GCD is delighted to announce our latest project with Northern Ireland educational charity, Verbal. The project will see the development of a new consumer app, as well as the refactoring of their existing suite of storytelling and language solutions.
Verbal was established in 1992 as an educational charity to promote literature and storytelling in all its forms. It has developed to become the largest literary, creative arts organisation on the island of Ireland. Verbal utilises storytelling and the language arts to support positive mental health, resilience and cross-community dialogue in areas of high deprivation and marginalisation, using a multi-disciplinary approach encompassing digital technology, literature, psychology and creativity.
Verbal had a strategic requirement to digitally transform its programme of services to better enable the organisation to reach a wider and more diverse audience, to engage with people beyond their existing community groups, to develop an independent income stream and to ultimately help improve the lives of more people.
The project will cover a number of key areas:
- The creation and knowledge sharing of best practice processes across a suite of products and software.
- Refactoring, unifying and extending the capabilities and features of Verbal’s storytelling and language solutions.
- The development of a new consumer app for reading along at home and in sessions.
GCD will focus on defining, creating and sharing best practice guidelines and methodologies for the development and delivery of Verbal software and digital solutions, as well as designing and developing a digital delivery process to support the roll out and management of all digital services and products for the organisation.
In conjunction with the existing Verbal team, we will refactor, develop and extend the existing digital service solutions, bringing them together as a unified experience. Finally, a brand new consumer app will be developed, offering users the ability to read along at home or in sessions.
We’re excited to see the results of the project and the demonstrable efficacy it will provide to help the charity continue to deliver valuable storytelling and learning support to local communities.
“For all of us at Verbal, every story matters and we are excited to work alongside GCD in the strategic development of our storytelling and language software and digital solutions. The improved solutions will offer the best experience to our users, whether in their homes or in one of our sessions, and ensure we can continue to deliver a positive impact though our mental health initiatives on a much wider scale.
James Kerr, Chief Executive at Verbal
