Australia is a vibrant and culturally diverse nation, enriched by a mosaic of ethnicities, languages, and traditions. As a result, effectively communicating with multicultural audiences has become increasingly important for organisations seeking to engage and connect with diverse communities. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of co-designing communications material for multicultural audiences in Australia and delve into Ethnolink’s co-design process, which involves community consultation. What is co-design? Co-design is an inclusive and collaborative approach to designing communications materials that involves end-users and stakeholders in the design process. In the context of communications material for multicultural audiences in Australia, co-design actively involves representatives from diverse communities. It acknowledges that these communities have unique insights, cultural perspectives, and communication preferences that should be considered when creating materials that resonate with them. By collaborating with multicultural audiences, you can develop culturally relevant and inclusive communication strategies that address the specific needs and aspirations of these communities. The benefits of co-designing for multicultural audiences 1. Cultural Relevance Co-designing communications material ensures that the content, design, and messaging resonate with multicultural audiences. By involving representatives from diverse communities, you can gain valuable insights into cultural nuances, idioms, and communications preferences, ensuring that their materials are culturally relevant, respectful, and inclusive. 2. Enhanced Engagement When multicultural audiences feel represented and acknowledged, they are more likely to engage with communications materials. Co-designing allows you to tap into the knowledge and experiences of community members, making the content relatable and accessible. This leads to increased engagement, better understanding, and stronger connections with multicultural communities. 3. Improved Effectiveness By involving community members in the co-design process, you can better understand the needs, challenges, and aspirations of multicultural audiences. This knowledge enables the creation of targeted and impactful communication strategies. The resulting materials will be more effective in conveying key messages, addressing concerns, and promoting positive actions within multicultural communities. 4. Fostering Trust and Collaboration Co-designing communication materials demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity, respect, and collaboration. When you actively involve multicultural communities, you build trust and foster stronger relationships. This collaborative approach enhances mutual understanding, reduces barriers, and creates a sense of ownership among community members, resulting in a more engaged and receptive audience. Ethnolink’s process of co-designing for multicultural communications 1. Identifying Objectives The first step in co-designing communications material is to clearly define the objectives and key messages. We sit down with you to understand what you aim to achieve, whether it is raising awareness, promoting an event, or encouraging community participation. 2. Asset creation The next step is to create draft assets based on reference material such as branding guidelines, existing resources, and key messages. If needed, we can also assist with drafting key messages in Plain English. The draft assets are designed in a way that is inclusive and adaptable to different cultural contexts. They act as a foundation for community members to build upon during consultation, saving time and allowing for more focused discussions and contributions during the consultation stage. 3. Community Consultation By engaging with Ethnolink, you will leverage our established partnerships with community leaders, organisations, and community members. Based on the scope of you project, our Head of Community Engagement will facilitate the recruitment of diverse participants from our established eco-system of community voices, who can contribute their insights and experiences. * We ensure that our co-design process included the voices of community members who are part of you exact target audience. For example, if you are creating a resource for recent female migrants on the topic of pregnancy, we will engage women of child-bearing age who have recently migrated to Australia. These consultations can take the form of virtual or in-person focus groups, one-on-one interviews or surveys. Regardless of the method of consultation, our experienced team create a safe and inclusive space where participants feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and suggestions. These consultations are a collaborative process that involves community members, stakeholders, and graphic design professionals. During these consultations, participants can contribute to the key messaging and content, visual elements, and overall design of the communications material. We encourage open dialogue, active listening, and mutual respect to ensure a fruitful exchange of ideas. 4. Translation Once the co-designed communications materials are finalised in English, we coordinate translation into other languages spoken by the multicultural audiences by NAATI credentialed translators. This ensures that the content can reach a broader audience and effectively communicate key messages to people with low English proficiency. We ensure that we engage professional translators who are proficient in both the source and target languages, as well as have an understanding of cultural nuances. As such, the in-language materials are adapted to the specific cultural context of each target language, ensuring that they remains culturally appropriate and relatable to diverse communities. We then also have the translation independently checked by a second NAATI credentialed translator who undertakes a careful review and proofreading to ensure accuracy and maintain the intended impact and message. 6. Community Checking Before finalising the translated assets, it is essential to test their standalone effectiveness within the target audience. This is done through community checking, a process where members of the target audience who are native speakers of the select languages review the translated assets for cultural relevance and appropriateness. We will provide an Ethnolink Certificate of Community Checking detailing the feedback and subsequent amendments for your records. 7. Implementation and Distribution Once the communications material is finalised, Ethnolink continues to collaborate with multicultural community networks to effectively distribute the material to the target audience. It is crucial to use channels that multicultural communities trust and regularly engage with to ensure maximum reach and impact. Ethnolink can help you create a Channel Plan for your media distribution across ethnic-specific media channels. Co-designing communications material for multicultural audiences in Australia brings numerous benefits to organisations and communities alike. By involving multicultural communities in the design process through community consultation, you can create culturally relevant and inclusive materials that resonate with diverse audiences. This approach fosters engagement, trust, and collaboration, leading to stronger connections and positive outcomes within multicultural communities. Embracing diversity and co-designing communications material enables you to promote inclusivity, bridge cultural gaps, and build a more cohesive and harmonious society. Want to learn more? If you’re interested in exploring how Ethnolink can assist in co-designing materials for your audience, reach out to our Multicultural Communications Adviser, Rachael Coulthard – rachael@ethnolink.com.au.
