Some feedback about creating testimonials to create a welcoming and engaging service.
We gathered feedback during the Alpha and Beta phases of NHS Volunteering, a new service for NHS organisations to advertise their volunteering opportunities and receive applications, and for potential volunteers to find out about and apply for volunteering opportunities in the NHS.
Why
Our research found that using NHS branding created a sense of trust and familiarity among users, making the service recognisable and reliable. However, users didn't feel inspired or engaged by the service and they wanted it to be more welcoming.
Users expected to see first-hand stories from current volunteers to feel motivated to apply. They also wanted to see imagery and videos, alongside testimonials and case studies, that described a day in the life of an NHS volunteer, their main responsibilities and the personal benefits.
What
We adopted a softer approach with the look and feel of the service, introducing softer content for the testimonials and recommending the use of imagery. This was particularly the case for specific parts of the service that were designed to showcase the benefits and the impact of volunteering in the NHS.
We launched a survey to gather experiences and stories from current NHS volunteers and collected consent for their responses to be used on the new service.
We looked at other NHS campaign websites like Healthier families, Better Health, Healthy start, Start for life as a reference. Just like NHS Volunteering, these are less transactional services where the use of images create a visual narrative that enhances user experience.
We made a case with NHS England to commission images that illustrate current volunteers from diverse backgrounds carrying out a variety of tasks. We believed this would help showcase the wide range of opportunities available and also incentivise people from underserved communities and contribute towards creating a more inclusive service.
User research insights
Beta
This section was well received, knowing more about what volunteering looks like up front was seen as a positive way to introduce what volunteering with the NHS could mean. Some suggested adding more information on the benefits of volunteering. People also expected to see more stories from current volunteers themselves about their experiences.
Generally, Recruiters were pleased with the NHS homepage as it met their expectations of a platform like this. They understood why it looked very corporate and matched the NHS branding but proposed using better imagery.
Participants expected the What it is like to be an NHS volunteer section to show them first hand experiences from people volunteering with the NHS and the support they were provide with.
Alpha
It is important to users that they feel motivated and welcomed to becoming a volunteer when they first view the website. It was suggested that 'A day in the life' content could have a higher page priority as it was a good way to encourage people to volunteer. Providing more information on the social, interactive and exciting elements of volunteering was also suggested. Examples included: hearing about volunteers' experiences, seeing diverse people in different roles and hearing stories on the impact of volunteers.
Day in the life/ benefits of volunteering content was seen as helpful in finding out more about volunteering. Some questioned if it should have more priority.
Some feedback about creating testimonials to create a welcoming and engaging service.
We gathered feedback during the Alpha and Beta phases of NHS Volunteering, a new service for NHS organisations to advertise their volunteering opportunities and receive applications, and for potential volunteers to find out about and apply for volunteering opportunities in the NHS.
Why
Our research found that using NHS branding created a sense of trust and familiarity among users, making the service recognisable and reliable. However, users didn't feel inspired or engaged by the service and they wanted it to be more welcoming.
Users expected to see first-hand stories from current volunteers to feel motivated to apply. They also wanted to see imagery and videos, alongside testimonials and case studies, that described a day in the life of an NHS volunteer, their main responsibilities and the personal benefits.
What
We adopted a softer approach with the look and feel of the service, introducing softer content for the testimonials and recommending the use of imagery. This was particularly the case for specific parts of the service that were designed to showcase the benefits and the impact of volunteering in the NHS.
We launched a survey to gather experiences and stories from current NHS volunteers and collected consent for their responses to be used on the new service.
We looked at other NHS campaign websites like Healthier families, Better Health, Healthy start, Start for life as a reference. Just like NHS Volunteering, these are less transactional services where the use of images create a visual narrative that enhances user experience.
We made a case with NHS England to commission images that illustrate current volunteers from diverse backgrounds carrying out a variety of tasks. We believed this would help showcase the wide range of opportunities available and also incentivise people from underserved communities and contribute towards creating a more inclusive service.
User research insights
Beta
Alpha