Threespot Client, Goodwill®, Awarded Nielsen Norman Group Recognition

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Jan 19, 2017, 11:05 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MyGoodwill, Goodwill Industries International's intranet, was selected as one of "The Year's 10 Best Intranets" by Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g), a leading user experience research, training and consulting firm that advises companies how to improve bottom line through human-centered design of products and services. Goodwill's agency partner, Threespot, contributed to MyGoodwill's design and development, including information architecture, graphic design and front-end development.

The existing MyGoodwill site included a text and link heavy interface, and a lack of hierarchy for its 130 communities. Navigation was difficult for users, and content and documents were outdated. Search was bogged down, and search results were difficult for users to parse. The redesign team's primary goal was to improve search and navigation, and create a more contemporary look and feel that would help the organization re-engage its users.

The new design pared down the community sites to 25, grouped by discipline, and added compelling photography throughout the site. Together, Goodwill and Threespot conducted focus groups so that users could respond to and provide input on the initial designs. In response to user feedback, the search tool was featured front and center in the new design, encouraging users to use the improved technology with a "search first" approach.

The winning intranets are each described in detail in Nielsen Norman Group's Intranet Design Annual 2017: The Year's 10 Best Intranets. The report recognizes and highlights features, trends and information about corporate intranet sites, including a graphic-first approach, and a focus on the needs of their organizations' stakeholders.

The report says designers of the top-rated intranets "…employ research methods, such as usability tests, surveys, and field studies to collect feedback from individuals." The report continues, "A series of interviews, meetings, and workshops are needed to truly hear and flesh out stakeholder needs, priorities, and desires. All of this work also builds buy-in and shared goals for the intranet."

"We are honored to receive this prestigious distinction for our intranet," said Beth Perell, vice president, member relations, for Goodwill Industries International. "Goodwill Industries International is committed to employee and member communications, and is leveraging technology to promote a culture that encourages the development and sharing of new ideas, resources, best practices, templates, and learning opportunities across the 163 autonomous Goodwill organizations in the United States and Canada."

"We're beyond thrilled to see our collaboration with Goodwill recognized by NN/g, the usability standard setter for our industry," said Bill Barbot, co-founder and president of Threespot. "In many ways, there's no higher honor for user experience than a nod from them, so we couldn't be more proud and pumped to share in this honor."

ABOUT THREESPOT
Threespot is a Washington, DC-based interactive agency founded on the belief that creative strategy and strategic creative can bring about meaningful change. Since 1999, we've built a firm of around thirty employees who enjoy solving interesting problems for clients with causes. We develop strategies, we craft solutions, we build digital experiences, and we change the way organizations think about themselves, using digital communications strategy, user experience design, content strategy, social media, front-end and back-end development, technical strategy, quality assurance testing, analytics, and optimization. To publicly demonstrate our commitment to social benefit, we were certified as a B Corp in 2015.

Find and follow us: www.threespot.com; Twitter: @threespot; Facebook: threespot; Instagram: threespot.

ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 163 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. GII was also ranked by Enso as the #1 brand doing the most good in the world, and was the only nonprofit brand rated in Forbes' 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years. Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that fund job training programs, employment placement and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,200 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com®. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed 312,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills. To learn more, visit goodwill.org.

For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl or Instagram: GoodwillIntl.

ABOUT NIELSEN NORMAN GROUP
Nielsen Norman Group (http://www.nngroup.com) in an evidence-based user experience research, training and consulting firm that advises companies on how to improve the bottom line through human-centered design of products and services. NN/g principals Jakob Nielsen, Don Norman and Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini are each world-renowned user experience experts who were advocating human-centered design and usability long before it became popular to do so. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, NN/g evaluates interfaces of all kinds and guides the critical design decisions that make websites, applications, intranets and products achieve their full potential for businesses and their users.

SOURCE Goodwill Industries International