Overview

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is the Federal standards body responsible for shaping regulatory measures to ensure sustainable building practices in Australia, and ensuring an orderly and consistent approach to building and construction in Australia. Their website had grown organically, along with their remit, over the years, resulting in large amounts of information collated in a disorderly way.

Deepend used extensive stakeholder interviews and user research to shape the information architecture, language and hierarchy.

The team then designed separate content areas for Practitioners and Consumers, layered search filters for the Resource Library and a modular design system with variations for ABCB’s sub-brands.

What We Delivered

• Stakeholder interviews and user research
• Information architecture
• Practitioner and Consumer content pathways
• Search and filter design
• Resource Library architecture
• UI and visual design
• ABCB design system
• Sub-brand design variations
• Core module set for future enhancements
• Design collaboration with ABCB’s internal Drupal development team

Impact

• More intuitive information architecture shaped by stakeholder research
• Clearer content pathways for Practitioners and Consumers
• Improved access to key materials through smart search, filtering and refinement
• Visual consistency across ABCB and its sub-brands
• A reusable modular design system to support future enhancements

Problem & Insight

ABCB’s information estate reflected years of growth rather than a clear user model. Research showed that the site needed language and hierarchy that worked for audiences ranging from builders to policy makers.

Strategy & Experience Design

Deepend reorganised the experience around key user groups and priority tasks. Separate Practitioner and Consumer areas reduced ambiguity, while subtle colour variations distinguished the four main ABCB divisions without fragmenting the parent brand.

Technology & Delivery

Deepend worked closely with ABCB’s internal development team, which had responsibility for delivering the site in Drupal.

The design system supported sub-themes within the master installation, and the Resource Library architecture introduced smart search, filter and refine options.

Results

The redesigned experience gave ABCB a more contemporary and orderly digital resource base, with faster access to important materials and a framework for future enhancements.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Deepend improve the Australian Building Codes Board website?

Deepend redesigned ABCB’s information architecture, user experience and visual system using stakeholder research. The work created clearer audience pathways, improved search and a scalable design system across the main site and three microsites.

Who was the ABCB website designed for?

The site was designed for a broad audience including builders, policy makers, practitioners and consumers. Research informed the language, hierarchy and content pathways for these different user groups.

How was search improved on the ABCB website?

Deepend designed a Resource Library with smart search, filtering and refinement options. Layered filters helped users narrow large volumes of regulatory and research content more efficiently.

How did Deepend support ABCB’s sub-brands?

Deepend created a modular design system with subtle variations for ABCB, NCC, WaterMark and CodeMark. This preserved consistency while allowing each sub-brand to remain visually distinct.

What technology was used to build the ABCB website?

ABCB’s internal development team was responsible for building the site in Drupal. Deepend worked closely with that team on UX, design, information architecture and the structure of the Resource Library.