After a couple of years helping the Reserve Bank of New Zealand establish a solid foundation for their new website, I had the opportunity to shift gears and explore ways to bring more joy, energy and creativity into the digital experience.
RBNZ has a physical museum under its Wellington office, which is largely unknown and underutilised. We saw an opportunity to bring some of the exhibitions online - extending their reach, modernising their presentation, and making them easier to maintain and update.
The first project in this initiative was the Timeline of Banknotes & Coins. I led the concept, UX and visual design, creating a flexible template to support a variety of content — from text-rich stories to image-led moments. A parallax scrolling effect adds a sense of depth and delight, encouraging exploration.
Next, we took on a more ambitious challenge - building an interactive 3D experience to showcase the design and security features of New Zealand currency.
This component needed to fit seamlessly into the existing content structure and grid system, while providing a highly engaging and informative user experience. We designed it as a contained 3D window, with dual navigation options: either through interactive hotspots, or via an information panel.
The result is an experience that’s both educational and tactile - elevating static content into something immersive and memorable.
Finally, I moved on to the homepage, reviewing every component block to ensure it delivered value across the site’s wide audience - from the general public to professionals in the financial industry.
The most significant change was the introduction of a stats dashboard, designed specifically to engage expert users. While much of our earlier work focused on public education, this component brings a sense of utility, relevance and energy to financial professionals visiting the site regularly.
