Human Rights Law Centre

The existing HRLC website was outdated, inflexible, and inaccessible, limiting its ability to communicate impact, publish content efficiently, and engage key audiences. With broken core functions and an unsupported CMS, the site no longer reflected the organisation’s growth or strategic direction. The challenge was to deliver a modern, accessible platform that supports advocacy, drives donations, and enhances user experience, while accommodating complex content and reinforcing HRLC’s position as Australia’s leading human rights NGO.

We partnered closely with HRLC to redesign their site from the ground up, migrating from an unsupported CMS to a scalable, accessible platform. Through stakeholder workshops and UX audits, we restructured the site for clarity, simplified content management, and prioritised key user actions like donating and subscribing. Major milestones included unifying multiple blogs, implementing WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and introducing flexible templates for storytelling. Despite complex content migration and a tight timeline, we delivered a fast, future-proof site that elevates HRLC’s impact and empowers user engagement.

The HRLC website redesign has delivered significant impact. The redesigned HRLC website significantly improves accessibility, performance, and engagement, achieving a 45% increase in mobile performance, 86% boost in desktop speed, and a 14% uplift in accessibility. It now scores a perfect 100 in SEO and best practices. These gains enhance visibility, drive conversions, and support HRLC’s mission. By replatforming from an inefficient, bloated system to a lean, scalable platform, we reduced technical overhead and environmental footprint. The new platform has enhanced HRLC’s credibility, expanded their reach, and made it easier for people to learn, engage, and take action.

Content-First, Function-Led Design Users come to HRLC for insight, knowledge, and the content they produce. With such a wide audience, it was critical that content be easy to find and effortless to consume. Our approach prioritised functionality over form. Designing a rich, accessible, and discoverable content experience that supports diverse topics and focus areas. Supporting a Non-Profit Mission As a not-for-profit organisation, it was important that users could easily support HRLC. We ensured donation pathways were prominent and accessible throughout the site. Dynamic light/dark mode – Sections throughout the site can shift dynamically between light and dark themes as users scroll through the page. This behavior is fully controlled from the CMS, allowing for granular theming at the content level rather than being limited to a single global mode. Sidebar navigation: The site features an OS-like sidebar navigation that is fixed to the left side of the viewport and remains visible as users move through the site. This persistent sidebar encourages users to explore the site further, donate using the button in the sidebar, and provides quick access to sitewide search.