Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) – Website Redesign

The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) is Australia's only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia. To showcase this unique institution, the challenge required Folk to position AIATSIS as a humanistic, cultural, and educational destination rather than a traditional, government organisation. The project initially was framed as a "refresh" but after the discovery phase, it became clear a more in-depth redesign was required, including the need to rethink the information architecture to better support the needs and behaviours of AIATSIS' audience groups.

AIATSIS works at the intersection between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the government, the cultural sector, and the public in Australia and around the world. Working with 33 Creative and AIATSIS, Folk was able to design an engaging, accessible and vibrant experience that enables AIATSIS to showcase and celebrate the resurgence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and culture. To guide decision making, design principles and brand personality traits were co-created by Folk, 33 Creative and AIATSIS. These principles focussed on highlighting the content, simplifying the user experience and ensuring the distinct brand aesthetic was communicated too.

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, connecting with their heritage and family history is critical, and AIATSIS provides unique services to support this connection. The new website makes it easier for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to find out how to connect with their family history and heritage. For example, the Family History team at AIATSIS were experiencing high numbers of inbound calls. In response, the dedicated 'family history' section is helping to reduce calls because users are able to better help themselves. Furthermore, a dedicated 'education' section highlights AIATSIS' distinct educational content and programs.

Genuine partnerships Folk partnered with 33 Creative - a proudly Aboriginal owned media, communications and events agency - who were developing a new visual identity and communications strategy. Iterative, human-centred design Several rounds of interviews and prototype testing were conducted to validate the designs and gather input and feedback from a range of users and stakeholders. This iterative, human-centred approach lead to high levels of engagement, buy-in and subsequent usage of the new website.