Driving Innovation and Engagement: Redesigning United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW) Website
01 Where it all started
In the realm of tech workers' rights, United Tech and Allied Workers (UTAW) emerged as a beacon of hope. Formed in 2020 as a national branch of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), UTAW set out to advocate for tech industry workers across the UK.
As UTAW expanded, so did their need for a strong online presence. They approached us with a vision: to refresh their brand, modernise their website, and simplify their content management system. The aim was to empower their volunteers and streamline their digital operations.
02 Where we came in
UTAW had a preliminary idea of their visual direction, but they needed our expertise to bring it to life. They wanted a brand that resonated with their members—a blend of retro tech nostalgia and modern functionality.
However, this project wasn't just about aesthetics. UTAW had specific technical requirements as well. They preferred using an open-source CMS and desired a hosting and deployment infrastructure independent of large corporate cloud services. We were excited to take on this challenge.
We began with a series of workshops to define the visual direction. UTAW's perspective on their brand was unique, and we ensured our mood board captured that vintage computer vibe they desired—think classic ThinkPad 60 meets modern design.
Design intent
The UI elements we developed paid homage to the illustrative style of classic computer interfaces. Clean layouts with lines and boxes to divide content were reminiscent of early Macintosh and IBM systems.
We didn't stop there. We subjected the design to rigorous user testing with both union members and potential recruits. This process helped us refine the messaging and create interactive campaigns to boost volunteer recruitment and drive engagement.
2.0 Implementing a customized CMS and infrastructure
We chose Strapi as our open-source CMS, due to its flexibility in managing UTAW's diverse collections, such as events, campaigns, and resources. Strapi allowed us to tailor the CMS to UTAW’s specific needs, enabling easy content updates and integration with other tools.
We also designed a custom infrastructure and hosting solution that bypassed corporate cloud services, aligning with UTAW’s preference for data sovereignty. The website is hosted on UTAW's own servers, ensuring full control and GDPR compliance. This setup provides UTAW with a secure, scalable, and independent digital platform, perfectly suited to their requirements.
3.0 Ensuring long-term scalability and sustainability
We built the website with growth in mind, ensuring it could easily scale with content without needing a major overhaul. To keep things ticking along nicely, we signed a maintenance agreement with UTAW. This means we're always on hand to provide support and implement any new features they might fancy down the line.
This was a fantastic project from start to finish, cannot recommend Yalla Cooperative highly enough.
I was impressed by how straightforward Yalla's process was in redesigning the UTAW website. They made it easy for us to remain engaged.
