Reef Knowledge System

The Reef Knowledge System (RKS) website plays a vital role in supporting the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s mission to manage and protect the Reef. Morpht was engaged to deliver a complete site rebuild that would improve usability, accessibility, and future scalability.

Overview

Drupal 10 | Convivial GovCMS Bootstrap | Migrations | Web development

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (Reef Authority) is the lead government agency responsible for managing and protecting the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The Reef Authority engaged Morpht to rebuild the Reef Knowledge System (RKS) website on the GovCMS SaaS platform. Morpht provided expert advice, delivering specific requirements within the constraints of both budget and the GovCMS platform.

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The challenge

The existing RKS site was a minimum viable product and required a complete rebuild from the ground up. The information architecture needed to be revisited, as the site structure did not adequately support user needs. Much of the site’s content is linked to external resources, with limited internally managed content. The primary audience consisted of highly specialised users, including natural resource managers and scientists, who visit the site with specific, targeted information needs. Planning for future site growth was also a key consideration.

The Solution

Morpht delivered a user-focused rebuild of the Reef Knowledge System that prioritised a streamlined information architecture, improved search functionality, and a more intuitive user journey. This included developing a new Resource Hub, creating topic-based navigation, and reducing barriers to accessing both internal and external resources. The solution focused on improving accessibility, usability, and supporting future content expansion.

Discovery

As part of the discovery phase, Morpht undertook a comprehensive investigation into the purpose of the site, the audience, and their specific content needs. Analysis of site analytics and user research identified key areas of interest: Maps, Dashboards, Programs and Reporting, and External Links. It was also found that users preferred to search for information via themes or topics. This research informed the creation of Topic pages and the introduction of topic-based filtering within a newly designed Resource Hub, enabling users to discover content more efficiently.

Design

The design aimed to convey innovation, trustworthiness, and scientific credibility, while remaining approachable. A key goal was to balance the use of imagery, icons, and text to support clarity and ease of navigation. The visual design aligned closely with the Reef Authority’s corporate branding, while allowing the Reef Knowledge System to establish its own unique identity. Accessibility was a major focus throughout the design process. The project included user workshops, design/prototype testing, and BETA testing to validate design decisions.

Build

The build focused on creating a flexible, accessible Resource Hub as the core of the site. The content model was reimagined to improve the search and filtering experience, particularly for resources that link to third-party sites. The build also addressed the user experience challenges associated with navigating between internal and external resources by reducing the number of clicks required to access external content. The site was tailored to support embedded iframes from third-party sources and was structured around topics and resource types for improved discoverability.

Convivial GovCMS Bootstrap

Morpht utilised Convivial for GovCMS as the foundation for the site build. Convivial is a GovCMS SaaS-compatible base that uses Bootstrap 5 and provides editor-friendly extensions for building flexible, standards-compliant websites. The team applied customisations to ensure the site reflected the unique branding of the Reef Knowledge System while maintaining alignment with the Reef Authority’s broader visual identity.

Recombee

The site integrated Recombee, a recommendation engine that delivers personalised content to users based on their behaviour and interactions on the site. Recombee provided features such as “Top Picks,” “Recommended Resources,” and “Trending Now,” helping users quickly find relevant resources related to their interaction behaviour and enhancing the overall user experience.

RKS Top picks for you and Trending now laptop

The outcome

The rebuild successfully delivered a user-centred site with the Resource hub as its primary feature.

The improved information architecture, topic-driven navigation, personalised content, and focus on accessibility provided a significant uplift in usability and positioned the site to better support both current user needs and future growth.

The Morpht team were professional, flexible and consistently solutions-focused throughout the re-development of the Reef Knowledge System. They worked seamlessly with our non-technical staff, making complex decisions about the website feel accessible and collaborative.

Their thorough user research uncovered key challenges and opportunities, resulting in a website that meets the needs of our diverse audiences. The whole project ran smoothly thanks to their outstanding project management and customer service approach.

Reef Knowledge System, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority