Akendi's Design Wins Two for York.ca

TORONTO - Sept. 23, 2014 - PRLog -- TORONTO, ON (Sept. 23, 2014) – Akendi is pleased to announce that their user-centred design for York.ca, built in conjunction with The Regional Municipality of York, has won, not one, but two awards this year. Both awards acknowledge the user research that contributed to the outstanding design and functionality of York.ca.

Earlier this year the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)’s Toronto Ovation Awards program awarded York.ca an Award of Merit. Feedback from the judges included the following: “Very good internal consultation process and research to identify audience segments and needs. Good identification of challenges and creative solutions to address those challenges. Noticeable improvement in the website redesign - easy to navigate, attractive design, clear writing, etc.” Founded in 1970, the IABC is a global network of communication professionals.

More recently, York.ca has been recognized by The Web Marketing Association with a 2014 WebAward for Outstanding Website. Since 1997, the Web Marketing Association's annual WebAward Competition has been setting the standard of excellence for Website development. Independent expert judges from around the world review sites in 96 industries. The best are recognized with a WebAward which helps interactive professionals promote themselves, their companies, and their best work to the outside world.

“We’re very proud of the user research and creative design our team did for York.ca,” says Tedde van Gelderen, Akendi President. “The Regional Municipality of York is quite diverse so starting with a solid research foundation resulted in the final creative design reflecting the diverse needs of York Region’s citizens. We’re thrilled our work has won these awards!” Stretching north from Toronto to Lake Simcoe, York Region’s diversity is evident in their nine local municipalities, geography, economic development and population.

Akendi is a product innovation, user experience design and usability research firm. Uncovering insight on user behaviour, Akendi combines this knowledge with inspired, creative design. The results are intentional product and service experiences that enable organisations to increase market uptake, engage users, and improve their experiences. Visit www.akendi.com for more information.

- 30 –

For more information contact:

Carolyn Bergshoeff

Marketing Manager, Akendi

Carolyn@akendi.com

+1 (416) 855-3367 x 521

Shaun Illingworth

Vice President, Akendi

shaun@akendi.com (mailto:tedde@akendi.com)

+1 (613) 688-0906