Building a future-ready platform for Australia’s social services

Rebuilding with purpose

The previous site was over a decade old. Built on Drupal 7, it had grown large, difficult to navigate, and was nearing the end of its supported life. But DSS saw an opportunity to go beyond a lift and shift.

They wanted a future-ready site – one that could adapt as policies evolved, provide content in more inclusive ways, and support the needs of different user groups. Members of the Jude Digital team led the delivery of this complex project, including overall project management, user research, content strategy, information architecture, inclusive design, development oversight, and everything needed to take it from discovery through to launch.

Grounded in research

We engaged with over 440 people to understand how the existing site was being used – and where it needed to improve. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, we built a clear picture of the current experience and used it to shape a more intuitive and accessible platform.

• Surveys revealed common frustrations and helped us prioritise what mattered most to internal and external users
• Card sorting and tree testing gave us insight into how people expect content to be grouped and structured
• In-depth interviews with users, including with those who relied on assistive technology, surfaced challenges that weren’t obvious from analytics or surveys.

This research grounded every key decision – helping us build a site that works the way people need it to.

Designing an inclusive experience from day one

Our approach to inclusive design went beyond checklists – it shaped the foundation of how the site works, looks and reads.

We partnered with See Me Please to run usability testing with people living with a disability. Their insights directly influenced how we designed navigation, labelled key components and structured page layouts for greater accessibility. We also worked closely with content teams to rewrite material at a Grade 7–9 reading level, simplifying language without losing meaning.

Key templates were adapted to support Auslan, Easy Read and multilingual content. A persistent quick exit button was added for safety, particularly on pages that deal with sensitive topics.

We also helped DSS apply their refreshed brand across the new site – carefully testing colour combinations, contrast and illustrations to make sure the design worked for everyone."

Smarter structure, better management

To support the challenges of ever-shifting policy areas and organisational responsibilities, we designed the site to be modular and scalable. Topics can now be merged or separated over time without disrupting the core structure.

Just as important was the work done behind the scenes with content owners across DSS. With a decentralised publishing model and more than a decade of accumulated content, it was critical to take stock of what was there – and what was missing. We worked closely with teams to review, archive, rewrite and reorganise their content, and identify gaps that needed to be filled. This hands-on collaboration helped reduce duplication, improve clarity and make sure each program and policy area had what it needed to support users.

We also streamlined content governance, introduced clearer publishing workflows, and introduced a new way to manage resources, setting a new benchmark for government websites. Instead of forcing users to hunt for different formats scattered across multiple pages, each resource page brings together all available versions – including Auslan videos, Easy Read files, translated documents and standard formats – in one clear and accessible location. This approach not only improves the user experience but also simplifies content management and ensures consistency across the site.

The project won the 'Best Government Website' category at the 2025 Splash Awards – a recognition of its inclusive, user-focused design and the innovative ways it improves access to information.

Beyond out-of-the-box

The site is built on Drupal 10 using GovCMS SaaS and CivicTheme. But we didn’t stop at default settings. Our design team extended CivicTheme to meet DSS’s accessibility and experience goals – and several of our improvements are now being considered for contribution back into the core design system.