Image credit https://symbolsofaustralia.pmc.gov.au/
Unlocking Our Stories: Australia’s Symbols.
The Unlocking Our Stories: Australia’s Symbols project was developed to educate young Australians about the history and importance of national symbols. Aimed at students in Years 3 to 8, the initiative features an interactive website hosting lesson guides, student worksheets, at-home caregiver activities, and games to support engagement with Australia’s shared identity.
I was contracted to contribute to the refinement and completion of several visual education resources for publication on the site, as well as to advise on accessibility compliance.
A project of national significance - working with treasured icons of Australia.
The project was initiated by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and managed through an external agency. I worked remotely and liaised directly with the agency’s project manager. As part of the final delivery phase, I also ran a training session for a group of project stakeholders, offering guidance on preparing PDFs to meet WCAG 2.0 accessibility standards.
This image is a generative visual created to represent a learning environment and context of an online lesson resource.
Unlocking Our Stories: Australia’s Symbols is a trusted and engaging resource for teaching about the national symbols in Australian classrooms.
My responsibilities as the contracted Graphic Designer included:
Designing teacher guides and at-home activity guides using visual elements from the existing content
Reviewing and redesigning existing student stories and worksheets to improve clarity, consistency, and alignment with brand and accessibility requirements
Implementing all client-requested refinements and ensuring WCAG 2.0 accessibility compliance across all PDF outputs
Creating checklists and process documentation to support ongoing accessibility standards
Leading a remote training session on accessible PDF preparation using Adobe InDesign and Acrobat
Working on a high-level government initiative required a careful and considered approach. With the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet as the client, the stakes were high and there was little room for error—the materials had to be accurate, accessible, and executionally precise from the outset. Brand guidelines were detailed and precise, and accessibility expectations were non-negotiable. I was brought onto the project during production, with limited time to review and finalise deliverables. Balancing this with the technical precision required to meet WCAG 2.0 standards added complexity to an otherwise well-structured brief.
Most of the content and image assets were supplied, with some graphic elements created or adjusted where needed. As always with accessibility projects, close attention was paid to contrast, structure, alt text, tagging, reading order, and metadata—ensuring each output met the full spectrum of usability standards.
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Process documentation and checklists for WCAG 2.0 compliance
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A live Zoom training session on preparing accessible PDFs
Launched in September 2022, Unlocking Our Stories: Australia’s Symbols became part of the government’s official educational outreach strategy. The website and supporting materials provide school communities with tools to explore Australia’s national and cultural identity—encouraging connection with themes of inclusion, diversity, and heritage.
My design contributions helped ensure the materials were accessible, clear, and professionally presented—supporting a smooth user experience for the site’s wide-reaching student, teacher, and caregiver audience.
‘As a Creative Lead and Graphic Designer, Tiana has consistently delivered nationwide training resources, student facing materials, exceptional design solutions and strategic creative direction. She has the ability to translate complex educational content into accessible, visually engaging resources. ’
Naomi Lindermeyer, Education and Company Director,
KIMBERLIN EDUCATION
Personal
reflection
At the time of this project, my youngest child had just turned two years old. Being able to work on an initiative that combined education, creative communication, and accessibility standards felt purposeful and creatively rewarding. It was an ideal blend of design craft and technical precision—and a welcome reminder that family and professional impact can coexist.
This project reaffirmed my confidence and deepened my appreciation for the role design plays in shaping thoughtful, inclusive learning environments.