Seven tips for designing helpful content

a graphic of different people using the internet

23rd September 2024

We’ve just completed a collaborative project with the West London Alliance (WLA) creating a course on how to find affordable internet. We’ve ended up with a piece of content that we’re all really proud of and we wanted to share what we’ve learnt along the way...

By Harriet Hungerford

Shockingly, more than a million people in the UK have been forced to give up their Internet connections due to cost of living pressures. The WLA wanted to develop some practical eLearning content which would help make a real difference. They selected us to work with because of our expertise tackling digital exclusion.

We worked in partnership with the WLA’s 7 member boroughs to create something that would help their frontline staff and volunteers guide residents through the options. It’s a complicated, technical topic which we needed to make accessible to a huge range of people. This is how we did it.

Let the evidence lead

We started with a simple plan: to raise awareness about social tariffs (low-cost internet deals) and the process around applying for them. But we discovered that while social tariffs could be helpful, they actually aren’t always right for everyone, and are certainly not the whole solution to the problem of affordable connectivity. It was a lightbulb moment for all of us—we needed to rethink our approach.

Be open to change

So, we pivoted. Instead of focusing solely on social tariffs, we expanded the scope of our training to cover a range of practical solutions for affordable internet connectivity. It was about being agile, adapting, and responding to the real needs we were discovering. And it made all the difference. We were no longer just offering information; we were empowering people with choices.

3. Focus on a single, meaningful problem

In a world brimming with complex social issues, it’s easy to spread yourself too thin trying to solve them all. We stayed focused on one urgent and under-served problem: digital connectivity and its affordability.

4. Make it easy to engage

We knew that to succeed, our training needed to be accessible and engaging. Local authority staff and volunteers are busy and time is precious. So, we developed a focused, easy-to-access, short course, signposting ‘just in time’ resources which could be used as needed. We designed a digital flyer with QR codes and direct URLs to make it super simple for people to jump right in. And we didn’t stop there—we provided tools for participants to share the training with others, sparking a ripple effect of knowledge and empowerment.

5. Make it real

Talking about internet connectivity can feel dry and intimidating—it’s a technical topic that can easily overwhelm. We needed to make it real, relatable and human. To do this, we built the training around two peoples’ stories. We followed their journeys from being disconnected to finding the most affordable and suitable way to getting online for them. These narratives weren’t just stories; they were mirrors reflecting the struggles of so many. And they worked. Suddenly, the training wasn’t just information—it was an experience.

6. Measure, learn and adapt

We set clear goals from the start and have been carefully monitoring our progress. This wasn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ project. We’ve been tweaking and improving the training based on what we’ve learned from real-world use, ensuring that it stays relevant and impactful. It’s still relatively early days but the feedback has been incredible—100% of participants said they would recommend the training, and 92% reported feeling more confident in helping others stay connected.

7. Collaborate to be great (but make sure someone’s in charge)

We frequently collaborate with partners but with this project we were lucky enough to have the great Lucy Dunn from The WLA as ringleader. Her passion for the project, pragmatic approach and efficiency inspired everyone involved. In our regular Teams calls, all seven local authorities fully embraced the initiative, sharing invaluable local knowledge, case studies, creative ideas, and thoughtful feedback that helped shape the project’s success.

What next?

Funded by the WLA, this project is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together with creativity, passion, and a willingness to adapt. Please do the course and spread the word! We hope that some of the learnings shared here are useful to you and your projects. If you’d like to collaborate with us on a digital inclusion project like this one, please get in touch!

And if you'd like to know more about the work of the WLA, do contact Lucy Dunn direct,