Dementia Australia’s new website, designed by Liquid in collaboration with the national peak body and charity, received a prestigious Good Design Award Winner Accolade in the Digital Design category for exceptional design and innovation.
The 2024 Australian Good Design Awards were unveiled, showcasing the pinnacle of design excellence in a grand ceremony at the International Convention Centre Sydney. This year’s theme, "The Design Effect" underscored the crucial role design plays in shaping better products, services, spaces, and experiences while driving the transition to a more sustainable, less carbon-intensive future.
The jury praised the redesign of the Dementia Australia website ecosystem, commenting:
“This project touched the entire Jury and was a standout example of how sensitive information can meet design in a beautifully considered and empowering manner, built around education on a key health topic. You have really set a benchmark for how to approach site build of this manner, without compromising on user needs and experience.”
New Dementia Australia website uses dementia-friendly design to inform and empower users.
Dementia Australia, as the peak body, is the leading provider of dementia information, advocacy and support, and their website plays a critical role for more than 421,000 Australians living with dementia and more than 1.6 million people involved in their care. However, their digital ecosystem was fragmented and didn’t offer an intuitive or supportive pathway, making it difficult for people to find information on diagnosis and support options.
In 2022, Dementia Australia engaged Liquid to create a dementia-friendly website experience that would break down barriers relating to accessibility and literacy. Informed by research with people living with dementia, families, friends and carers, health workers and supporters, the new website would provide people living with dementia with a viable option to access dementia support.
The solution incorporates best-in-class design, improved navigation and user experience backed by leading edge content publishing protocols. Key to Liquid’s approach was the dementia-friendly design and usability of the new website addressing the potential declining cognition of the audience, considering issues like memory loss, difficulty performing familiar tasks, abstract thinking and language problems.
The design includes the heavy use of colour and affordances to help people interact with components of the website. To reduce the need for abstract thinking and to avoid subtlety that can cause confusion for users, the design uses large, clear navigation, buttons, cards and spotlights, and responsive type size with distinct heading levels.
Liquid CEO, Fiona Armstrong, stated of the project: “We are incredibly proud of the dementia-friendly experience we created in collaboration with Dementia Australia and that it’s been recognised at the Australian Good Design Awards. The new website supports and empowers people through their diagnosis, as well as their families, carers and health professionals, achieving real and sustainable benefits for people living with dementia.”
Dementia Australia CEO Professor Tanya Buchanan said it was fantastic for the Dementia Australia website to be recognised for its dementia-friendly design.
“Congratulations to everyone involved in the project. Dementia Australia is committed to dementia-friendly and accessible design in everything that we do. It is vital that the Dementia Australia website is accessible and meets the needs of people impacted by dementia so they can access trusted information, education and life-changing services and support. It serves as the gateway for people to get information about contacting the National Dementia Helpline by phone on 1800 100 500 or by email or chat.”
Beyond societal benefits, the website is an exemplar of good digital design. It supports users with disability and people living with dementia with changing needs over time, ensuring resources and support are accessible and can be used even as conditions progress.
Rachel Wye, Managing Director of Good Design Australia, remarked, “This year’s Awards reflect the profound ripple effects that exceptional design can have on people, place and planet. The projects honoured in these Awards exemplify how thoughtful design can drive meaningful change, not only enhancing user experiences and the way people interact with the world, but also contributing to a more sustainable and more prosperous future. The Australian Good Design Awards are proud to recognise the truly inspirational work that is being done across different design disciplines, sectors and industries in Australia and overseas.”
The 2024 Awards highlighted excellence across 12 Design Disciplines, covering more than 32 categories.
The Awards recognise a diverse range of projects from Australia and abroad, encompassing architectural design, engineering, digital and communication design, and emerging fields such as design strategy, social impact and policy design – a new standalone category introduced in 2024.
This year's entries were rigorously evaluated by more than 80 distinguished Jurors from around the globe, including designers, engineers, architects, and industry leaders.
The evaluation process focused on three core criteria: Good Design, Design Innovation, and Design Impact, ensuring that each winner demonstrated outstanding design quality and effectiveness. The Awards showcase the best in design, reaffirming the critical role design plays in shaping a better, more sustainable future for businesses and society alike.
“The Australian Good Design Awards celebrate the transformative power of design in solving complex business, environmental and societal challenges. This year's winners showcase how design can help drive innovation, generate growth and embed sustainability principles,” Ms. Wye added.
With its roots dating back to 1958, the Australian Good Design Awards, is the country’s most prestigious international accolade for design and innovation. As the Awards mark another year of excellence, they continue to reflect the rich heritage and future potential of Australian and international design.
Ms Wye concluded, “We are honoured to celebrate this year’s Winners, whose work not only represents design excellence, but also inspires future designers, architects and innovators. These projects stand as a testament to the power of good design and its ability to make a significant, positive impact in our world.”