Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC)

The Australian Air Force Cadets (AAFC) needed a website that helps young people, parents, and volunteers understand the program and join a local squadron. Morpht mapped each audience's journey, then built a site with a fast squadron finder that stays in sync with AAFC systems.

From suburb to squadron in one click

Prospective cadets can now find their nearest squadron by suburb and register interest in a few steps, using data that is always current.

Three core audiences mapped with journey maps: prospective cadets, parents, and volunteers
A squadron finder, built with React and the Google Maps API, that returns the nearest squadrons by suburb
Squadron records sync automatically from AAFC systems, removing manual updates
Seasonal enrolment control: outside the October to March window, 'Enrol now' switches to a calendar reminder

Awards

Drupal

Australian Web Awards 2023 Finalist

About AAFC

User experience design | Convivial CXP | Site assessments | Maps

The AAFC is one of three Australian Defence Force cadet programs, alongside the Army and Navy cadets. It has the strongest science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) focus of the three, and increasingly supports careers in aviation and aerospace.

The new site had to appeal to young people considering joining, parents looking for information, volunteers, and stakeholders in Defence and corporate partners. It also had to be re-architected, redesigned on GovCMS (Drupal 9), and migrated.

Visit the site

The solution

Morpht re-architected and redesigned the site on GovCMS, with a clear journey for each audience and a React app that powers the 'Find your nearest squadron' feature.

Workshops and user journeys

Morpht ran workshops with key AAFC staff to document issues and requirements. We identified three core audiences and developed a journey map for each, which guided the content structure and visual assets.

The site uses video, parallax imagery, icons, and calls to action to explain who the AAFC is, why to join, and how.

Squadron finder

Users enter their suburb, see the nearest squadrons, and select 'Join squadron'. Sign-up happens on another platform, but the app passes on the chosen squadron, so the handover is seamless.

Different audiences needed different journeys:

cadets find a local squadron and register interest
volunteers complete an online form
pilots offering to instruct sign up with a squadron that has a flight operations focus

Accordions separate the journeys and show each group's eligibility requirements.

Google Maps API

The squadron finder combines the power of Google Map API and REACT to deliver a fast loading location guide. By typing in your suburb, the APP quickly delivers the squadrons nearest to your location. By selecting your preferred location you can find out the information on that squadron and click the ‘Join Squadron’ button to sign up. The sign-up are occurs on another platform, but the APP we developed is smart enough to pass on the squadron you are interested in - making it a seamless sign up process for the prospective new cadet.

Automatic data updates

Discovery found that integrating with an existing AAFC system would keep squadron records.

Our new website has exceeded our expectations with a 50% increase of interest in the Australian Air Force Cadets. Morpht were on time and conformed to our requirements to a high quality. The quality of work they have done is excellent and the overall project management was smooth.

Julia and the team were flexible, they catered well to ever changing requirements in a condensed timeline and have delivered an outstanding product.

James Lalor | ICT Systems Administrator, Australian Air Force Cadets