Site Purpose
The Lowdown is a highly interactive Flash and video-driven website which is the focal point of a New Zealand Ministry of Health initiative to combat youth depression. One in seven young New Zealanders experiences serious depression at some point during their youth, and suicide is the second most common cause of death for young people in this country. The Ministry's initiative aims to help young people recognise and understand depression through stories from others young people they can relate to. The site also encourages young Kiwis to seek help if needed and offers a free online counseling service.
What We Did
We were the technology provider for the site and built the site on top of the SilverStripe platform. Along with several other companies involved in the project, we:
- Built a site that's available in both a highly interactive Flash and a simpler HTML version.
- Allowed content editors to manage their Flash, video, and audio files through the CMS along with their written content.
- Set up video delivery through a content delivery network with servers across New Zealand to ensure smooth playback even during times of high website traffic.
- Developed tools to allow youth councillors to securely interact with people on the site via both public and private discussions.
What Users Can Do Now
- Watch videos in which New Zealand musicians, actors, and other teen role-models talk openly and honestly about their experiences with depression.
- Get helpful, practical information and advice on the topic of depression.
- Download informative fact sheets.
- Talk to others in an interactive chat room.
- Seek private and free online counseling from trained professonals.
Measures of Success
The site receives hundreds of thousands of page views every month, and the videos have been watched tens of thousands of time.
In the first few months of usage, more than fifteen callouts to avert likely suicide attempts were attributed to the website. In addition, online counselors regularly call emergency services to intervene where young people are judged to be at immediate risk. The website is successfully reaching people who don't respond to more traditional means, such as phone service or face-to-face counselling.
TUANZ has named the project as a finalist in their 2008 Innovation awards.
The 2009 New Zealand Internet Industry Awards announced the project as winner of their Best Societal Impact category.
