Building the world’s first representative phonetic alphabet

We tackled the white men’s standard in language

Except for Maria and Xantippe, the ‘regular’ Dutch phonetic alphabet consists only of male names. Luckily, we can now use The New Spelling Alphabet: a scientifically substantiated list of names that actually does represent current Dutch society. A great initiative that deserved an anchored digital presence. Soe designed and developed the website, (online) campaign and the educational material – pro bono. In order to make this new way of spelling as user-friendly as possible, every user can start practicing on the digital platform we designed and built for it. There, you’ll find a name generator that helps you learn how to spell your zip code, name or whatever it is you need to spell out. With an accompanying memory game and a cheat-poster, we offer fun reminders for anyone who gets stuck while spelling. The education materials we designed help teachers implement the tools to bring up the conversation in class. The New Spelling Alphabet isn’t just a gimmick, but something people can actually put to use in their daily lives.

Design
Development
Campaign
Content
Motion graphics

Achievements

In only 3 months, over 27,000 Dutch people visited the website. Dozens of newspapers, newsreels and radio stations proved how relevant this project is. It sparked a public debate – without a euro spent – but with strong collaborations and smart interactive resources.
Our generator was an easy to use tool, with which anyone could generate their own name in The New Spelling Alphabet. The end result could be shared on all social channels with just one simple click, making it so share-able: even Geert Wilders and Thierry Baudet were reached.
The New Spelling Alphabet contributes to a more inclusive representation of the Netherlands and contributes to the normalization of ‘new’ names. All the tools we developed contribute to one goal: to ensure that everyone can learn and use The New Spelling Alphabet.

Approach

If we want to create an inclusive society, we need places to practice the new norms that build it. By developing and testing our materials in close collaboration with end users, HR managers and teachers, we were able to test and improve our assets before unleashing them on the greater public. With the website, the cheat poster, the name generator and educational material we triggered new ways for users to start practicing with the New Spelling Alphabet. Because the generator’s outcome was social media-proof, thousands of people were activated to spell – and share – their own name.