New York City parks are some of the most beloved and visited landmarks in the city, and Marine Park is considered to be the gem of south Brooklyn. Marine Park Alliance is a website created to offer Marine Park’s visitors essential information about the park and the various events it organizes. This project redesigns the website with a goal to streamline information access, increase visitor engagement, and encourage donations.
Information Architect
UX Design
Content Strategy
Usability Testing
Figma
FigJam
Google Workspace
Optimal Workshop (Card Sorting & Tree Testing)
Marko Stanisic
Indrani Thool
DURATION12 weeks
Goals
Curated Lists of Databases for Exploration
By conducting research about A-Z Databases’ user behavior, collecting data, and analyzing recurring patterns, we found the following pain points for user experience. These insights were crucial in helping us create appropriate solutions.
additional & subject resources (87%)
goals
STEP 01: STRATEGIZE
- Define scope of usability test
- Develop a targeted, task-based test aligned with research goals
- gkk
- khhkhk
- Recruit participants
- Conduct moderated user interviews over Zoom
- Monitor and record task responses
- Develop solutions for identified problems
- Create high-fidelity prototypes for demonstration
- Communicate process, findings, and recommendations to client
- Compile and categorize participant responses
- Identify, record, and prioritize common issues
- Evaluate the System Usability Score
After conducting research, observed issues were identified, recorded, and prioritized. A total of 26 usability problems were identified with the interface. We prioritized issues based on two main factors: the severity of the problem and the frequency of occurrence among participants. These major issues were then selected for further examination.
To address these usability problems, we developed a series of recommendations outlined below. Each of the reommendations addresses multiple of the 26 usability problems we found. There are designed to provide clear guidance for the Pratt Libraries team, enabling them to effectively solve the identified issues and improve the overall user experience of their database website.
navigation
homepage
get involved
donation page
donation payment pathway
To achieve our set goals by the end of our design process, we created high-fidelity prototypes to demonstrate our proposed solutions to problems identified through the research process.
01. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Adding description and context for the function of A-Z Databases was key in providing clarification and alleviating confusion in users.
Providing rationales for curated database lists to increases trust between users and the interface.
02. OPTIMIZE SEARCH & FILTERS
Creating a streamlined search experience by separating A-Z search unit from Pratt’s search unit, adding context to each search category, and making it more comprehensive in a glance.
Additionally, we added checkboxes to indicate selected options, categorized inputs within filter for efficiency, and added a Clear Filter option when filters are applied.
03. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Adding description and context for the function of A-Z Databases was key in providing clarification and alleviating confusion in users.
Providing rationales for curated database lists to increases trust between users and the interface.
04. OPTIMIZE SEARCH & FILTERS
Creating a streamlined search experience by separating A-Z search unit from Pratt’s search unit, adding context to each search category, and making it more comprehensive in a glance.
Additionally, we added checkboxes to indicate selected options, categorized inputs within filter for efficiency, and added a Clear Filter option when filters are applied.
05. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Adding description and context for the function of A-Z Databases was key in providing clarification and alleviating confusion in users.
Providing rationales for curated database lists to increases trust between users and the interface.
06. OPTIMIZE SEARCH & FILTERS
Creating a streamlined search experience by separating A-Z search unit from Pratt’s search unit, adding context to each search category, and making it more comprehensive in a glance.
Additionally, we added checkboxes to indicate selected options, categorized inputs within filter for efficiency, and added a Clear Filter option when filters are applied.
07. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Adding description and context for the function of A-Z Databases was key in providing clarification and alleviating confusion in users.
Providing rationales for curated database lists to increases trust between users and the interface.
08. OPTIMIZE SEARCH & FILTERS
Creating a streamlined search experience by separating A-Z search unit from Pratt’s search unit, adding context to each search category, and making it more comprehensive in a glance.
Additionally, we added checkboxes to indicate selected options, categorized inputs within filter for efficiency, and added a Clear Filter option when filters are applied.
09. PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Adding description and context for the function of A-Z Databases was key in providing clarification and alleviating confusion in users.
Providing rationales for curated database lists to increases trust between users and the interface.
Target Users
PARK VISITORS
PARK VOLUNTEERS
- DESIGN STUDENTS
- UNFAMILIAR WITH DATABASE WEBSITES
- EASILY OVERWHELMED BY THE COMPLEX & CONTENT HEAVY INFRASTUCTURES
- NEEDS TIME & HELP TO ENGAGE & INTERACT WITH WEBSITE FEATURES
- LIBRARY SCIENCE STUDENTS
- HAS INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE & PERSPECTIVE OF ACADEMIC RESEARCH FROM A RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POV
- FREQUENT USER OF COMPLEX & CONTENT-HEAVY INFRASTRUCTURES
- EXPERIENCED WITH LIBRARY & RESEARCH WEBSITES
Insights
“It’s really easy [for me] but I can imagine how someone else can get overhwelmed”
- EXPERT USER
- NOVICE USER
- EXPERT USER
- NOVICE USER
Competitive analysis
Tree testing/card sorting/user flows/map
Brainstorming
By implementing our proposed solutions into medium-fidelity mock-ups, we created the final prototype seen below as a reference for Marine Park Alliance to visualize the recommended changes.
Our findings and recommendations were met with positive feedback when presented to Pratt Libraries. The clients were inquisitive about the process with which we came our conclusions, and seemed excited to implement the changes we proposed.
They also mentioned that while some of our recommendations were things they had never thought of before, there were also recommendations that Pratt Libraries had considered implementing, but never had valid rationales to support them. Our study provided statistical support and validation to these ideas, and encouraged implementation. Moving forward, Pratt Libraries hopes to hire a UX Librarian and discuss potential implementations to the A-Z Databases website.
This project provided a unique view into user groups and how different their interactions with an interface can be. I learned how to make full use of the System Usability Scale, which helped us analyze and communicate the significant difference between Novice and Expert Users, and their relationships to the interface.
Designing & Prototyping
Synthesizing a huge project into a report and presentation for the client was difficult, especially since we had so avery detailed process and so many findings. However, the process of creating those final deliverables allowed me to reflect upon our project, and understand how to identify and prioritize significantly impactful findings, that would be beneficial to communicate to our clients.
Managing Team Conflicts
Our team worked end-to-end on this project: developing strategy, conducting user testing, data collection, analysis, prototyping, and communication. This process helped me assess and validate the skills I bring to the table as a collaborator and an individual contributor.
As part of the project, our team wrote a usability
report that details our strategy, process, findings,
and recommendations thoroughly, as a reference
for Pratt Libraries.
VIEW PRESENTATION
At the end of our usability study, we presented our process and findings to Pratt Libraries, and held an open session for brainstorming or answering any questions they had.
VIEW PRESENTATION