In 2017, I was entrusted with leading the Product Design of the website's transformation. The overarching goal was establishing brand recognition, modernising the site, and improving overall traffic and usability to benefit the Australian population. This project, from conception to delivery, was a two-year project.
Project Scope and Objectives
The project scope was ambitious, requiring a migration from the outdated CMS (Sitecore) to a more flexible and dynamic CMS (Drupal) and a PaaS-driven environment by the Department of Finance. We also needed to rework and optimize 600 existing pages by implementing reduction, reuse, rewriting, and recycling strategies. Being a Government Agency, one of the most important requirements was WCAG 2.1 AA Accessibility compliance.
Collaborative Approach
To ensure the project's success, a highly collaborative approach was adopted. With the help of the CTO, we assembled a versatile internal team comprising Designers, Developers, Data Analysts, Testers, and Business Analysts. Additionally, we partnered with an external agency of skilled Back-end Developers, Content Writers, and a seasoned Project Manager to complement our in-house expertise.
User-Centric Design
As the sole UX designer on the project, my main challenge was translating a complex Information Architecture into a simple, intuitive navigation system for the website's nine distinct segments.
Each segment had to behave independently as their own sites yet seamlessly integrate to deliver a cohesive user experience. Low-fidelity prototypes were created to validate design decisions, subjected them to rigorous testing and iteratively refined them based on user feedback.
Leadership and Accomplishments
Throughout the project, I led the UX and UI Design. Because I knew what was needed from both the technical point of view and our users' perspective, I was also the Product Owner—seeing this project through from the initial concepts to delivery.
Numerous screens were designed, fifteen cross-functioning front-end branded themes, ten types of filtered pages, and interactive forms and quizzes to enhance user engagement. I also got to pull out my illustration skills and create the kid's characters that resonated with the target audience.
Successful Launch and Ongoing Recognition
In November 2019, the new eSafety website was launched, representing a significant milestone in our mission to bolster online safety resources in Australia. Since then, the site has experienced remarkable growth, continually expanding in size and segmentation to cater to a diverse Australian population. A dedicated publishing team now manages and updates the website internally, ensuring its continued relevance and impact.
The transformation of the eSafety website has been a testament to the power of collaboration, user-centric design, and perseverance. By effectively aligning technology with users' needs, we have successfully contributed to promoting online safety and fostering a safer digital environment for all Australians.
Awards
In 2020, our efforts were recognized internationally when the eSafety website was awarded as Honouree in the prestigious Webby Awards. This esteemed accolade celebrated our website's excellence in innovation and creativity among more than 13,000 entries from over 70 countries.