This case is about a specialist travel and education company, focussing on its online TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses. The company’s site combines many of the features we have described in this chapter blending accessibility, usability and persuasion. This case considers the challenges of delivering an effective design across different markets for different audiences. 

i-to-i (www.i-to-i.com) is an international organisation with offices in the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. Around 20,000 people have selected i-to-i as they travel on ventures to support 500 worthwhile projects in five continents and it has also trained a further 80,000 people as TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teachers. This service is offered through the main site and also through a specialist online TEFL site (www. onlinetefl.com), on which this case focuses. 

The founder of i-to-i, Deirdre Bounds, was inspired to create the company following a career break which took her to teach English in Japan, China and Greece and drive a backpackers’ bus in Sydney. The company initially started through creating TEFL courses eventually leading to organising volunteer projects. Since 2003, the company has supported the i-to-i Foundation, a registered charity committed to providing funds to the most needy community and ecological projects in the i-to-i family. In 2007, i-to-i became part of the TUI travel group. 

The main features of the i-to-i TEFL proposition communicated through its site are: 

● International accreditation: i-to-i is externally accredited by the ODLQC in order to ensure that its courses are rigorously monitored and always meet the highest industry standards. 

● World-class reputation: i-to-i has four offices worldwide and it has over 12 years’ experience teaching TEFL. 

● Partnership: i-to-i is preferred TEFL course provider for STA Travel, Opodo and Lonely Planet. 

● Complete student support: students receive advice on how to get work abroad, how best to prepare for their time away and up-to-the-minute advice on current job opportunities. 

● Highly experienced tutors: all i-to-i tutors have at least three years’ overseas teaching experience. This proposition is backed up by ‘the i-to-i TEFL Promise’ which is communicated on the site. 

● We will beat any equivalent and cheaper course by 150%. 

● If you’re not entirely satisfied after the first seven days, we’ll give you a full refund. 

● Our experience, our high academic standards and the quality of our courses means that i-to-i TEFL certificates are recognised by thousands of language schools worldwide. 

● Additionally i-to-i can offer to help students find TEFL jobs abroad.

 Questions 

1 Select one country that i-to-i operates in closest to the area where you live. Define a persona based on their age and product needs and then identify the main customer journeys that form the customer for this persona. Which routes through the site would this user follow? 

2 Review the range of engagement devices on the i-to-i website to engage the audience to generate leads. 

3 Identify key areas for improvement for i-to-i based on your use of the site.