Digital Writing Lab
Deakin University — national research platform for secondary teachers
The challenge
The Digital Writing Lab is a national initiative led by Deakin University, bringing together researchers and secondary English teachers to explore how digital writing is taught in Australia.
The content challenge was acute. This was a university-led research project, dense with academic thinking and specialist terminology, that needed to be genuinely useful to secondary school teachers navigating a real classroom problem. Teachers don't come to a research website for theory. They come because they want practical strategies and something they can use on Monday morning. Translating between those two worlds without losing either was the core brief.
My role
Information architecture
Content structure and strategy,
Logo and brand identity design
Website design and development
Course module development
Custom code integration
What changed
The structure was built around the teacher's problem, not the researcher's framework, separating accessible entry points from deeper research content so teachers could engage at whatever level suited them without having to navigate academic framing to find what they needed.
The three Lab modules were structured as proper learning journeys rather than content dumps: each with a clear purpose, logical sequence, and consistent visual language. The brand identity, built around bold colours and geometric shapes, gave the Lab a distinct visual presence that signals creative, contemporary thinking about literacy.
The outcome
A platform that bridges the gap between research and classroom practice, giving teachers immediate access to usable strategies while providing a credible, expandable home for ongoing research output. The platform is in active use by the Deakin University research team, with course modules accessible to secondary teachers nationally and research output published through the site.
