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Case study
Sydney Metro Website
Designing a digital experience that builds public trust
Case study
Sydney Metro Website
Designing a digital experience that builds public trust
Organisation: Sydney Metro
Role: Principal UX / Experience Lead
Scope: UX strategy, service design, information architecture, prototyping
Year: 2016
Sydney Metro was transforming Sydney's public transport network. Its website needed to do more than communicate the benefits of a new railway. It had to keep affected communities informed, support public consultation and build confidence in a complex, long-running infrastructure programme.
I led the UX strategy and design, working with stakeholders to turn competing priorities into a coherent digital experience.
Organisation: Sydney Metro
Role: Principal UX / Experience Lead
Scope: UX strategy, service design, information architecture, prototyping
Year: 2016
Sydney Metro was transforming Sydney's public transport network. Its website needed to do more than communicate the benefits of a new railway. It had to keep affected communities informed, support public consultation and build confidence in a complex, long-running infrastructure programme.
I led the UX strategy and design, working with stakeholders to turn competing priorities into a coherent digital experience.
The challenge
The challenge
Different stakeholders had different ideas about what the website should be:
A practical source of construction and project updates
A compelling vision of Sydney's transport future
A platform demonstrating the programme's progress and credibility
But one audience brought those competing ambitions into focus: residents and businesses living within 2km of the alignment corridor.
These people weren't simply interested in the project. They were directly affected by it, often sceptical, and looking for clear answers.
The challenge wasn't just to communicate information. It was to reduce uncertainty and earn trust.
Different stakeholders had different ideas about what the website should be:
A practical source of construction and project updates
A compelling vision of Sydney's transport future
A platform demonstrating the programme's progress and credibility
But one audience brought those competing ambitions into focus: residents and businesses living within 2km of the alignment corridor.
These people weren't simply interested in the project. They were directly affected by it, often sceptical, and looking for clear answers.
The challenge wasn't just to communicate information. It was to reduce uncertainty and earn trust.
What I did
What I did
I led a collaborative design process that brought passenger needs, stakeholder priorities and the project's long-term requirements together.
Interviewed stakeholders to identify competing objectives and shared priorities
Developed personas and emotional journey maps to understand affected communities
Designed an information architecture that could evolve with the project
Created rapid greyscale prototypes to make structural decisions visible
Used tangible design artefacts to build agreement and move the team forward
I led a collaborative design process that brought passenger needs, stakeholder priorities and the project's long-term requirements together.
Interviewed stakeholders to identify competing objectives and shared priorities
Developed personas and emotional journey maps to understand affected communities
Designed an information architecture that could evolve with the project
Created rapid greyscale prototypes to make structural decisions visible
Used tangible design artefacts to build agreement and move the team forward
Designing for reassurance
Designing for reassurance
Our research highlighted the importance of understanding how people felt about the project, not just what information they needed.
We mapped moments of confusion, frustration and distrust, then used those insights to shape the experience.
Instead of asking only what content should appear on the site, we asked:
Where are people likely to feel anxious?
What information would reduce uncertainty?
Where does Sydney Metro need to demonstrate competence and accountability?
This led to clearer explanations of commuter benefits, transparent construction timelines and prominent consultation updates.
The website needed to provide reassurance, not simply information.
Our research highlighted the importance of understanding how people felt about the project, not just what information they needed.
We mapped moments of confusion, frustration and distrust, then used those insights to shape the experience.
Instead of asking only what content should appear on the site, we asked:
Where are people likely to feel anxious?
What information would reduce uncertainty?
Where does Sydney Metro need to demonstrate competence and accountability?
This led to clearer explanations of commuter benefits, transparent construction timelines and prominent consultation updates.
The website needed to provide reassurance, not simply information.
Designing for change
Designing for change
One seemingly small information architecture problem revealed a much larger challenge.
Cherrybrook was a construction site. Eventually, it would become a station.
Should its information sit under construction or stations?
The answer was neither. The problem was the assumption that those categories would remain fixed.
I designed an information structure that reflected the lifecycle of the project, allowing locations and their associated content to evolve without repeatedly restructuring the website.
This reduced duplication, improved findability and created a foundation for future phases of the programme.
One seemingly small information architecture problem revealed a much larger challenge.
Cherrybrook was a construction site. Eventually, it would become a station.
Should its information sit under construction or stations?
The answer was neither. The problem was the assumption that those categories would remain fixed.
I designed an information structure that reflected the lifecycle of the project, allowing locations and their associated content to evolve without repeatedly restructuring the website.
This reduced duplication, improved findability and created a foundation for future phases of the programme.
Prototyping to build agreement
Prototyping to build agreement
With multiple stakeholders and competing priorities, abstract discussions could easily stall progress.
I used high-fidelity greyscale prototypes to make the proposed experience tangible before introducing visual design.
This helped stakeholders focus on content, hierarchy and navigation rather than aesthetics.
It also made trade-offs easier to discuss and decisions easier to reach.
The prototypes weren't just design deliverables. They were tools for building shared understanding.
With multiple stakeholders and competing priorities, abstract discussions could easily stall progress.
I used high-fidelity greyscale prototypes to make the proposed experience tangible before introducing visual design.
This helped stakeholders focus on content, hierarchy and navigation rather than aesthetics.
It also made trade-offs easier to discuss and decisions easier to reach.
The prototypes weren't just design deliverables. They were tools for building shared understanding.
Outcome
Outcome
The Sydney Metro website launched with:
A coherent narrative connecting the programme's vision with practical information
Clear construction updates and consultation information for affected communities
An information architecture designed to support future project phases
A scalable digital foundation capable of adapting as the network developed
Nearly ten years later, the core information model remained in place, accommodating ongoing content and operational change without a fundamental structural overhaul.
That longevity is particularly meaningful to me. It demonstrates the value of resolving the underlying structure rather than simply designing for the immediate launch.
The Sydney Metro website launched with:
A coherent narrative connecting the programme's vision with practical information
Clear construction updates and consultation information for affected communities
An information architecture designed to support future project phases
A scalable digital foundation capable of adapting as the network developed
Nearly ten years later, the core information model remained in place, accommodating ongoing content and operational change without a fundamental structural overhaul.
That longevity is particularly meaningful to me. It demonstrates the value of resolving the underlying structure rather than simply designing for the immediate launch.