Eleventy in a Box
A premium Eleventy starter kit for designers and developers who want to spend less time setting up the same project structure and more time designing distinctive websites.
How I designed the Changemakers website to encourage young people to get involved in politics
Designing a bilingual website for the Open University by making politics feel welcoming, approachable, and relevant to a new generation.
Good design doesn't simply communicate ideas. It helps people feel they belong before asking them to take part. Here’s how I designed the Changemakers website to encourage young people in Cymru/Wales to become more involved in politics.
People are far more likely to get involved when they feel they belong
Most organisations want people to take action. They want customers to buy, volunteers to help, or supporters to join a campaign. Before any of that can happen, people need to feel welcome. That’s where design can make a real difference.
Designing for participation
The Open University asked me to create the visual identity and website for Changemakers, a bilingual initiative encouraging young people in Cymru/Wales to become more involved in politics and social change. My challenge was encouraging participation, not explaining politics.
Politics often feels complicated, distant, or intended for somebody else. Changemakers needed to communicate something very different, that everyone’s voice matters and that getting involved is more accessible than many people imagine.
Projects like this always interest me because they rely as much on emotion as information. Before people decide whether to read an article or attend an event, they’ll already have formed an impression of whether the organisation feels approachable and welcoming.
Looking beyond political campaigns
I rarely begin by researching websites in the same sector. Instead, I look for ideas wherever people have successfully inspired others to get involved.
For Changemakers, that meant exploring youth movements, independent magazines, gig posters, protest graphics, and campaign materials from organisations including CND, Red Wedge, Rock Against Racism, and the Anti-Nazi League. I was interested in understanding how their bold typography, expressive colour, and confident layouts gave them their energy and encouraged people to stop and look.
Designing a visual language
Every part of the design supports the same goal. The bold identity gives Changemakers a confident personality that stands apart from traditional educational websites. The colour palette creates energy, bold typography helps important messages stand out, and eye-catching photography focuses on people rather than political institutions.
Behind the scenes, I developed an interactive Eleventy prototype so the Open University’s team could watch as the design process unfolded.
What I learned
This project reminded me that encouraging participation isn’t simply about presenting information. It’s about helping people see themselves within the story. Whether I’m designing for a university, a business, or a charity, I try to create websites that make people feel they’re welcome before asking them to take the next step.
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July 1, 2026 • Andy Clarke • design