Listening first, designing second

Using a trauma-informed co-design approach, we worked closely with tenants to understand how the current process made them act and feel, and what they needed from a digital maintenance platform. We ran interviews and workshops with older residents, people with disability, and those with limited digital confidence – voices often left out of digital service design.

Working alongside the Council for Intellectual Disability and Deloitte, we rigorously tested every element of the service for accessibility and plain language. We rewrote content in plain language to ensure comprehension and support. We simplified navigation and interface patterns. And we built a mobile-first service that reduces cognitive load and puts control back in tenants’ hands.

Phase 1: Shedding light on a hidden system

Before the redesign, tenants described logging a repair as “sending a message into a void.” Requests disappeared. Updates were unclear. Timelines were unknown. It created anxiety and frustration, leading to endless follow-up calls.

Phase 1 focused on transparency and reassurance. Together with tenants, we designed features that surfaced what was previously hidden and made the system feel more human to use:

• Single sign-on with pre-filled details for a quick, personalised experience
• Real-time tracking to show the progress of repair requests
• Photo uploads so tradespeople arrive prepared
• Visibility of shared requests to avoid duplication in common areas
• Clear responsibilities to help tenants know what they should solve themselves

Within the first week of launch, more than 1,500 requests were submitted – proof of both the demand and renewed trust in the system.

Within the first week of launch, more than 1,500 requests were submitted – proof of both the demand and renewed trust in the system.

Phase 2: Turning transparency into tenant control

While Phase 1 gave tenants visibility, Phase 2 gave them agency.

Tenants told us they wanted more say over appointments, the ability to follow up without waiting on hold, and flexibility to add details after submitting a request.

The second release of the platform focused on control and autonomy:

• Tenants set their availability – choosing days and times that suit them
• Planned maintenance is visible upfront, so tenants know what’s coming up
• Follow-ups can be requested automatically when repair deadlines have passed
• Extra photos and documents can be added later if things change
• Everything is accessible by design – plain language, larger tap targets, clearer history

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This next phase transformed the service from reactive to proactive — giving tenants not just a window into repairs, but a direct say in how and when they happen.

Service momentum at scale

The redesigned service went beyond simplifying repair requests. It fundamentally reshaped the relationship between tenants and Homes NSW.

Since the launch of Phase 2 in mid-2025, more than 45,000 repair requests have been submitted through the new platform.

The impact of Phase 2 release was immediate. In the first week alone:

• 2,175 requests were submitted
• 1,950 included preferred availability times for their repair appointment
• 148 follow-ups were made digitally, without a single call to the contact centre

These numbers reflect a significant demand hidden behind an inaccessible, outdated system.

The broader cultural shift of a system redesigned

Phase 1 gave tenants clarity and transparency, shedding light on a system that had operated behind closed doors for too long.

Phase 2 built on that foundation to hand real control back to tenants – letting them decide when trades arrive, follow up without waiting in queues, and add information on their own terms.

What started as a service redesign became something bigger:

• From uncertainty to confidence
• From being acted upon to being active participants
• From calling to be heard, to being heard through the service itself

For Homes NSW, this is a model of how digital transformation can strengthen trust, dignity and autonomy for the people who rely on public services the most.

This project received a prestigious Australian Good Design Award Winner accolade in 2025, in the Social Impact category for exceptional design and innovation.

The jury praised the Homes NSW Service redesign:

“The new digital repairs service for Homes NSW reimagines how social housing tenants request and track urgent maintenance. Co-designed with tenants, it addresses long-standing pain points with improved safety, transparency, and trust. A well-executed example of service and social impact design delivering real community benefit. Well done to the team for this achievement.”