In May 2024, Bliss Digital completed the redevelopment of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) websites and intranet. This project was pivotal in modernising NIAA’s digital ecosystem, aligning it with current accessibility standards and enhancing the delivery of essential services to Australia’s Indigenous communities. The project addressed complex requirements, including a multi-site infrastructure and comprehensive internal communications through the intranet, all while ensuring seamless user experiences for both public and government users.

The Challenge

NIAA’s outdated Drupal 7 platform posed a range of challenges, including inefficiencies in content management and difficulties in maintaining accessibility standards. NIAA required a complete overhaul, migrating their websites to Drupal 10 while ensuring that the platform could support the agency’s unique communication and service delivery needs. The agency also needed an improved intranet to foster internal communication and collaboration among staff spread across Australia.

Key project goals included:

• Enhancing accessibility for diverse user groups in line with WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
• Integrating NIAA’s internal systems to facilitate efficient content management and communication.
• Creating a flexible, scalable multi-site platform to support NIAA’s digital presence.
• Ensuring that the design respected and reflected Indigenous culture and values.

Custom Design to Reflect Indigenous Culture and Values

Understanding that NIAA serves as a crucial resource for Indigenous Australians, Bliss Digital placed particular emphasis on culturally sensitive design. Our design team worked closely with Indigenous stakeholders and communities, ensuring that the visual and structural design of the site respected and celebrated Indigenous culture. This included the use of culturally appropriate imagery, language, and colours, as well as ensuring that Indigenous voices were prioritised in content presentation.

User feedback, gathered through interviews and workshops with NIAA stakeholders and community representatives, shaped the information architecture and content strategy. This approach ensured that the website not only met modern accessibility and usability standards but also resonated with the diverse audiences it served.

Multi-Site Platform and Intranet Development

A significant challenge of the project was the development of a multi-site platform to unify NIAA’s external-facing websites and its internal intranet. Bliss Digital utilised Drupal 10’s multi-site architecture to deliver a flexible and scalable solution that enabled NIAA to manage multiple websites and their intranet from a single content management system (CMS). This integration dramatically simplified content governance, allowing NIAA staff to manage content across all sites without the need for duplicated efforts.

The intranet, a critical part of NIAA’s internal communication infrastructure, was also overhauled. Our solution streamlined internal communication by integrating collaboration tools, simplifying document sharing, and improving search functionality. This internal platform was designed to be user-friendly, enabling NIAA staff across Australia to collaborate effectively, regardless of their location.

Accessibility and Compliance

One of the top priorities for NIAA was ensuring full compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. Bliss Digital integrated best practices in accessibility throughout the design and development phases, ensuring that the platform was fully navigable by users with disabilities. Features such as keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and optimised contrast ratios were implemented to guarantee a seamless experience for all users.

Additionally, our team conducted rigorous accessibility testing throughout the project, using tools and manual reviews to ensure the site’s compliance with government standards. By the project’s completion, NIAA’s websites not only met but exceeded accessibility expectations, making their services more inclusive than ever before.

A Transformative Digital Experience for NIAA

The successful redevelopment of the NIAA websites and intranet marks a significant step forward in the agency’s digital capabilities. By delivering a culturally sensitive, accessible, and secure platform, Bliss Digital has helped NIAA improve both internal and external communication, ensuring that Indigenous Australians have better access to the services and information they need. This project stands as a model for government digital solutions, showcasing how thoughtful design and agile development can transform public service delivery.

Following the successful launch of the NIAA websites and intranet, Bliss Digital has continued to provide ongoing support and optimisation. This includes regular security updates, performance improvements, and content support to ensure that the platform continues to meet the needs of both NIAA staff and the communities they serve. Our long-term partnership with NIAA reflects our commitment to ensuring that the platform remains adaptable to future digital challenges.

niaa.gov.au