Background

Gippsland Water required a website update to better serve their community, facilitating easier access to crucial water management information.

The goal was to create a more modern and user-friendly platform that would effectively communicate with and serve the community’s needs.

Ackama was selected to lead this initiative, focusing on developing a secure and efficient platform that could adapt to evolving needs while enhancing user experience.

Comprehensive Research and User-Focused Design

Ackama initiated the project by engaging directly with the community through comprehensive user research. This foundational phase involved detailed interviews and usability tests, which were critical in gathering insights about the users’ experiences and expectations. The feedback collected was pivotal in identifying usability issues and areas for improvement, which guided the subsequent redesign of the website’s information architecture.

To ensure that the new design met both user and organisational needs, Ackama facilitated several collaborative workshops with Gippsland Water’s team. These sessions were crucial for defining the content hierarchy and essential features that would form the backbone of the new site. The redesigned homepage, resulting from these discussions, was organised to allow users to find information quickly and navigate the site with ease, allowing for increased accessibility. This was particularly important for new visitors who needed to access water management data or contact information promptly.

The development phase leveraged a Drupal content management system (CMS), chosen for its security and compatibility with the diverse needs of Gippsland Water. With the Ackama developers modifications and technological customisation, this CMS that is used for a highly secure site became adapted into a custom, accessible design that aligned with the brand and operational requirements of Gippsland Water.

The team integrated advanced features like dynamic web forms, which facilitated better user interaction and provided a straightforward means for community members to submit inquiries or feedback. This phase ensured the technical execution matched the human-centred design principles established in our discovery phase.

Effective Implementation and Lasting Impact

Following the discovery, design and development phases, the launch of the new website represented a significant enhancement in how Gippsland Water communicates and interacts with its community. Immediate feedback from users highlighted the improved functionality and aesthetic appeal of the site, noting particularly how the intuitive layout made navigation and information retrieval more straightforward than ever.

The use of an advanced, scalable CMS not only addressed the immediate needs of Gippsland Water but also ensured that the site could evolve alongside technological advancements and changing community needs. This adaptability is crucial for future-proofing the digital assets of an organisation like Gippsland Water, which must respond dynamically to environmental changes and community requirements.

Moreover, the project showcased the ability of Ackama to implement a solution that thought outside of the box when compared to typical website updates, by transforming the site into a secure, accessible and brand aligned comprehensive service delivery platform that effectively supports real-time interaction and data dissemination. This has proven essential for maintaining trust and reliability between Gippsland Water and the community it serves.

The success of the website has set new standards within the utility sector for digital engagement and user experience, illustrating the potential of thoughtful digital strategy and user-centric design in increasing organisational performance and customer satisfaction.