Queensland Health

Healthier, Happier Queenslanders

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The challenge

Every day, thousands of Queenslanders visit one of over 140 Queensland Health websites to search for public health information or learn more about existing health services. As custodians of these websites, it's Queensland Health's responsibility to ensure that people understand this information and the healthcare services available to them from an accessible, consistent, and reliable source - anytime, anywhere. So in 2019, a program was established to transform Queensland Health’s websites with the aim of improving health outcomes for all Queenslanders.

The response

Working alongside Queensland Health's digital transformation team, Folk took a human centred design approach to assess, refine and establish the design system and user experiences that would make up Queensland Health's revitalised website network.

Taking a step back

We took a step back to focus on the needs of people who rely on Queensland Health and understand their current experiences. Auditing over 120 websites, we combined analytics with search data insights to understand health information-seeking behaviour at scale. In addition, we consulted with over 3700 patients, professionals, and the public across Queensland's main cities, regional, and remote areas. Insights from diverse audiences contextualised our understanding of people's different journeys through the health system and their sometimes complex needs.

A (health) system view

Findings uncovered in our discovery phase gave the teams a deep understanding of the current state of Queensland Health's online presence. The success of this transformation was in assuring a whole of system view at every stage of the design process. We collaborated across government, working with the QLD.gov.au team and the Department of Premier and Cabinet to define the future website network model, brand architecture, and identity to establish our design system foundations and user testing. We validated the design, content, and technology foundations with users to deliver Queensland Health's new design system to serve their website ecosystem. The design system includes the brand and content standards, components, patterns, and templates for creating new sites and services.

The outcome

This expansive approach to collaborative research and design enabled the team to develop clearer digital pathways so that people can access trusted healthcare information and care in the right place, at the right time. With the design system now live, Queensland Health have launched sites for BreastScreen Queensland, Ice Help, Cairns and Hinterland's Hospital and Health Service (HHS), Darling Downs Health, Sunshine Coast (HHS) and Torres and Cape (HHS).

With a comprehensive design system to underpin their new website infrastructure, Queensland Health are:

Creating a sense of trust and ease through familiar, repeated patterns.
Delivering clear, helpful content that's written and designed to meet people's needs.
Providing increased accessibility and usability to reach people at all levels of ability and comprehension.

The positive impacts of the transformation program will only grow over time. By cementing user-centred design practices and building on strong foundations to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes for all Queenslanders.