The Franklin & Marshall Global Barometer of Gay Rights (F&M GBGR®) and Global Barometer of Transgender Rights (F&M GBTR™) measures state and societal level protection or persecution of sexual orientation and gender identity minorities worldwide. Housed at Franklin & Marshall College, the F&M GBGR® and GBTR™ team has spent over a decade working on developing data collection and research used in the annual report that they release to the world. Their work in this subject matter has had global impact and will continue to be a key component of many changes to come for human rights.
The Challenge
F&M GBGR® and GBTR™ was looking to release their initial research and annual report at the end of January 2020. While they had a website started, it was not representative of the full breadth of the barometers and key members of their team. Because of this, they came to Tower looking for help to develop a website for the impending launch. We swiftly met as a full project team to understand the scope of work and desired user experience for web users worldwide.
Our Strategy
Because of a rather tight deadline, we agreed to phase the design and development of their website. Luckily, F&M GBGR® and GBTR™ had a clear vision of what the design and presentation of their data should include. Additionally, they were very clear up front about the future stages of research and data visualization that the website would need to demonstrate. We worked to lean on the visuals in their logo as inspiration to present both the textual information and the visual data in an easy to consume experience online.
A key component of the interior page templates was demonstrating the classifications of both barometers. From there, we also used GID to combine annual GBGR® and GBTR™ scores on a world map. Those country scores can be sorted by year, by barometer, and are color-coordinated to align with the grading system set in place. If desired, users can also navigate through supporting publications and annual reports.
A key component of the interior page templates was demonstrating the classifications of both barometers. From there, we also used GID to combine annual GBGR® and GBTR™ scores on a world map. Those country scores can be sorted by year, by barometer, and are color-coordinated to align with the grading system set in place. If desired, users can also navigate through supporting publications and annual reports.
The Results
Since the initial launch of the site, we’ve worked with F&M GBGR® and GBTR™ to build out their entire website and have most recently developed a registered user segment of the site that provides raw data for consumption and use by approved agencies and organizations throughout the world. Over the last year, they have had over 150 requests to download the annual report, register for password-protected access to the data, and provide information to general media contacts. The site has allowed for the team at F&M GBGR® and GBTR™ to fully embrace and grow the barometers to a level beyond initial expectations.
“Incredibly professional, prompt and helpful. We LOVED the website that they created in an extremely time constrained period. HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend!”
Dr. Susan Dicklitch-Nelson, Principal Investigator, F&M GBGR® / GBTR™, Professor of Government, Franklin & Marshall College
