Almost 20% of Australians have some form of visible or non-visible disability. Yet, only 1% are represented in advertising, excluding over 4.5 million Australians — and not truly reflecting our society as a whole.

Together with the Dylan Alcott Foundation, we created the Shift 20 Initiative, a collective of 13 of Australia’s biggest brands making the shift towards normalising disability representation and inclusion. And with this, we developed a comprehensive design system rooted in inclusivity, unity, and completeness. The circle serves as a central motif across various elements, from visual identity to typography, user interface elements, content, iconography, and responsive design.

For this project, disability inclusion, and accessible design is paramount, with considerations for colour choices, contrast ratios, and typefaces tailored to accommodate individuals with different abilities such as dyslexia and colour vision deficiencies. Alternative versions of visual assets are crafted to meet diverse accessibility needs, including high contrast versions and larger text options.

User interface elements are designed with rounded corners for a cohesive circular theme and ample hit areas to accommodate motor impairments, complemented by keyboard navigation for enhanced accessibility. Content is written with inclusivity in mind, providing captions and alt text for multimedia content to ensure accessibility for individuals with disability. Iconography and illustrations reinforce the theme of inclusivity and unity through circular shapes and symbols, while also ensuring recognition across cultural backgrounds and languages.

Responsive design principles are integrated to ensure accessibility across various devices and screen sizes, with thorough testing on different devices and assistive technologies.