Wickets - LGBTQ+ Landing Page

Introduction

"WICKETS" is a fictional news website celebrating Pride Month with a dedicated landing page highlighting LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the cricket community.

This fictional website serves as a comprehensive cricket news hub for enthusiasts, offering match scores, upcoming fixtures, cricket articles, and resources. The creation of this fictional website addresses a gap in the cricket community, where relevant information is often scattered across various sites. By centralizing this information, "WICKETS" seeks to facilitate the sharing of events, fixtures, news, and this month, promote LGBT awareness within the cricket community.

Objective

To conduct research into LGBTQ+ representation and awareness in the cricket community. Define the key problems and develop a design approach to address these problems.

In addition to providing relevant cricket news blended with LGBTQ+ elements, the page strives to be inclusive and appealing to all audiences, including those who may not usually be engaged with LGBTQ+ issues. This approach focuses on positive stories and positive awareness.

KPIs - To measure the success and reach of the page, we have incorporated CTA buttons throughout. These buttons, along with page retention time and scrolling statistics, will help gauge user engagement. The CTA buttons on the landing page direct users to further reading on LGBTQ+ content.

Objective Summary: To educate and engage users, encouraging further exploration into LGBTQ+ topics and promoting representation and awareness within the cricket community.

Research

My research aims to understand the current awareness of LGBT topics and representation within the cricket community. It seeks to determine if people know where to access relevant LGBT resources for team members and captains, and whether there is sufficient LGBT representation in the sport.

Research Methods:

• 1-to-1 interviews
• Surveys distributed through local cricket communities
• Analysis of external publications

1-to-1 Interview Findings: "At first, I was very apprehensive about bringing my girlfriend to my matches, fearing judgment and different treatment from both my team and the opposition. The team had never discussed the topic, so I was unsure of their feelings. We need more representation—there are so many others like me, and people need to see that. As a committee member at my club, I wish we had resources to promote a positive approach to this subject. People shouldn't be afraid to mention it and bring it into conversation. It's not a taboo subject."

Survey Results:

Sent to 56 members of a cricket club (ages 16-64)

• 75% were unsure where to find resources on LGBT topics
• 83% were unaware of any LGBT players or role models in the game
• 93% had not heard of any LGBT cricket events
• 43% had heard homophobic language used on the pitch, during training, or at social events

External Publications: The ICEC report of 2023 revealed that 73% of LGBTQ+ respondents had experienced discrimination in the last five years, with homophobic slurs being the most common form. Since the report, several actions have been taken, including:

• Hosting an LGBTQ+ inclusion in cricket conference
• Providing support for over 100 recreational clubs
• Organizing T20 pride matches for various counties

Defining the Problem:

The cricket community has historically struggled with LGBT inclusivity, often reinforcing negative stereotypes. However, the sport is evolving and becoming increasingly inclusive. Despite these positive changes, harassment and discrimination still occur. My goal is to create a design experience that enhances representation for the LGBT community and provides valuable resources for further education on inclusivity within cricket.

User Personas:

Brainstorming

During the ideation phase, I used post-it notes to organise the key findings from the research. I arranged the post-it notes into 4 main categories which were: ROLE MODEL, COMMUNITY, VOLUNETEERS, RESOURCES. I then began to sketch out a low-fi wireframe to gain an idea about the structure of this landing page.

KPIs

One of the main reasons for this months landing page is to promote engagement with LGBT content and resources. This can be measured in several ways such as page views, CTA clicks, engagement rate etc.

Colours and Typography

I wanted to keep the colour palette simple and accessible througout this design to ensure the PRIDE colours were emphasized. I used an off black blue toned colour (#27262D) to reduce strain on the eyes and increase contrast and readabiliity for text.

My choice to use Poppins was due to its clean design and versitility as it comes in a variety of weights (light, regular, bold, italic etc). It is widely availavle on google fonts for example and also supports various languages.

Checking the contrast ratio complies to WCAG guidelines: #fff on #27262d 14.98:1.

Final Design

Conclusion

Designing this fictional website was a challenging task, as it required a balance between providing up-to-date cricket news and promoting LGBTQ inclusivity within the cricket community.

My final design integrates elements from four main categories identified during the research stage:

1. Role Models: Highlighting influential LGBTQ figures within the cricket community to inspire and motivate.
2. Positive Stories: Sharing uplifting stories of LGBTQ individuals and groups, showcasing their achievements.
3. Volunteers: Showcasing the efforts of volunteers who actively support LGBTQ members, highlighting their invaluable contributions.
4. Resources: Providing clubs with relevant LGBTQ resources, including guidelines, support networks, and educational materials.

I also included a 'Join the LGBTQ+ Cricket Community' section to allow individuals to network and share stories and provide support to others.

The design is clean, user-friendly, and structured in clear sections. Sectiond features relevant Call-To-Action (CTA) buttons to enhance user engagement and navigation. The layout ensures that visitors can easily access the content they are interested in while promoting a welcoming and inclusive environment for all cricket enthusiasts.

Overall, the website not only serves as a hub for cricket news but also as a platform to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community within the sport.