Award-winning parenthood portal

SmartStart

Client

Department of Internal Affairs, New Zealand

Services

Design Workshops Brand Creation User Experience Design User Interface Design Responsive Design

Industries

Government

Date

2017

Award winning

SmartStart won a Silver Pin in the Public Good category of the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards 2017.

Award winning

SmartStart won a Silver Pin in the Public Good category of the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards 2017.

Award winning

SmartStart won a Silver Pin in the Public Good category of the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards 2017.

“SmartStart is the first successful integrated digital service across multiple agencies including the Ministry of Social Development, Internal Affairs, Ministry of Health, Inland Revenue, Plunket and NZ Midwives.” Internal Affairs Minister (2014 and 2018), Peter Dunne

Problem

Expectant parents often face the daunting challenge of navigating multiple New Zealand government agencies to access essential services and entitlements, such as finding a midwife, adjusting welfare payments, and applying for parental leave. This fragmented process added unnecessary stress during a time that should focus on preparation and joy. The SmartStart initiative aimed to simplify this experience by creating a 'one-stop shop' for parenthood-related services, consolidating critical resources into a single, responsive application. Led by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), the project required collaboration between four major New Zealand government agencies, supported by Plunket and the NZ College of Midwives.

Solution

To address this challenge, the SmartStart team focused on creating a customer-centered, accessible, and scalable digital solution. A warm, illustrated style was developed to make the experience approachable and relatable, reflecting universal moments in the parenthood journey, such as a baby’s first bath or siblings meeting the new addition. The application included features like a personalised timeline, enabling users to manage to-do lists, track progress, and understand what actions to take and when. The design ensured accessibility across devices, allowing users to access information anytime, anywhere. Post-launch, additional features such as 'Services Near Me' and 'Entitlements' were introduced to help parents discover local resources and ensure they weren’t missing out on financial assistance.

www.smartstart.services.govt.nz

Key design decisions

Customer-centered service

The design prioritised user needs by delivering immediate value while building on a modular, extendable architecture for future improvements.

Collaborative approach

The project involved extensive collaboration among government agencies, users, and cultural advisors to ensure inclusivity and effectiveness.

Responsive design

The application was designed to work seamlessly across devices, allowing users to access essential information anytime, anywhere.

Impact

SmartStart transformed how parents interact with New Zealand government services, offering a seamless and stress-free experience during a critical life stage. Parents now have a centralized platform to access essential services and entitlements, saving time and reducing frustration. In its 1st year SmartStart clocked up more than 170,000 users.

Key takeaways

Iterative delivery

Delivering value quickly and refining over time proved to be the right approach, balancing user needs with technical feasibility.

Collaborative success

Multi-agency collaboration, supported by user feedback and cultural insights, was critical to creating an inclusive and effective solution.

Scalability and modularity

Building on an extendable framework ensured the service could adapt to future user needs and technological advancements.