Charlotte Taylor Design

OPENCITIES

Based in the Melbourne office, I worked as a Visual Designer at OpenCities, creating new council websites and developing theme refreshes for existing clients. OpenCities’ flexible CMS, front-end component library and extensive theming capabilities allowed me to create considered, accessible and visually engaging digital experiences across a wide range of local government websites.

OpenCities was created to help local governments better serve their communities. The CMS enables councils to improve the connection between residents and local services through accessible, user-focused web design. Accessibility was a key consideration across every project, with client websites designed to meet WCAG guidelines.

I worked closely with front-end developers throughout the design process, collaborating on design decisions and reviewing work before it was presented to clients. Contrast checking and accessibility considerations were also incorporated throughout the design process, rather than being treated as a final-stage requirement.

Projects often began with a Digital Services Academy workshop, providing an opportunity to understand the client’s goals, audience, likes and dislikes, existing brand, and broader digital needs. This was followed by a Theme Builder workshop, where clients were guided through the available layout and component options for their website.

By establishing these requirements early, I could translate the client’s needs into 1–3 strong design directions, giving them clear options to respond to and refine. My role extended beyond visual design and included creating bespoke icon sets, facilitating and attending theme-building workshops, collaborating with project managers and developers, participating in feedback and co-working sessions, and maintaining open communication across the wider team.