CASE STUDY

NCI: THE PIVOT

THE PROBLEM

NCI, the leader in closed captioning for over 40 years approached the Curt Doty Company to help them modernize their website, which had not been updated for years and did not reflect their position in the industry, let alone clearly communicate their services.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This began a collaborative effort that started with a site content audit, SEO audit and a more streamlined sitemap. This effort led to a more cohesive communication strategy that clearly differentiated NCI’s services and emphasized growing opportunities, now that the world is streaming and zooming more than ever.

THE SOLUTION

The next step was a branding audit which yielded inconsistencies in the identity. Their recent 40th anniversary was the last brand update and now was the time to start to celebrate their ownership of the “Bubble.” The iconic symbol which is trademarked and often stolen by other companies in the industry. Through a series of refinements and simplification, the Curt Doty Company standardized their library of marks: The Bubble, the Lockup, Abbreviated Lockup, and Logotype, creating a comprehensive style guide and toolkit.

NCI is also a .org which takes donations to support universal access to media, improving the accessibility of television, the internet, and other video programming for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision.

Friends of NCI needed a logo refresh. For over four decades, Friends of NCI has helped make possible the full range of NCI’s activities. And now, with the dynamic and expanding array of education and outreach activities on the internet, in the classroom and in communities across the country, Friends of NCI support profoundly impacts the lives of millions of Americans as never before. If you would like to donate, click here.

Show and Tell

For a media company helping other media companies, there was little video on the original site that explained and demonstrated their technology. The Curt Doty Company showcased their client’s examples of world-class captioning (CC), subtitling and translation, and Audio Description (AD) services for TV broadcasting, Internet, Video On Demand (VOD), educational and government institutions, Prerecorded captioning, real-time live captioning, sports captioning, and live captioning translation.

Creative Director Curt Doty adds, “In addition to showing examples of the work, I felt it was also important to show lifestyle footage of the many ways people consume content and that NCI brings generations together by giving those people with handicaps the ability to access the same media their families and friends enjoy. Whether it is an educational setting, business conference zooms or entertainment, NCI is there, bringing people together. This is a very positive image for the company. The human side that goes beyond the technology.”

THE LEGACY

Sprinkled throughout the site are images showing the history of The Bubble through time, manifested in different tv and media settings. A rich visual history accompanies a detailed milestone history of the company. Following up with a curiosity builder of “Did You Know” factoids, a site visitor can learn about the company’s leadership over the last 40 years..

“As a mission-driven nonprofit, it was incredibly important that our web designer also recognized the importance of the work we do. Curt not only believed in our pursuits but, with his great creativity and experience, helped us redesign NCI’s website to better express our mission and services to the world. As he was knowledgeable, communicative, and inspired, we would certainly recommend him to fellow companies.”

— Lydy Pinzón-Dadley, Director of Sales and Marketing