Auckland Transport

Redesigning navigation and content to improve accessibility and findability across a 1,000+ page public service website.
Sr. UX Designer @ Purple Shirt | 2021 – 2022
Screenshot of desktop and mobile versions of Auckland Transport navigation

Project Overview

To reduce pressure on the call centre and improve user experience, Auckland Transport set a goal to increase self-service across digital channels — including the website, mobile app, and payments. I led UX design for the website stream, focusing on content findability, accessibility, and user confidence.

My role

Lead UX Designer (Navigation & Content Framework)

Navigation ideation and concepts

The challenge

The existing website had over 1,000 pages and a fragmented content structure. A prior internal UX effort had begun refining the information architecture, but major challenges remained:
  • Inconsistent navigation and an overwhelming category structure
  • High maintenance burden and fragmented content ownership
  • Political tension between departments lobbying for homepage visibility
  • A complex content migration requiring extensive review and rewriting

A critical challenge was balancing cultural values and practical UX: How could we incorporate Te Reo Māori into navigation in a way that respected its significance, while maintaining accessibility for all users?

Research & Insight

We conducted extensive user research and testing:
  • Tree testing to validate new navigation structures
  • Low- and high-fidelity prototypes tested with internal stakeholders and external users
  • Comparisons of visual vs. list-based navigation approaches
Key insights included:
  • Users struggled with deep, grid-based navigation layouts
  • List-based structures were faster and easier to scan
  • Too many top-level categories hurt findability
  • Accessibility and cultural expectations needed to be considered from the start
Some of of the prototypes we tested for modular content components

Key Decision: Te Reo Māori Integration

One of the most pivotal moments came when deciding how to incorporate Te Reo Māori. Placing Māori beneath English contradicted cultural best practice. Placing Māori first introduced screen reader and cognitive accessibility issues for many users.

I led the team through a series of co-design workshops and user testing cycles, facilitating conversations across Māori engagement advisors, accessibility experts, and product stakeholders. The result was a bilingual menu structure that was both culturally respectful and usability-validated — and passed formal accessibility audits.

Solution

We replaced the outdated landing-page structure with a scalable, multi-level menu that:
  • Supported an unlimited number of categories without overwhelming users
  • Natively incorporated Te Reo Māori in a culturally appropriate, accessible way
  • Met WCAG 2.3 AA accessibility standards — with the new menu achieving 100% compliance
  • Was supported by a modular content framework that increased consistency across 1,000+ pages

Outcomes

While the new experience wasn’t fully implemented before my departure in  2022, the work delivered:
  • 100% accessibility compliance on the redesigned menu (WCAG 2.3 AA)
  • A scalable navigation model that supported content governance and future-proofing
  • Cultural alignment through deep collaboration with Māori engagement
  • Reduced content complexity and clearer pathways for users, validated through testing
  • A robust design foundation for ongoing implementation and migration

Reflection

This project deepened my ability to lead in complex, multi-stakeholder environments; especially where cultural values, accessibility, and legacy systems intersect. I learned to ask better questions, listen with humility, and design not just for efficiency but for belonging.This project sat at the intersection of accessibility, culture, internal politics, and shifting tech infrastructure. I’m especially proud of how we made data-informed decisions that challenged assumptions, and how we adapted gracefully as the project evolved.

Collaborating with Māori advisors, engineers, and AT’s internal design team showed me the power of building systems that can succeed beyond your own involvement. And building strong relationships across external product owners and engineering teams reminded me: influence isn’t always formal; it’s earned through trust.

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