site users. We used our research to inform the new information architecture and wireframes.

We implemented a mega menu for navigation to enhance intuitiveness, allowing us to group pages within the main section dropdowns more effectively and provide better context about each section before clicking. An extensive footer was created to offer users easy access to important information.

Recognising diverse user needs, we included text transcripts for video and infographic content, benefiting those with visual impairments. The Teaching Council have also started making their videos in Irish Sign Language going forward. We commissioned an accessibility audit on the website once it went live, working towards full compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards.

Innovation in All Areas

Accessibility inspired us innovate. We developed meticulously clean code tested against screen readers, colour ratio contrasts, keyboard access and alt text capabilities. The new site is also fully bilingual and seamlessly incorporates the Irish language. The Council are able to fully deliver its services in both languages. Alt text for images is provided in both Irish and English, along with the capability to have Irish versions of infographics, videos and transcripts.

Performance & Impact

Since its launch in October 2023, the site is already delivering impressive results. Fully responsive and rendering on all devices, the new website is more intuitive and user-friendly, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of telephone queries, as information is clearer and easier to find, reducing the need for individuals to contact the offices directly.

Overall, we delivered a website that has set one of the gold standards for digital accessibility in the education sector in Ireland. The website has been recognised for its quality and was nominated for Best in Universal Design at the Spider Awards and Excellence in Digital Accessibility at the National Digital Awards.

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