Overview
CodeWeek is a European Commission initiative that promotes coding and digital skills in a fun, engaging way. Originally launched in Europe, it has grown into a global movement with workshops, hackathons, robotics events, and coding classes run by schools, teachers, and volunteers.
The new platform was designed to modernise the experience and serve as a central hub for events, resources, and community connections. Key features include an interactive map, multilingual content, and organiser dashboards, making it easier for users to find, participate, and contribute year-round.
My responsibilities during the project
- Partnered with the UX Lead on wireframes to define user journeys
- Led the creation of high-fidelity UI across core user journeys
- Collaborated with developers on QA to ensure design accuracy and consistency
🏔️ The challenge
- Content limitation: Seasonal content and fragmented resources limited engagement
- Navigation issues: Unclear navigation made core tasks difficult to find
- Accessibility gap: Limited mobile and accessibility support → engagement concentrated mainly in October
💡 The solution
- Brand alignment: Unified brand identity and streamlined navigation
- Inclusivity: Visible multilingual support for broader accessibility
- Year-round engagement: Year-round campaign roadmap → a clearer, more inclusive hub for events, resources, and community
📈 The impact
- Participation boost: Significantly higher participation and user engagement
- Improved usability: Clearer navigation → easier event registration
- Broader reach: Multilingual support → wider inclusivity
- Sustained engagement: Year-round campaigns → ongoing community participation beyond October
Research & strategy foundations
The initial phase of CodeWeek 2024 focused on evaluating the digital experience and defining a targeted communications strategy. With my active support, the team conducted a comprehensive website audit and a collaborative workshop, producing insights that directly shaped the campaign and platform priorities.
Key activities included:
- Website audit: Identified weaknesses and areas for improvement
- Persona development: Created personas representing key target groups (students, teachers, ambassadors etc.) to guide tailored communications
- Value propositions & positioning: Defined CodeWeek’s unique appeal and relevance
- Race communications strategy: Developed a structured approach to engage participants across channels
Translating strategy into design
Building on insights from the discovery phase, the design process turned strategic goals into visually compelling, user-focused solutions. Every decision focused on creating a cohesive, modern, brand-aligned experience.
Key steps in the design process:
- Visual design & branding: Applied a cohesive, modern identity aligned with the brand
- Wireframing: Developed detailed layouts for key pages
- Prototyping: Built interactive prototypes to test and refine user flows
- Validation: Ensured design consistency and platform readiness
Impact
The CodeWeek relaunch transformed a fragmented, seasonal site into a year-round hub for digital skills. With clearer navigation, multilingual access, and a unified brand, the platform now supports broad participation, enabling users to connect, share, and learn. Engagement is sustained beyond October, inspiring the next generation of coders.