Adoption Authority of Ireland shortlisted for Digital Transformation Award

We are thrilled to share some fantastic news: the new Adoption Authority of Ireland website has been shortlisted at the Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards!

The redesigned site is a finalist in the prestigious Best Citizen/Customer Experience Award category, which celebrates public sector organisations that use innovative digital solutions to deliver exceptional, accessible and user-centric services.

Designing for empathy and real citizen needs

The Adoption Authority of Ireland carries out sensitive, life-changing work. When citizens visit the AAI digital portal, they are often navigating complex personal journeys: accessing records, registering preferences or exploring adoption services.

The original digital experience presented long-standing service challenges: complex navigation, dense administrative text and difficult search paths. Working closely with the team at the AAI, our goal was to replace bureaucracy with human-centric journeys.

To achieve this, the project focused heavily on:

• User-centric design and accessibility: Grounded in deep user research, the site prioritises clear language, simple navigation structures and strict adherence to web accessibility standards. The new platform dramatically reduces friction, helping visitors access critical services faster and with significantly less effort. Because of the sensitive nature of the content, the AAI opted to minimise the use of images, relying instead on great design to ensure the site was appealing to users.
• Streamlined citizen paths: Key user journeys were redesigned to allow adopted people, birth parents and prospective adoptive parents to quickly find exact forms, legal information and support services.
• Content: Annertech’s team worked closely with the Adoption Authority team to overhaul the website’s content, ensuring every section communicated with a respectful, measured tone and appropriate voice throughout.
• Future-proof open source technology: Built on Drupal, the platform offers a secure, scalable and sustainable foundation that can easily evolve with future public sector needs.

“The Adoption Authority of Ireland website was a project driven by deep empathy,” says Project Manager Emily McLaughlin.

“The services provided by the AAI touch people’s lives in profound ways, so creating a digital platform that feels compassionate, intuitive and instantly accessible was paramount.

“Being shortlisted for the Best Citizen/Customer Experience Award is a testament to the incredible collaboration between the AAI team and our digital experts. It proves that when public sector bodies put human needs at the heart of digital transformation, the results are truly transformative.”

Looking ahead to the ceremony

The Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards celebrate the pioneers shaping the future of digital public services across Ireland.

We want to extend our huge congratulations to our partners at the Adoption Authority of Ireland and to all the other shortlisted public bodies doing incredible work.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony in Dublin on 8 October. Keep your fingers crossed for us!