Australian Space Agency

The Australian Space Agency is at the heart of space in Australia, operating as a division of the Australian Government. It works across industry, government and academia to advance the nation's position in the global space economy and to inspire and improve the lives of Australians.

Prior to Icon’s involvement, the Australian Space Agency’s web presence was integrated into an existing government department website. Icon was commissioned to design and develop a standalone site for the Agency that would enable a more rich and immersive user experience.

The Australian Space Agency had outgrown its position within a broader departmental website, limiting its ability to express its brand, showcase its impact, and meet strategic goals. To uncover user needs and define the opportunity, we ran discovery workshops, audited content, analysed user data, and reviewed comparable sites—revealing key gaps in clarity, engagement, and navigation for a diverse audience base.

The challenge was to create a standalone digital presence that would drive awareness of the Agency, increase public interest in space exploration, and reflect Australia’s unique capabilities within the global space sector. The site needed to clearly communicate regulatory information, funding opportunities, and the Agency’s commitment to responsible growth and sustainability.

A key goal was to inspire the next generation by showcasing real career pathways in the space sector—highlighting the breadth of roles beyond astronauts and making space feel accessible and exciting. The new experience also had to serve national and global stakeholders, positioning the Agency as a trusted leader in innovation, collaboration, and future-focused development.

To meet the Agency’s objectives, we delivered a dynamic and interactive digital experience with a strong brand presence and clear pathways tailored to six distinct audience groups—from primary school students to industry professionals. The new interface balances excitement with functionality, using immersive design elements to inspire curiosity while ensuring ease of use, particularly for technical and regulatory content.

As the designer on the project, I extended the Agency’s visual identity to better suit the digital environment. I introduced a dark-mode theme with subtle gradients, orbital linework, and layered graphics to evoke the feeling of outer space, while leveraging rich, emotive imagery to captivate users. Working closely with the developer, we incorporated micro-interactions and smooth parallax transitions to support more intuitive and fluid user journeys across the site.

A key UX focus was designing a content architecture that supports not just findability but cohesive, meaningful exploration—particularly for the careers and education stream.

This work was recognised with a Web Excellence Award (January 2024) and the Drupal South Splash Award for Design/UX (March 2024).