The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering
Agency
Aceik
My contributions
IA / Treejack testing
User testing
User Personas
Wireframes
Concept iteration
Hi-fidelity delivery
The project
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering (ATSE) is an independent, non-governmental organization committed to advancing the role of technology and engineering in Australia. Bringing together experts from academia, government, and industry, the Academy provides valuable insights on technological and engineering issues, promoting the application of science and technology for public benefit. To achieve these goals, ATSE required a comprehensive overhaul of its digital presence. This end-to-end redevelopment aimed to enhance public communication, thereby fostering the education of aspiring minds, and to empower the Fellowship, facilitating seamless collaboration within and across various sectors.
Architecture & the user
To design the information architecture for ATSE's new website, we began by establishing a robust collaboration with key stakeholders from the outset. Our approach involved a thorough, user-centered analysis to inform our UX strategy, ensuring that every choice was rooted in real user behaviors and preferences. By utilizing a grassroots method for developing the information architecture, we aimed to accurately capture both typical and specific user journeys. This approach allowed us to create a design that genuinely resonates with our audience, enhancing their experience and engagement with the site.
Given ATSE's mission to advance technology and engineering, it was crucial that the website effectively communicated with the public, supported educational initiatives, and facilitated seamless collaboration among the Fellowship. Our comprehensive, bottom-up strategy ensured that these objectives were met, resulting in a digital platform that not only reflects ATSE's values but also serves its diverse user base effectively.
Low & high fidelity
To ensure a clear and cohesive user journey for both casual visitors and the Fellowship members using the "Fellows Portal," I started with a content mapping process to bridge the gap between Information Architecture (IA) and wireframes. This approach improved the foundational structure of low-fidelity page views.
Engaging in several feedback rounds with stakeholders, we refined the content mapping to align perfectly with the new ATSE digital strategy. Once the foundational structure was solidified, I transitioned to creating high-fidelity designs that brought the brand to life. This phase included developing interactive prototypes that illustrated key user journeys. These prototypes were tested with a mix of ATSE team members and external, impartial users to ensure they met user needs effectively.
Next, key page views were transformed into templates. These templates served as a guide for the ATSE authoring team, assisting them in the content creation process after the build was complete. The final deliverable encompassed all design styles and systems, facilitating a smooth transition and handover within the overall project context. This comprehensive process ensured that the user journey was intuitive and engaging for all users, enhancing the overall digital experience.
We developed a series of color-driven themes using the extensive ATSE palette. This enhancement provided greater authoring flexibility, utilizing visual cues to facilitate wayfinding through color differentiation by category and industry sector. Furthermore, it served as a powerful tool to reinforce the brand's attributes.
The Fellowship of ATSE organisation and their ability to contribute, collaborate and manage their own profile was critical to a win in ATSE’s eyes. The first point of call was a dashboard which catered to the accessibility needs of a Fellowship who’s medium age was in the mid-late 60’s.
A central point was created for personalised account management taking full advantage of the CMS capabilities.
Resolution
The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) embarked on an extensive overhaul of its primary digital platform. The primary objective of the project was to provide the Fellowship with the support and agency needed for seamless collaboration among colleagues. This initiative was accompanied by a complete revamping of the public-facing UI experience, focusing on creating clear, logical, and intuitive wayfinding.
