New Year puts Mindfulness top of our 'to do' list

There is nothing harder than dragging yourself back into work at the beginning of January knowing that even if you had the energy to type an email – you are unlikely to get a response as everyone else will still be on holiday! So what we really needed was a website launch to get us focused and motivated. And thanks to our clients at the Mental Health Foundation this is exactly what we got when we were asked to design and build the Be Mindful website ready for a 06:15 launch on the GMTV sofa on the 5th January (which translates as focused and motivated x10!!)

Be Mindful is the latest campaign from the Mental Health Foundation and is supported by leading doctors and celebrities such as Ruby Wax. It is part of a national campaign to promote Mindfulness - a range of therapies and techniques that can help people suffering from mental and physical problems.

Our aim for the Be Mindful website was 'simplicity of design' and 'clarity of information'. The audience for this campaign falls into two main categories – the public who are looking for information, advice and courses and GPs looking for information for their patients and surgeries. We wanted users to be guided through the site according to who they are and what is relevant to them – ensuring that they interact with all of the key touch points on the site as they navigate their way through. This thinking is evident in the design, layout and architecture of the site - from the clear calls to action on the homepage to the arrow icons on the tab navigation, guiding the user through their journey.

The About Mindfulness section is broken into two distinct areas ‘Experience’ and ‘Evidence’ again helping to simplify the site and sign-post the user according to the information that is relevant to them. Both sections are supported by video, audio and resources which users can view, download and share. We have also integrated an online payment system enabling GPs to order surgery toolkits and for anyone who would like a full copy of the mindfulness report, they can order one here.

One of the main findings that drove the Be Mindful campaign was that Mindfulness courses are few and far between and often hard to find. The find a course section brings these courses together in one place. The course section uses a Google maps mash-up and allows users to search for courses near them by entering their postcode or searching the map. The site also allows practitioners to promote their courses for free.

Finally there is the show your support section, an online petition to make more mindfulness courses available across the UK.

It is early days but Mindfulness is already generating lots of publicity and support. It’s great to be involved in such a positive campaign but we are already saying goodbye to any plans for a quiet February as we get back into the studio to start planning the next phase. Phase two will include a stress diagnostic tool and allow users to take part in Mindfulness courses online. I have also heard a rumour of a cheeky little iPhone app so that you can do your course on the go (well it’s just expected these days isn’t it!)

Check out the website here.