The Global South, more connected than ever
The Ibero-American General Secretariat (SEGIB) has accumulated 15 years of data and conducted rigorous analysis on horizontal ties in the Global South.
Its previous website focused on their annual reports, presenting data and analysis on a yearly basis. But the added value of that cumulative information and knowledge was buried in a vast historical data base, built thanks to consensus among the 22 Ibero-American countries.
The challenge: How to harness the power of all that information and bring it to life? Our solution was to build a completely new, interactive, updatable – and gorgeous – data platform.
Our first step was a kick-off meeting with SEGIB’s team. We listened to their needs and expectations, and took note of their important dates. With that information, we drew up an ambitious (!) work plan that served as a guide.
Then we had to find out who was on the other side – the intended audience. For that purpose, we conducted interviews with different users to investigate what kind of interactions they had with the old website and what they felt could be improved.
With a clear idea of who the users were, we took the plunge. We drew up the site map, reorganizing all existing material and incorporating new content. We came up with original copy, rewriting everything from the main titles to the smallest button. We designed a mood board and two visual paths, based on SEGIB brand guidelines, and added new elements for charts and graphs. With all these ingredients, we moved on to the wireframing stage: a first complete version of what we were projecting.
At the same time, we dived into the database and started playing with the data. We analyzed its structure and reformatted it to be actionable on the web. We tested which visualizations best answered the questions users were asking. With ongoing feedback from the SEGIB team, we developed a customized map of the international cooperation ties of Ibero-American countries over the last 15 years, plus seven interactive visualizations. In all cases, we added multiple filters and – a vital leap forward – a system to update the database when needed.
Finally, we moved on to the development stage, where the real magic happens! We delivered the site fully tested and functional, in mobile and desktop versions, in three languages – just in time to train SEGIB’s team on content uploading and present the platform at the XXVII Ibero-American Heads of State Summit. Today we continue to work with SEGIB to support the platform and ensure that it fulfills its mission: encouraging global cooperation and, ultimately, making the world a friendlier place
