Digital Tools Websites

JULIE Kids Microsite

An interactive educational website for grade-school students

Illustrated woodland critters stand happily in the foreground. In the background there are rolling hills, a blue sky with clouds, and a small house. A laptop screen is on the right side of the screen showing a preview of the JULIE Kids interactive town.

From concept to expansion

JULIE wanted a unique way to expand their educational offerings for kids. In Phase 1, Makeway conceptualized and built an engaging website that creates a fictional world for kids to explore and learn about safe digging. In Phase 2, Makeway expanded on this foundation with the Shovelton Springs Town Hub—a central activity space that hosts new games like JULIE Sort and Memory Match.

Visit website

laurel

2024 AVA Digital Awards

Platinum Winner for Children’s Education: Not-for-profit

screenshot of mobile screen showing the hero design from the JULIE Kids website. It includes a bunny holding a shovel and intro text about JULIE.
screenshot of mobile screen showing a bunny and raccoon looking at flags in the ground marking underground pipes from the JULIE Kids website
screenshot of mobile screen showing the Activities Hub from the JULIE Kids website
screenshot of mobile screen showing events from the JULIE Kids website
screenshot of mobile screen showing PDF downloads from the JULIE Kids website

Custom-designed games and tools inspire kids to learn about safe digging

An image of Shovelton Springs, an illustrated fictional town filled with homes, buildings, and the JULIE Critters. A Bunny in the front waves to the user and displays a welcome message explaining how to interact with the town.
An image of the JULIE Sort game. It shows square cards on the left with activites like; birdwatching, installing a flagpole, planting shrubs, etc. On the right there is a spot that says "Call 811" and "Don't Call" The users job is to sort the activities of when to call 811 before digging.
A raccoon wearing an orange shirt stands next to a Spot the Difference game. The game features a custom illustration with underground animals, pipes, and a squirrel placing flags in the ground above. The UI includes places for the user to get hints, adjust the settings, and keep track of their correct guesses with stars.

Delivering an immersive and scalable experience

Makeway started with a homepage that brought kids and parents into an inviting digital space. Interactive features like animations and hover effects guide users through content, videos, and downloads with ease. Phase 2 introduced the Shovelton Springs Town Hub as the centerpiece for all games and activities. With audio and visual enhancements, the hub draws kids into the experience while offering room for future updates.

The fox from the JULIE Kids critters. An illustrated fox wears a teal sweater and stands up on its hind legs like a person.
The owl from the JULIE Kids critters. An illustrated owl wears a yellow construction vest and hard hat and stands up on its feet like a person. The owl wears purple circular glasses and looks happy.
The Construction Bunny from the JULIE Kids critters. An illustrated tan bunny wears a yellow shirt and hard hat, and stands up on its hind legs like a person. It is happy and waving.
The Raccoon from the JULIE Kids critters. An illustrated raccoon wears a blue shirt and stands up on his hind legs like a person.

Digging into the fun

Each phase introduced new ways to teach safe digging. Phase 1 included a spot-the-difference activity and a digital coloring book featuring digging animals native to Illinois. Phase 2 added depth with JULIE Sort, a game that challenges kids to identify when to call JULIE, and Memory Match, which encourages critical thinking. Together, these games promote safety while keeping kids engaged.

before
after

Makeway’s phased approach established a platform that teaches kids about safety through creativity and play.

We loved working with the Makeway team.  They brought our vision of creating a children’s educational page to life with professionalism, creativity and attentiveness.  They were true partners in every sense of the word, providing us with updates and project management that allowed us to complete our project ahead of schedule.  Our weekly progress meetings with the team were fun, productive and often the best parts of my week.

Amy Chmura, Director of Education for JULIE, Inc.