Department of Health Tasmania
Accessibility-First Design System for Government Website Transformation
Redesigning a public health website from the ground up with WCAG 2.1 AA compliance at its core, delivering a clear, trustworthy, and inclusive digital experience through user-tested design, scalable components, and pixel-perfect execution in Figma.
Problem Context
The Department of Health Tasmania required a complete redesign of a public-facing health website to better serve a diverse population with varying accessibility needs. As a critical public service platform, the site needed to be inclusive, trustworthy, and easy to navigate, ensuring essential health information was accessible to all users.
Role: UX/UI Designer
Platform: Figma | Web | Responsive Design
Client: Department of Health Tasmania (via Folk Agency)
Year: 2021
See the new website live: https://www.health.tas.gov.au/
Team
Cross-Functional Collaboration Within a Multidisciplinary Design Team
I worked closely with a CX Designer, UX Designer and Lead Product Designer to shape a user-centred, accessibility-first experience, while partnering with a Design Director to ensure the visual language and branding aligned with public sector standards as well as development agency MOFT. This cross-disciplinary collaboration ensured the final solution balanced usability, trust, and brand clarity across the platform.
Challenge
Balancing Accessibility Compliance with Clarity, Usability, and Public Trust
The existing experience did not adequately support users with accessibility needs and lacked clear, consistent UI patterns. Ensuring compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards while maintaining a calm, understandable experience for a broad audience—including vulnerable and non-digital-native users—was essential to building trust and usability in a public health context.
Approach
Accessibility-First Design Backed by Research and Scalable Components
I redesigned the website from the ground up with accessibility and inclusivity as the foundation, applying WCAG 2.1 AA standards across layout, colour contrast, typography, and interaction states. I conducted user interviews and usability testing with diverse user groups to validate design decisions and ensure clarity across abilities. A component library was developed in Figma to support rapid iteration, UI consistency, and efficient handover across teams.
Outcome
An Inclusive, High-Trust Public Health Experience with Proven Accessibility Results
The final solution achieved a 98% accessibility audit score, significantly improving inclusivity and usability for all users. Consistent components and clear design patterns streamlined collaboration and handover, while research-led validation ensured the platform met real public needs—strengthening trust and accessibility across a critical government service.
