Creating a single defence force platform that supports multiple services.

Delivering efficiency without compromising experience.

A new digital solution for each Service needed to be driven by one underlying infrastructure that could support distinctive sites, including Navy, Army, and the Air Force to support ongoing efficiencies.

While enabling such efficiency was important, ensuring each Service within the broader organisation had an effective standalone online presence was critical. Empowering each Service to manage and control variation in content and have their brand appropriately represented across the channel was an essential requirement to deliver on.

Setting the vision and building shared understanding.

Working with multiple representatives across each Service, we determined the priority areas the solution needed to deliver on and through this process, built trust early through constructive collaboration.

Rapid prototyping, user validation and sharing findings through demos with the large cross-section of contributors were important markers in building early confidence in the direction of the revised digital experience – ensuring valuable time was maintained for the delivery runway required.

Creating a rich story-telling platform.

NZDF has important stories to tell. Be they about remembrance, duty, mandate or inspiration. The digital solution provided an ability to connect users to compelling stories across multiple content styles.

A content strategy was developed to take stories out of the abstract, and make them more relatable to the general public.

The ‘editorial’ design approach offers adaptive narrative formats that feature subtle transitions and compelling imagery. This approach makes for a richer, more engaging user experience than a typical content-heavy site allows.

A Defence Force for and aligned with New Zealand values

The design looks to reflect a modern and inclusive Defence Force that is there to support positive outcomes beyond combat capability. From colour, typography to people focused imagery, the design has been developed to attract a diversity of talent and support the needs and expectations of a highly capable Defence Force.

Catering for the diversity of audiences.

Given the scale and diversity of the organisation — NZDF has been described as a ‘mini-nation’.

The solution needed to exemplify the breadth and depth of roles the organisation plays, support the vastly diverse audiences the site needs to serve and act as an inspirational recruitment funnel by demonstrating the unique career opportunities and experiences offered.

Driving transparency and proactiveness

Transparency was a key driver for NZDF. The site structure seeks to provide effective discoverability of content that proactively informs stakeholders and the media of important updates, which is supported by a compelling image library.

Robust delivery within a rapid timeframe.

With a 3-4 month delivery window, the time parameters for the project were ambitious. Close collaboration, a definitive digital experience strategy and effective planning of concurrent delivery workstreams enabled a robust, validated and extensible solution to be delivered.

NZDF has an exciting roadmap of enhancements to elevate the way users can interact with the digital experience even further.