The Great Australian Wildlife Search

We designed a web app for the Great Australian Wildlife Search, enabling citizen scientists to collect and submit eDNA samples across Australia. The platform made participation easy and helped achieve record-breaking conservation results — detecting 144 species and 17 threatened animals.

Client

Odonata Foundation

DELIVERABLES

UX Strategy UX Design Web App

Industry

Environmental Conservation

Year

2023

Overview

The Great Australian Wildlife Search (GAWS) is a nationwide citizen science initiative led by the Odonata Foundation, in collaboration with EnviroDNA and the Murray–Darling Basin Authority. Its mission: to map the health of Australia’s waterways and uncover the habitats of threatened aquatic species using cutting-edge eDNA analysis.

SuperKind was engaged to design and develop a web application that made participation simple for everyday Australians — empowering thousands of citizen scientists to contribute valuable data to one of the most ambitious conservation efforts in the country.

Objective

The goal was to build a user experience that simplified the entire sampling process — from site selection to data submission, while maintaining scientific rigour and accessibility for a broad audience. The platform needed to handle bookings, communications, and data uploads, all within an intuitive, educational interface.

Process

Through a collaborative design process, we mapped the end-to-end journey of participants — from initial curiosity to completing their water sample submission.

We designed a clear, interactive reservation map that allowed users to choose and secure their sampling sites, followed by automated email instructions and testing kit schedules. Accessibility, simplicity, and trust were at the core of the design, ensuring that anyone could confidently take part, regardless of technical experience.

The result was a seamless, user-friendly experience that connected communities with science — and science with conservation outcomes.

Outcome

The 2023 initiative achieved its most successful results to date, powered by the new digital platform.

  • 144 species detected

  • 5,905 individual detections

  • 17 threatened species identified, including the endangered Silver Perch and vulnerable Murray Cod

  • 26 invasive species detected, informing future conservation priorities

The Great Australian Wildlife Search demonstrated how thoughtful design can amplify environmental impact — turning technology into a bridge between people, science, and the planet.