Case studies
In early 2023 I was asked to research the online landscape for anyone affected by dementia. Over 2 years that became a feasibility study, a full ITT to find a delivery partner, and project managing the website build. The research ran from telephone interviews and a focus group in Teesside out to a YouGov survey of over 500 respondents and 251 more through DementiaHelpUK, all pointing the same way: information was fragmented and there was no single reference point after diagnosis. DementiaNet launched in November 2024 and now runs at a consistent 2,000 to 3,000 visits a month.
The objective was to identify gaps in dementia service delivery in Teesside, and to work out whether a digital platform could close them.
The qualitative research ran through semi-structured telephone interviews and a 60-minute focus group, exploring the current strengths and weaknesses in service delivery, perceptions of dementia as an elderly issue rather than one that includes early onset, barriers to stakeholder collaboration, the major challenges for people with dementia and their carers, and where a charity could usefully intervene.
What came back was consistent. Support has to be tailored to individual needs. Social connectivity, workplace support, transport and mental health care all need improvement. There is no single reference point for immediate post-diagnosis support. And carers feel isolated and overwhelmed.
Research, widened. Digital City commissioned consultations covering the qualitative findings on the dementia landscape and an online review of the existing DAT website, and a Braid feasibility study produced the workshop findings and the needs, research and scope documents.
Then the question was whether Teesside was typical. A YouGov survey in April 2024 with over 500 respondents found the same fragmented information and the same need for a centralised platform. DementiaHelpUK research in July 2024, with 251 respondents, showed demand for structured planning tools and clear support pathways.
Planning and build. Four personas were created: individuals with dementia, people who suspect they have dementia, carers for family members, and professional carers. A 3-month discovery phase ran before any build, Identify Digital were selected as the supplier through the ITT, and the website build completed within 7 months. Three freelance journalists were employed to develop content tailored to each persona.
Branding and accessibility. A high-contrast colour palette, tested against accessibility standards rather than eyeballed. The website was built to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with clear navigation and minimal distractions, because the people using it are often older, frequently stressed and sometimes living with cognitive decline.
Partnerships. A 12-month sponsorship with DementiaHelpUK magazine gave immediate access to their social media following and an established email list, with regular work alongside partner teams to extend the outreach.
DementiaNet launched in November 2024: a centralised, accessible platform built on research from over 750 respondents across two surveys plus the Teesside qualitative work, with content written for each of the four personas and a planning tool for people working out what to do after a diagnosis.
The research itself is the other output. It identified critical gaps in dementia support and service delivery and validated the need for a centralised digital solution, rather than assuming it.
Since launch the site has settled at a consistent 2,000 to 3,000 visits a month. Consistency is the number that matters for a service like this: it means people are finding it when they need it rather than in a spike after a campaign.
Research is what turns a good intention into a defensible project. The Teesside interviews said information was fragmented and post-diagnosis support had no single reference point; the national surveys showed that was not a local problem. Without that second step the platform would have been built on a hunch about one region.
The accessibility decision follows the same logic. For an audience that is often older, stressed and sometimes living with cognitive decline, a high-contrast palette tested against the standard and a WCAG 2.1 AA build are not a finishing touch. If people cannot use it, nothing else the project achieved matters.
See DementiaNet.
Work of this shape is digital strategy. The build itself is covered in DementiaNet: building a dementia support platform people actually use.
To find out whether Teesside was typical. The local interviews said information was fragmented and there was no single reference point after diagnosis; a YouGov survey of over 500 and 251 respondents through DementiaHelpUK showed the same nationally, which is what justified building a platform rather than a local directory.
Because the users are often older, frequently stressed and sometimes living with cognitive decline. The palette was tested against accessibility standards rather than eyeballed and the site was built to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, because if people cannot use it easily nothing else the project achieved counts.
About 2 years in total from the initial research in early 2023, including a 3-month discovery phase before any build and a 7-month build, with the site launching in November 2024.
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