Designing for the User
In a complex area research and development is hard to implement as small actionable changes add up to significant technical debt over time.
Oftentimes, end users need to access multiple reports and access points to track metrics across various pacific salmonid populations. With this time devoted to hunting down correct metrics and figures, there wasn't enough time to work on the research, leaving problems like biological status, and salmon population numbers crucially under researched.
Critical Question
*How can we design a better user experience for goverments to make informed choice on projects that could impact future salmon stocks?
Some of my design contributions can be found in the list below:
- A new user pattern implementation proposal
- A complete redesign of how data is interpreted in client side graphs
- Revising Iconography and Color systems to lessen technical debt across the tool
- A ground-up rework of the Regional Overviews section that links with an externally developed site (State of Pacific Salmon).
Impact
Through written user tests and a full process analysis intervention we implemented a way for scientists to get their data clearer, faster by creating stricter more actionable impovements in the platofmrs visual design and clarity in user widgets. These improvements were internally tested and found to have a 9.46 second overall reduction time during control testing, boosting user clarity and platform growth.