Department of Agriculture Component Design

Overview

The Simplified Targeting and Enhanced Processing Systems (STEPS) program is a 2024-2027 major initiative by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) aimed at modernising cargo import processes. The program is a $145 million, 3-year project (2023–2026) designed to replace complex and inefficient manual systems with streamlined digital solutions.

Problem

The Personal Effects interface needed a dynamic component that adapts to user input in real-time. By applying integrated business rules, the system automatically determines the next logical question in the workflow. This approach maintains a clean, minimalist UI while keeping previous responses visible, allowing users to review their progress without screen clutter. As the existing DAFF Design System didn’t offer a component with this specific functionality, it was necessary to design a custom solution to meet the program’s unique requirements.

Solution

After reviewing the DAFF Design System, I identified several components with functional overlaps. By synthesising these existing patterns, I developed a new component that met our specific requirements while maintaining strict visual and behavioural consistency with the broader system.