Description:

Background:
The NSW Government is the largest and arguably most complex organisation in Australia. With over eight million customers, 800+ external facing brands, and a range of services and responsibilities across the state, Government communication requirements are vast and complex. To effectively deliver services and information to the state, NSW Government required a holistic identity system that would reduce complexity, improve flexibility, and prioritise accessibility at scale.

Challenge:
Prior to this transformation, NSW Government was responsible for managing a large portfolio of departments, initiatives, brands and sub-brands — each with a multitude of individual brand systems. Managing these diverse brand expressions required a disproportionate amount of time and resources, and increased the complexities of Government interactions. To better serve its geographically and culturally diverse population (27% of whom speak English as a second language), NSW Government required an identity system that was flexible enough to accommodate the complexity of their needs, yet simple enough to be implemented by over 4000 people — many of whom had limited design experience.

Solution:
The new identity is a comprehensive system designed to meet the needs of both Government and its citizens. The identity prioritises accessibility at every level, upholding the right to communication without compromise.

Navigational descriptors replace an abundance of logos. The inclusion of open-source typeface, Public Sans, delivers on key accessibility requirements, while also accommodating the 275 different languages spoken in the state. And a 40 colour palette allows for hundreds of combinations that meet AA or AAA standards. Underpinning it all is a highly flexible framework that creates a recognisable structure and hierarchy across communications, whilst encouraging the modulation of brand assets (from type weight, to image styles, to colour combinations) to accommodate any subject matter.

The outcome is a design system that reduces the costs and complexities of Government communications, while driving accessibility and efficiency for the people they serve.

Results:
Since launching, the new brand identity has been:
- embraced by the whole of Government.
- placed in the hands of over 4,000 people.
- implemented across hundreds of departments, services and initiatives.
- heavily reduced costs associated with licensing, commissions and agency fees.

With its flexible and intuitive design, the new identity has empowered thousands of people to deliver better services through better communications. More broadly, the focus on accessibility has helped NSW Government set a new benchmark for what an inclusive design system can and should be.