This case study looks at how we collaborated with the Victorian Government to work on a website redevelopment project for their Family Violence department.
Government websites are notorious for being overloaded with information and difficult to navigate. In many cases, people seeking advice on government websites are looking to resolve a problem; in the case of Family Violence, the problem is highly emotional and often urgent. If people landing on the website are disorientated and overwhelmed rather than guided, the website cannot succeed in helping prevent and end family violence.
The goal for this project was to create a website that would break the mould in terms of government online resources. Rather than causing readers further distress and confusion, the new website would provide helpful resources in a clear and succinct format. By improving the reader experience through simple navigation and an aesthetically pleasing website, AndMine aimed to inspire public confidence in the Victorian Government’s role in tackling family violence.
The issue of family violence is still taboo in many social environments and a desired bi-product was to deconstruct this. We aimed to achieve this by making the content shareable across multiple digital platforms. The more the website is shared, the more people will become aware that there is a sounding board and a solution to family violence.
In order to approach the task in the most efficient and effective way, we did a Google Design Sprint. This process helped us understand the concept, develop a strategy and complete the website in a controlled environment with minimal delays and tangents. We worked closely with the Victorian Government to prioritise key factors they wanted the website to focus on and create the online experience they envisioned.
The central focus of the new website was to highlight the Family Violence 10 Year Plan Response in an approachable and transparent way. The website needed to effectively communicate what the Victorian Government was doing in terms of tackling family violence and how they were tracking their progress. To convey this information in a way that was visually attractive and easy to absorb, we developed visual pathways and ideas like the bespoke recommendarions tracker for the site.
To measure the success of the website, we worked with a focus groups who had a history of real-life family violence and those who were being introduced to this society challenge. This meant we could evaluate the digital platform not just from an arbitrary UX design perspective but from the perspective of the real-life target audiences. Working so closely with the delicate issue propelled AndMine’s passion to deliver this project at the very highest standard and our feedback sessions confirmed that our hard work paid off.
The Victorian Government were happy with the website and their decision to invest in the website redevelopment. Having established a clear channel for communicating with the public, their ability to help those affected by family violence had drastically improved.
The result of this project is a government website that truly breaks the mould. Not only is it far superior in terms of aesthetics and user journey, but it is exemplary in terms of using digital as a disruptive medium for social change. The website uses content and harnesses social connectivity to help resolve social issues in a way that is still ground breaking today.
The outstanding work has not gone unnoticed; the informative nature of the website has already lead to a range of press coverage including this piece by ABC. As raising awareness was one of the key goals, our work is already making an impact. We are proud to have been part of a project that is tackling Victoria’s social welfare issues through digital innovation.