Digital Garden Shortlisted for 2025 Australian Web Awards for NLA Website

Digital Garden has been shortlisted in three categories at the 2025 Australian Web Awards for its work on the National Library of Australia (NLA) website—Government, Community & Culture, and Tech: Drupal.

Built on Drupal 10 and hosted on Platform.sh, the site was designed to be flexible, accessible, and scalable—replacing a less adaptable solution to better serve the Library’s wide-ranging needs. It integrates key services like the NLA Catalogue, Trove, and the Bookshop, while meeting the Digital Service Standard and AA WCAG compliance.

The team led the UX and UI design, usability testing, and development of a robust design system that supports both light and dark modes. Drawing from Atomic Design principles and government frameworks from NSW and QLD, the system delivers a consistent, user-focused experience.

Digital Garden credited the recognition to a strong collaborative process—with stakeholders deeply involved in testing and feedback—and acknowledged the groundwork laid by Folk during the discovery and information architecture phase.

“We’re proud of the work and grateful to see it recognised,” the team shared. “From flexible design to integration and accessibility, this project reflects a huge collective effort.”

Winners will be announced on May 17 at Q Events in Melbourne. The Australian Web Awards, presented by the Australian Web Industry Association, celebrate the best in local digital work and mark their 20th anniversary this year.

Read the case study here: https://www.digitalgarden.com.au/work/nla-web-design