Missing Persons
More than a website. A lifeline.
The National Missing Persons Coordination Centre is run by the Australian Federal Police. Their public-facing website is the channel for families searching for loved ones, investigators racing against time, and communities living with loss.
With more than 56,000 missing-persons reports in Australia each year, the platform had to be fast, accessible and empathetic. We rebuilt it on District CMS, a foundation that scales with the work and supports the people relying on it.
Six core areas shaped the build.
Finding the right information.
The site supports very different search behaviours, from families entering limited details to police working with structured filters.
Mobile in the moment.
Many people access the site on mobile devices in stressful situations. The experience stays clear and reliable everywhere.
Access for everyone.
The platform meets accessibility standards so older users and people with disabilities can navigate it with ease.
Sensitive content, handled with care.
Every profile and page balances accuracy with empathy for the people affected.
Modern foundations.
The previous platform was nearing end of life. The replacement is secure, scalable and ready for what comes next.
Hosted in Australia, built to scale.
Built for reliability under sustained public demand, supporting critical services, investigators and the community around the clock.
We began with empathy.
Working with NMPCC and Australian Federal Police staff in workshops, we identified the moments of stress, confusion and urgency that shape how people use the site. Usage data filled in the rest of the picture.
Our UX team created journeys for families, media and law enforcement. The result is an experience built around calm clarity — one that works for someone searching with a few vague details and for someone browsing an entire list.
From workshops to launch.
Empathy.
Workshops with NMPCC and AFP staff. Usage data analysed in detail. Real moments of stress and urgency surfaced and mapped.
Design.
Journeys built for families, media and law enforcement. The interface prioritises calm clarity over clever interaction.
Migration.
Every missing persons profile transitioned without data loss. Metadata, publishing controls and content reviewed, structured and preserved.
Build.
District CMS as the foundation. Predictive, typo-tolerant search. Custom workflows and role-based permissions. Enterprise-grade hosting underneath.
Iterate.
Short sprints with regular input from NMPCC staff. Feedback incorporated quickly so the platform reflected operational reality at every step.
Accessibility, embedded from the start.
The platform meets WCAG 2.1 AA across every device and screen size. We tested with assistive technologies to make sure it worked for the people who needed it most.
Sensitive information is protected through custom workflows and role-based permissions, giving NMPCC secure governance over every profile. Enterprise-grade hosting handles peak demand with automated backups, scalable capacity and layered security including web application firewalls.
What we delivered
Federated search.
Predictive, typo-tolerant search across the platform.
Filters and smart results tuned to different types of users.
Accessibility, sitewide.
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across every page.
Tested with screen readers, keyboards and assistive tech.
Secure governance.
Custom workflows and role-based permissions for case management.
Sensitive information protected end to end.
Mobile-first performance.
Fast, reliable experience across every device.
Tested for the moments people need it most.
Managed hosting.
Enterprise-grade infrastructure with automated backups and scaling.
Reliable through high-traffic events.
Zero data loss.
Every profile, every record, every metadata field migrated intact.
Continuity for the families and investigators relying on it.
What changed.
Building for moments that matter?
Public safety, sensitive content, complex search, accessibility from day one. This is the kind of work we are built for.