SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN CRISIS 24/7
Crisis Text Line
Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis. Crisis Text Line trains volunteers to support people in crisis. They’ve responded to over 100 million messages to date and continue to be a trusted resource to those in need. Text 741741 from anywhere in the US to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.
Putting Texters First
Our top goal for the project was to help texters find and access help as quickly and comfortably as possible. We sought to design and create a user experience that is supportive, friendly, welcoming, and empathetic. With 75% of Crisis Text Line’s texters being under the age of 25, and between 70-80% of users accessing the site by phone, the new site was designed to appeal to a younger audience while still being inclusive of all.
Unlike the old site, the new website gives visitors multiple ways to get into contact with a Crisis Counselor, whether by clicking to open their SMS tool, Facebook Messenger, or by picking up their phone and texting the short-code. We set up Google Tag Manager to be able to track and evaluate which calls to action are most effective and to help the Crisis Text Line team optimize moving forward.
Since launch, we’ve seen real results:
• An additional 150 messages a day to the HOME keyword.
• A doubling of messages through Facebook
• More than 60% of the time, the site loads in less than one second.
• #1 search result on Google since launch.
Interactive Design
Easing Anxiety with Helpful Animations
We used clear typography, iconography, and light illustration to achieve an engaging, friendly feel and to communicate the organization’s mission in a compelling way. In addition to the iconography and illustrations, we created a fully accessible animation of an example text conversation so potential texters can visualize what they might expect to happen if they text in. We hope this example conversation gives those in crisis the reassurance they need to take that first step and text.
Interactive Design
Easing Anxiety with Helpful Animations
We used clear typography, iconography, and light illustration to achieve an engaging, friendly feel and to communicate the organization’s mission in a compelling way. In addition to the iconography and illustrations, we created a fully accessible animation of an example text conversation so potential texters can visualize what they might expect to happen if they text in. We hope this example conversation gives those in crisis the reassurance they need to take that first step and text.
“Launching this website was critical to helping people in crisis reach us seamlessly. Wide Eye designed a website that put potential texters at the forefront of every element of design, ensuring that users can reach a Crisis Counselor throughout the entire site.”
Laurel Schwartz, Growth Marketing Manager, Crisis Text Line
Load time is everything
The previous website was built on Squarespace and had issues with speed, Search Engine Optimization, accessibility and conversion tracking. From a technical standpoint, we built the custom WordPress theme in a way that is accessible and makes sure site assets are non-blocking so that site content loads and is visible on a user’s screen as quickly as possible.
The site is now twice as fast as it was previously and has shaved almost two seconds off the load time. It’s now on the 98th percentile for speed with over 60% of the time the site loading in less than one second. This means more people in need are able to reach a crisis counselor faster than ever before.
Page load time is so critical to a successful Search Engine Optimization program, which is another important goal for the Crisis Text Line team. Since launching, the site has bumped up to the #1 for “Crisis Text Line” on Google.
