Te Whare Hauora

Te Whare Hauora has supported women and whānau across Ōtautahi for decades through advocacy, crisis support, and community care. When they approached me, they didn’t yet have a website, but the need for a thoughtful digital presence was clear. This project required more than a visually appealing site. The goal was to create a calm, trustworthy, and easy-to-navigate experience that supported people during vulnerable moments, while also providing clear pathways for referrals, services, and urgent support. Every design decision was made with accessibility, emotional state, and user safety in mind.

Key Considerations

• Trauma-informed user experience and navigation
• Safe and discreet access to support services
• Clear referral pathways for professionals, whānau, and self-referrals
• Reducing overwhelm through simple information architecture
• Balancing warmth, trust, and accessibility
• Mobile-responsive design for accessibility across devices

Outcome

The final website provides Te Whare Hauora with a secure and welcoming digital foundation that reflects the mana and values of their kaupapa.

Features include:

• A quick-exit button for users needing to leave the site immediately
• Integration of the Shielded Site tool to reduce digital traceability
• Secure referral functionality
• Responsive design across all devices
• Basic SEO setup
• Carefully sourced imagery that reflects the community while protecting privacy

The result is a calm and accessible online experience that helps connect people with support safely and confidently.

‍Testimonial

‍“We had the pleasure of working with Mikayla to build the Te Whare Hauora website. Mikayla was professional, responsive, and took the time to understand who we are, our kaupapa, and the community we serve. She translated complex ideas into a clear, accessible, and visually strong website that reflects our values and mahi. Communication was excellent, deadlines were met, and we highly recommend Mikayla to any organisation or business looking for a website that reflects who they are.” — Dougal