Each year the Melbourne Institute manages the annual HILDA Survey on behalf of the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services. The HILDA Survey is a household - based panel study that collects valuable information about economic and personal well being, labour market dynamics and family life. Started in 2001, the HILDA Survey now tracks more than 17,500 people in 9,500 households across the country to provide insights into how living in Australia has changed over time.

The University of Melbourne approached Bliss Digital in 2019 to design a modern website that presents the results of the annual HILDA survey in a highly dynamic, engaging and interactive manner. The brief was they wanted a user-friendly and visual experience that was interactive, and that got people excited to share on social media.

Using a Human Centred Design approach, we identified that most people were interested in using the tool to see how they compared to others in similar situations. Consequently, we designed a comparison tool as the centrepiece of the application – users can enter their age, gender, level of education and household, and then compare their income and lifestyles to the national mean, as well as to other demographics. 

The end solution is visually engaging and highly interactive. By using animation, iconography and typography, we were able to present complex data sets in an easy to understand way. It was also important that the solution be modern, mobile responsive and snappy. For this reason, latest technology stacks were used: HTML5/SASS, React JS, Gatsby JS and JSON. This also enabled us to future proof the platform, so it can be built upon and enhanced in coming years.

hilda.fbe.unimelb.edu.au