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We're passionate about making the web, print, and new media work better for nonprofits and progressive causes. Please view our work, find out more about us, and get in touch!
work
Child Development Institute
The Child Development Institute wanted a fresh website to showcase their new brand. We translated their vision into a beautiful website that allows them to easily update content, a much different experience than they had with their previous website.
We are extremely happy with the new website that Access Design developed. The new site reflects our new brand and is much more user-friendly than our previous website. We've also had a lot of positive feedback from staff, Board Members and clients. I have been involved with other website re-design projects and I can honestly say that none have gone as smoothly as this project. From the initial concept meeting to the content management system training, it was a pleasure to work with Access Design. They were responsive to our needs and the project was completed on-time and within the budget. We are also very pleased with the content management system that was recommended. With this system we are able to make changes quickly and easily and keep our website up to date.
Beyond Canadian Experience Project
The Beyond Canadian Experience Project, a collaboration between academics and community organizations, needed a website to disseminate findings from recent community and academic research relating to the the issue of “Canadian experience”. Access Design was fortunate to be part of this collaboration and worked on a website along with branding and supporting the various project events and activities.
Access Design is an integral part of the Beyond Canadian Experience project. Their contributions to both the day-to-day activities of the project as well as the project’s visioning and strategic planning processes have been invaluable. They created our website, developed our project logo, and have helped us understand the potential and power to change hearts and minds in the world of social media. Thanks to Access Design and their nuanced understanding of the work we do and the challenges we face, the Beyond Canadian Experience project has and will continue to seek positive change through our online and social media presence. We are deeply appreciative of the partnership they bring and the work they do.
Family Councils' Program
The Family Councils' Program approached Access Design with the intent of re-designing their old website that didn't support the networking push of their organization. Access Design created an integrated website that featured their resources and listed important information to facilitate networking among their members.
We couldn’t be more pleased with our new website! Access Design listened to our goals and ideas for the new site and collaborated with us to develop a website that met our needs for functionality and design while staying on budget. The new website is polished, professional, user-friendly and enhances our ability to support our clients across Ontario. We were thoroughly pleased with their professionalism, attention to detail, genuine approach to collaboration, and commitment to delivering a website that achieves our goal of strengthening our online presence. I highly recommend their work.
Anne Johnston Health Station
Anne Johnston Health Station needed a new website to replace a static, dated website that did not reflect their dynamic organization. Access Design worked with AJHS to deliver a website that better represented their numerous vibrant programs and services while implementing accessibility features.
Access Design was a pleasure to work with. They articulated creative ideas and concepts minus the jargon and delivered high quality work. They were professional in all of their interactions and were always available to answer any of our questions (and there were many!). We are very pleased with our new website and appreciate the expertise and attention to detail that they provided, particularly around accessibility and design options. I would highly recommend using their services for any of your website needs.
Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities
The newly rebranded Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities (formerly West Hill Community Services) wanted a web presence that both showcased their bold, new brand and provided a home for their over 130 staff, volunteers and 38 services across 10 sites. Access Design worked with the team at SCHC to create site that makes a seemingly sprawling organization feel accessible to service users.
You were able to collaborate with us to enhance our initial design direction, introducing beautiful new design elements and helped to problem solve around some of the functionality issues. You helped to make sure the site’s design complemented our brand direction and emphasized the need for visual consistency throughout the site. You took the time to understand our vision for the website and enhanced it in ways we didn’t anticipate. Thanks again for all the hard work you put into the new SCHC website and for your flexibility and patience.
Centre for Critical Qualitative Health Research
The Centre of Critical Qualitative Health Research at the University of Toronto wanted their first website to be a space that facilitated and complemented the networks they had previously built over email. Access Design created a site that met all of their needs and is an effective space for communicating the many activities of the centre.
The new website you designed for us is a huge success. We really like it – better than I ever imagined. Thank you so much. Today I sent out an announcement to the Centre’s listserv members (800 people), and have already got back numerous very positive remarks. You did a super job on it – you took charge and did everything you were accountable for, yet always were responsive to what we were looking for. It is a clean, interesting, uncluttered, effective website – we could not be happier. I would recommend you to others any time.
Regent Park Community Health Centre
Regent Park Community Health Centre asked Access Design to create an easy to navigate website that unifies their numerous services across various sites. Despite the large size of the organization, we were able to provide room for each of the numerous programs and services, while creating a positive user-experience that is never overwhelming.
Access Design solicited staff input and feedback throughout the process, easily offering suggestions and accepting our input. They provided us with alternative designs to choose from and we immediately loved all of them. They are very easy to work with, flexible, meets deadlines and works within the budget given. Access Design came highly recommended to us and we would recommend them without hesitation to others.
North York Women’s Shelter
North York Women’s Shelter asked Access Design to update their existing site emphasizing ease of navigation and the need for a content management system. Access Design delivered with a fresh, welcoming design that helps remove some of the stigma around accessing shelter services.
Working with Access Design made the re-development of our archaic website a pleasure. They were great at collaborating creative ideas with us for a user friendly website and were patient when we asked for changes. Access Design was extremely helpful in educating us about the content management system so we can maintain the website ourselves and offered to help anytime we had a problem. We were thoroughly pleased with their professionalism, efficiency and would highly recommend their work.
Stepping Up Project
Access Design designed a Resource Tool and Summary Report for the Stepping Up Project, whose goal is to conduct research and implement pilot groups as a means to improve the delivery of Expressive Arts programming for lesbian, bisexual and trans newcomer, immigrant and refugee women, in order to address experiences of violence and work to prevent violence and promote community safety.
I had no idea of what I wanted it to look like but I had a lot of metaphors, and concepts that I felt captured the spirit of the project and honoured the community participants that contributed to it. Access Design understood the spirit of the project and the value placed on creating something that was easy to look at, but engaging at the same time. They were exceptionally flexible, and excellent at communicating what I needed to know-- as it was the first time I was working with a designer. Access Design were collaborative and I felt at all times were exceptionally committed to helping us come up with the design that perfectly fit the spirit and intention of the project and its image. I'm so proud of our final document. I had such a positive and supported experience.
Exposed Photovoice Project
We had the privilege of working with Access Alliance to create this unique dissemination tool for a community-based, Photovoice research project that saw residents of Black Creek use photographs to document issues present in their community.
Thank you for your all of your hard work and dedication to our photovoice project, particularly the production of the photobook. The project really benefited from your thoughtful leadership, creativity and overall efficiency. All of the photo-researchers were really happy with the way their photos were showcased, and our community partners and funders were really pleased with the outcome of the project. It was a pleasure working with you. I look forward to working with you again soon.
Re-Drawing Resistance
Access Design was able to work on the promotional materials for Re-Drawing Resistance, a collection of paintings, photography, poetry and videos from South Asian women survivors of violence, their families and their artist allies.
It was a pleasure to work with Access Design. They worked diligently to prepare an attractive set of posters and postcards to publicize the opening of our art exhibit. They were both professional and understanding of the needs of our project, following up during the design process and checking in once the materials were printed. Thanks. We look forward to working with you again!
ACT for Youth
Access Design was asked to create a comprehensive promotional package for the $1 million Assets Coming Together for Youth Project Launch and Meeting. We created a unified identity package for the event and used this identity across the promotional materials which included a folder package, nametags, placecards, way-finding signs, event invitations, email campaign, and postcards.
The work you did for us was amazing! I’m still getting compliments from members of the partnership group about how professional the materials looked. The colours, images, everything really communicated our message and continue to be important parts of our project. Thanks again!
about
Our Story
During years of social service education and working within the social services, we frequently saw a need for social service organizations to better communicate with their audiences. Websites that are out of date (and hard to update), uninviting research reports that only an academic would read, and inefficient ways of online service delivery are all too common. Access Design was created out of the desire to change these situations, and to help you mobilize all of your important knowledge and information. With our unique combination of social service education and experience, along with cutting edge design savvy, we feel that we are uniquely situated to offer you with a process and outcome relevant to all of your needs.
Our Design Philosophy
At Access Design, we believe in simplicity. While our sites are all made to be aesthetically pleasing for users, we find that simple solutions are usually the emphasize accessibility through the use of consistent page structures and easy to use navigation. We believe that information too hard to find is useless, and strive to make the user experience a pleasant and rewarding one.
We also emphasize accessibility in all of our websites. For us, accessibility is ensured by creating the site in such a way that people of every ability can access the site, along with people using a variety of devices in a variety of locations.
Our People
Theon Harrichand - Lead Designer and Developer
Throughout his Master of Social Work education and while working in the social services, Theon frequently drew upon his affinity and aptitude for design as these skills were in constant need. Instead of pursuing a life of traditional social work, he decided that his social work education and design skills were better put to use through working in a design agency. Through his work at Access Design, Theon hopes to be a different kind of social worker by making information and ideas more readily accessible through multimedia design.
Vanessa Persaud - Consultant Developer
After completing her degree in Computer Science, Vanessa realized her need to use her skills towards something she was passionate about. This realization led her to complete a teaching degree and use it to work in government-funded programs to help individuals who have lost their jobs gain the skills needed to get back into the workplace. At Access Design, Vanessa is able to employ her technical expertise outside of the classroom to ensure individuals enjoy a straightforward and comprehensible online experience.
contact
Think it'd be nice to work together? So do we! Please send us an email and we'll be sure to follow up. You can expect a response within 24 hours.
Email: info@accessdesign.ca
Phone: 416.302.3346
Toronto, ON