How did it happen?

Although there is a national Connexions website, Connexions Direct, there was also a need for one at the County Level, just for Oxfordshire.

During 2004, a group of young people got together in Oxford with the Engaging Young People worker and Spired.com editor, and produced these pages. 

Design

We looked at print-outs of different Connexions websites and then looked through the Connexions branding guidelines. We decided that the website needed to be:

• Only about Connexions stuff
• Have links to other interesting websites
• Be not too silly-looking

Content

We discussed where the Oxfordshire website would fit in with the Connexions Direct website, and looked at what they could offer that we couldn't. We decided that we should:

• Link to Connexions Direct for general information advice and online advisors

Our website should contain information about Oxfordshire Connexions, plus some interviews with young people about how Connexions had helped them make choices.

Also there should be something about services offered through the Oxfordshire Youth Service.

Revisiting the project

Although the website planning and design project was completed, changes in the way Connexions was delivered halted the planned publication of Oxfordshire's Connexions website in 2005.

However, in 2007, delivery of the Connexions Service was integrated into Oxfordshire Youth Support Service. While changes to the service meant that some adjustments to content were necessary, overall the design and content decisions made by the young people in the original group had stood the test of time.

We are delighted to finally carry this project through to publication, and to be able to use a plan and design that young people were involved with from the outset.