Trauma-informed content design in practice (Modular Guides case study)

Target audience

People who already have foundational understanding of trauma-informed UX (from Michael's previous webinar) and want to see how these principles translate into practice, specifically through content design.

Context

Chayn is a global charity supporting survivors of gender-based violence through trauma-informed digital resources.

The challenge

Existing survivor-facing guides were spread across multiple platforms, written in different styles, and presented in inconsistent formats—making them harder to navigate, update, and maintain, and less accessible for survivors around the world.

The solution

Design a modular system and set of content templates that make guide creation, localisation, and maintenance easier and more consistent, while embedding trauma-informed design principles and accessibility standards into every stage.

Pilot guide

DIY Online Safety—helping survivors take control of their digital safety with clear, practical steps they can use right away (launched September 2025, still being iterated on!).

Key goals

• Guides feel consistent, easy to navigate, and accessible across languages and topics
• Creation/update process is clear, efficient, and scalable
• Survivor experience feels calmer, safer, and more empowering

Still in progress

• We’re currently working on publishing other guides in the new format, including in non-English languages
• I’ll be creating a how-to-use set of guidelines and templates for the internal team, with advice for collaborating volunteers, so that a content designer isn’t needed every time