Digital communications: Going Places

The brief

Going Places is the retail brand for My Travel, the world's third largest travel business. Going Places UK Internal & change communications network connects 5,000 travel agency staff in 730 shops with business critical daily bulletins about locations, weather, travel information and discounts. Going Places wanted to re-evaluate what information was required by staff and how to distribute it. We were approached to redesign the paper-based system and the look and feel of the information.

The solution

We started by talking to the users. Who were they, and what information did they need to do their jobs effectively. The paper system was laborious, clunky and expensive. Our recommendation went beyond the brief: an intranet was the solution that would provide instant, flexible, functional information straight to the desktop. We devised the name 'Livewire', the architecture, the interface and navigation. This was a first for the business. The result added value in many ways: it harmonised with the online booking system; drove up PC-user experience; differentiated between need and nice-to-know information; re-engineered business process; and was fun to use.

'Livewire' was a catalyst for culture change, turning an operational necessity into a customer advantage. The savings in logistics alone were £150,000 in the first year, and the efficiencies in time and manpower huge.

DBA International Design Effectiveness Award winner

"To truly understand the brand was critical for the success of the brief. The Team not only understood it, they produced a quality of work that was innovative and crucial."

Mike McDermott, business development manager
Going Places