The Social Studio is a grassroots, not-for-profit social enterprise creating long-term pathways into fashion education and employment for young people from refugee and new migrant backgrounds.
Its ethical and sustainable model spans a fashion school, label, manufacturing business, retail store and community space. Over the past decade, it has supported more than 780 people through training and employment programmes, while becoming an important part of Melbourne’s cultural and fashion landscape.
In 2021, the opportunity emerged to design and build a new website that could better reflect the brand and improve usability.
A fresh digital face
The opportunity to support an organisation creating meaningful social impact was a compelling one. With a strong new brand identity in place and content ready to go, the focus turned to creating a digital experience that could bring it all together.
The existing website was no longer fit for purpose. It lacked clarity, felt dated and made it difficult for users to engage with the breadth of the offering.
The challenge was to express a youthful, vibrant brand while ensuring the work of local makers and designers remained front and centre. A restrained approach to layout, combined with strong typographic hierarchy, generous use of space and considered moments of colour, allowed the content to lead. This created a clearer path through the site, guiding users towards key actions without overwhelming the experience.
Flexible, friendly, functional
The build focused on simplicity and ease of use, ensuring the platform could be confidently managed in-house. A modular approach to page construction provides flexibility, allowing new content to be created and updated without unnecessary complexity.
Accessibility was a key consideration throughout, supporting a wide and diverse audience. The result is a platform that feels intuitive, flexible and easy to navigate.
Following content population, the site launched smoothly, providing a clearer and more engaging way to experience the work.
“The team understood these narrow parameters straight away and quickly delivered mock-ups that aligned seamlessly with the rebrand we had been working to establish, packaging the complex story of The Social Studio with clarity and care. The new site was the final piece in bringing our updated identity to life, and we are absolutely thrilled with what has been achieved by this nimble, generous team. Thank you so much!”
