NZ On Air is an independent government funding agency dedicated to delivering quality, diverse public media for New Zealand. Since 2013, their work has focused on helping Kiwi content creators access the support they need to showcase their work to the world.

In 2018, I was part of a team tasked with the overhaul of their digital presence, specifically to reduce the burden on their communications team by making information more accessible. The goal was to create a clear, intuitive path for two very different groups: first-time creators needing deep guidance on the application process, and "old hat" veterans who just wanted to find the next deadline and get moving.

My role was to translate these complex user journeys into a streamlined digital architecture. We started with discovery workshops and content modelling, quickly moving into wireframe prototyping to test the information hierarchy with real content. I focused on removing traditional barriers to funding by centralising information. Previously, the site was fragmented into confusing sub-sections for scripted, music, and platform funding. We collapsed these into a single, logical flow. We also introduced a sidebar navigation to let users skip to relevant sections and stripped back a formerly arduous search function into a simple, reliable tool.

The result is a platform that provides a clear, frictionless path to the right information. By reworking the information architecture and search experience, we’ve made it significantly easier for creatives to find key dates and criteria. The addition of the "Watch & Listen" section also serves as a vibrant portfolio of funded content, from drama to music. The design community and stakeholders have embraced the change; since launch, users have performed over 15,000 unique searches in the first year alone, proving that even the most complex government processes can be made beautiful and intuitive when built around the person using them.