City of Port Phillip

VERSA was awarded a 10-year contract to support the council as they embarked on a large-scale digital transformation project.

The project was centred around helping the council to become digitally focused; putting customers and residents at the heart of new digital experiences.

Strategy

Blueprinting

Design

Development

See it in action

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At a Glance

The delivery of eight (8) council websites simultaneously, made possible through the implementation of an atomic pattern library and a centralised infrastructure. Helping the council achieve the number one ranking for online satisfaction and ease of use in Victoria.

User and stakeholder engagement
Extensive UX and content reviews
Design of an atomic pattern library

Bespoke UI design and user validation
Centralised CMS and technology stack
Delivered on time, and on budget.

The challenge

Eight websites in a single scope of work.

In 2019 Port Phillip Council’s digital heart was in need of a major overhaul. 53% of customers reported that they were unable to find what they were searching for, or that they required further information following their visit to the website. At the same time, legacy systems and platforms were causing some major internal inefficiencies.

The project began with the devising of a roll-out strategy that could hit the council’s transformation targets. This led to the recommendation a sprint-based approach, allowing both parties to maintain a clear focus across the large-scale delivery, and ensuring each solution could be taken through our blueprinting process.

How can we deliver eight new websites without compromising on human-centred design?

The solution

A modern, cohesive, and centralised ecosystem.

Extensive current-state review
User and stakeholder engagement
Bespoke UX design and validation
Delivery of an atomic pattern library

Following a comprehensive strategy phase, each solution was taken through our planning and blueprinting workflow. This involved rounds of community and stakeholder validation; using low-fidelity prototypes to test early concepts with target users. These sessions included residents, visitors, business owners, and council staff.

To maximise efficiency, our design team followed an Atomic Design methodology. This approach meant that core components were designed to be reusable across the website ecosystem, reducing the time needed for development and maximising brand consistency.

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Custom solutions

Facilitation of stakeholder workshops and rapid discovery
Wireframing and user testing completed for each solution
The design of a distinct look and feel for all eight websites

Delivered efficiently

An atomic design library validated through user testing
The use of global design components for brand cohesion
Front-end library to drastically improve development efficiency

By investing time upfront to devise a delivery strategy (made possible through an extensive review of the current state) we were able to plan for an efficient website rollout that wouldn't compromise on solution quality.

The Results

A digital transformation, on time and on budget.

All eight websites delivered on time and on budget
The highest ranking council for online satisfaction and ease of use
Infrastructure supporting 50,000 concurrent viewers

VERSA is most proud of our ability to deliver all eight websites on time and on budget — a huge feat for a project of its size and technical complexity. Since its launch, the City of Port Phillip has also been ranked as the top Victorian council for overall online satisfaction and ease of use, scoring beyond the 75th percentile in both categories. This is well above the Victorian council average of 54% for online satisfaction and 53% for ease of use.

A secondary achievement came with the start of COVID-19, putting the new sites to the ultimate test. The St Kilda Film Festival, which is historically a physical event, went ahead in a digital format. It was a huge success, with our solution supporting 50,000 viewers and well exceeding the physical event from the previous year. The digital move meant all of Australia was invited.

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"Being able to work directly with the entire VERSA team has enabled me to develop strong trust in their process."

Ben Sylvan, Digital Customer Strategy and Experience for City of Port Phillip

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