Visit Ballarat

The challenge was to bring the new Visit Ballarat brand identity to life through a visually striking, story-led website—while achieving a high level of WCAG accessibility. The platform needed to feel bold, immersive and editorial without sacrificing legibility, contrast or user experience. Leveraging deep expertise in accessible design, we ensured compliance enhanced rather than constrained the experience. The result is a seamless blend of inclusive UX, dynamic tourism data integration, mobile optimisation and brand storytelling—delivering a compelling, intuitive platform that supports internal flexibility and engages a diverse audience across every device and ability.

We began with stakeholder workshops to define strategic goals and align with the new brand identity. A headless architecture enabled lightning-fast performance and modular flexibility. We expertly integrated dynamic ATDW feeds, allowing the tourism team to efficiently populate a rich database of operators and events. Custom WordPress content modules empowered staff to create bespoke pages and itineraries with ease—no developer required. Accessibility was prioritised from day one, with WCAG compliance embedded in every design decision. The result is a scalable, user-friendly platform that blends editorial storytelling with powerful functionality to support Ballarat’s tourism ambitions now and into the future.

The new Visit Ballarat website has significantly boosted tourism engagement, increased organic traffic, and improved user satisfaction across all devices. It empowers the internal team to maintain and grow content efficiently, reducing long-term resource demands. By showcasing local operators and experiences through dynamic, sustainable digital storytelling, it supports Ballarat’s visitor economy and regional businesses. The site’s inclusive design ensures equal access for all users, aligning with societal values of accessibility and equity. Environmentally, the shift to a high-performance, scalable digital platform reduces reliance on printed materials and supports more sustainable visitor planning and decision-making.

The Visit Ballarat website is defined by its editorial-style interface, designed to feel more like a digital magazine than a traditional tourism site—drawing users into immersive discovery while supporting practical trip planning. This includes: Brand identity integration: The site brings the Visit Ballarat brand to life digitally, using bold typography, colour, motion, and layout to reflect the city's mix of heritage charm and modern vibrancy—ensuring strong visual consistency and emotional connection throughout. Dynamic ATDW integration: Tourism listings, events, and operator data are automatically updated in real-time, eliminating manual input and ensuring fresh, relevant content at all times. Custom content modules: Built within a headless WordPress instance, these flexible modules allow the internal team to create visually rich, bespoke pages and itineraries without developer input. Headless architecture: Ensures lightning-fast load times, improved SEO performance, and seamless responsiveness across mobile and desktop. Accessibility: High level WCAG compliance was embedded into every component without compromising the visual brand, ensuring a welcoming, inclusive experience for all users. Modular scalability: The platform is designed for future growth, with the ability to expand content types, add new regions, or scale campaigns as needed. Every design decision supports long-term usability, brand resonance and visitor engagement.