A Safer Tomorrow

Challenge

Americans are becoming more and more divided. As everyday issues turn into heated debates, we can all agree on something: the importance of safe and secure schools for students and teachers. But in a disruptive era, it takes a trusted voice to unite groups behind that message.

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) along with partners at the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice and Health and Human Services formed the School Safety Task Force to educate and promote best practices around safety in schools nationwide. As a part of their plan, they needed a tool for public use that housed the latest research and guidance on school safety. With longstanding relationships across DHS, Adfero was entrusted to establish this new program’s brand, as well as design and develop the official website, SchoolSafety.gov.

Solution

Adfero wanted to elevate the standard for digital content on a government website, while understanding that this program needed to appeal to a wide audience of school administrators, resource officers and teachers.

Once we established a clear visual identity for SchoolSafety.gov, we focused on building a website to serve as a one-stop-shop for resources, including an interactive safety readiness tool that provides immediate steps for schools to improve their safety procedures and a national database that enables users to access state specific resources and guides for their communities.

To amplify the reach of the content, Adfero also spearheaded the creation and launch of the School Safety program’s official Twitter account.

Today, SchoolSafety.gov serves as a government resource that prioritizes accessible content for all. Developed to meet the latest U.S. Web Design System standards, the design allows users to focus on what matters most—the safety of students and schools across the country. 

Impact

Following SchoolSafety.gov’s initial launch in February 2020, the site garnered impressive traffic,

Within its first year, the site has been lauded as a best-in-class federal resource, for both design and functionality.