AdaptNSW
AdaptNSW, The Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water
Leading a design team to develop a design strategy for AdaptNSW
To support Strategy Action 8 of the 2022 NSW Climate Adaptation Strategy, we at Folk (Strategic Design Agency) partnered with the Adaptation Knowledge team at DCCEEW to lead a strategic design project for AdaptNSW. Our goal was to understand audience needs, assess existing resources, and shape a customer-focused roadmap to improve how climate tools and advice are delivered across NSW.
“This work gave AdaptNSW a clear, actionable roadmap—connecting strategic goals with user needs to deliver more value, more confidently, at scale.
–Project reflection journal
We delivered a strategic design framework grounded in research to guide the future development of the AdaptNSW digital experience.
Project plan and timeline
User research plan and discovery insights report
Ecosystem map
Review of existing NSW Government assets
Current-state analysis of the AdaptNSW website
Stakeholder presentation of key findings
‘How Might We’ statements
Strategy insights and recommendations report
Updated personas with problem statements
AdaptNSW assessment report
“These insights are exactly what we wanted to hear. We thought we knew everything, but this articulates it.
–AdaptNSW
The problem
Strategy Action 8 of the 2022 NSW Climate Adaptation Strategy aims to provide practical tools and advice to support climate preparedness. To advance this, the Adaptation Knowledge team at DCCEEW launched a discovery project to understand audience needs, assess existing resources, and develop a customer-focused roadmap for AdaptNSW.
The approach
The project began with an alignment session and a review of NSW adaptation products. Stakeholder mapping and recruitment shaped the research plan, while workshops revealed key user motivations and barriers. These insights informed a review of national and NSW resources, including the AdaptNSW website, forum, and newsletter. We analysed data, gathered user feedback, ran IA tests, and reviewed content to shape a new value proposition, refined archetypes, and content and experience recommendations.
–Project workshops
–AdaptNSW website
–Workshop activities
–Project pack archetype outline
The outcome
Using insights from the Discovery Project, we developed user-focused hypotheses and “how might we” statements to explore key motivators and barriers. An ideation workshop with DCCEEW generated and prioritised feature ideas, leading to a documented roadmap of priority actions, tools, and requirements, laying the groundwork for Phase 2.
“With a clear roadmap, aligned teams, and a user-centred strategy in place, AdaptNSW is now set to deliver climate tools that truly meet the needs of NSW communities.
–AdaptNSW feedback
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