Marrickville Village: A Community-First Microsite Supporting Housing Change

Background

Marrickville Village is a bold, community-first housing project led by Good Shepherd ANZ in partnership with Housing All Australians (HAA). The initiative will transform a disused heritage site into a safe, inclusive, and vibrant village where older women, people with disability, and those experiencing housing insecurity can live with dignity, safety, and connection.

More than a traditional development, Marrickville Village represents a movement for change. The project is grounded in lived experience, cultural connection, and care, and aims to address systemic housing inequality through thoughtful design and community-led values.

Solution Approach

Good Shepherd engaged OSKY to design and build a dedicated microsite to support the Marrickville Village project. The primary purpose of the site was to establish credibility and clarity when approaching businesses and organisations for donations and sponsorship.

OSKY worked closely with Good Shepherd to deliver a focused, purpose-driven solution:

• WordPress Microsite: We designed and built a single-page WordPress microsite that clearly communicates the vision, purpose, and impact of Marrickville Village.
• Credibility-Focused Design: The layout and content structure were designed to support conversations with potential partners and donors, helping them quickly understand the project and its significance.
• Reusable Framework: The site was built using a flexible, reusable design system, allowing Good Shepherd to rapidly deploy future microsites for similar initiatives.
• Contact and Engagement Features: A simple contact form enables interested organisations to get in touch easily.
• Quick Exit Functionality: A quick exit feature was included to support user safety, recognising that some visitors may be accessing the site in vulnerable circumstances.

Results & Benefits

The Marrickville Village microsite provides Good Shepherd with a clear and credible digital presence to support fundraising and partnership conversations:

• Stronger First Impressions: The microsite clearly articulates the project’s mission and values, helping build trust with potential sponsors and partners.
• Improved Engagement: A concise, single-page structure makes it easy for visitors to understand the project and take action.
• Speed and Scalability: The reusable design framework enables Good Shepherd to launch future project microsites quickly and efficiently.
• User Safety Considerations: The inclusion of a quick exit feature demonstrates a thoughtful, trauma-informed approach to digital design.

Conclusion

Through close collaboration with Good Shepherd, OSKY delivered a purposeful and scalable microsite that supports the Marrickville Village project’s broader mission for housing equity. By combining clear storytelling, thoughtful design, and practical functionality, the site plays an important role in helping Good Shepherd advocate for change and build the partnerships needed to bring Marrickville Village to life.

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