Working closely with the curators at the National Archives of Australia, I designed the central hall display celebrating the 75th anniversary of the School of the Air. The visual direction was inspired by the colours and textures of outback Australia — shifting from an early bright orange concept to a deeper, rusty red after accessibility contrast testing. This palette, paired with soft workbook‑paper tones, grounded the exhibition in the landscape and history of remote education.

A key focus of the design was ensuring that the children and families behind these stories were at the forefront. To achieve this, I incorporated handwritten‑style typography and digitally collected assets that added a personal, tactile quality. Many of the small illustrations were inspired by sketches found in students’ notebooks within the Archives’ collection, helping the display feel authentic, warm, and connected to lived experience.

This project strengthened my skills in exhibition design, accessibility‑driven decision‑making, and visual storytelling at scale. It also reinforced the importance of balancing historical material with contemporary design approaches to create an engaging and meaningful visitor experience.