UX Portfolio
People ignore design that ignores people
— Frank Chimero, Designer
UX Writer and Tester | Emergency Planning Database
2020 | Washington State Department of Ecology | Timeline: 3 months
The Washington State Emergency Planning Database is used by thousands of businesses in Washington to report their chemical information every year, which is required by law and is shared with local fire departments and emergency responders so they’re aware of any toxic chemicals on-site.
Solutions applied
UX writing and formatting. Plain talk. UX writing. Condensed information to concise, action-oriented language. Moved fields around to create clearer, user-friendly flow.
User testing. Tested database as a business would and worked with subject matter experts to clarify issues I encountered. Tested database in both test and prod.
Created communication plan. Notify businesses through email what to expect and how to prepare and collaborated on a blog post.
Results
Improved reporting to required agencies. Cleaner database. User-friendly submittal process.
Problems to solve
Confusing instructions. Overly wordy and difficult to follow. Users often enter the wrong “authorized name.” They forget to send reports to other required agencies.
New reporting requirements. Businesses now have to choose from a possible 20 hazard categories as opposed to the previous 5.
New location requirements. Businesses now have to use latitude/longitude.
Limitations
We can’t move to a new system at this time. It has to remain within the limits of an older platform, so the most we can do is update content.
Before and after
Screen 1: Basic info - Before and after
Screen 2: Before and after
Screen 3: Before and after
Screen 4: Before and after
Screen 5: Before and after
Screen 6: Before and after
UX Researcher and Writer | Resource Library Redesign
2020 | Washington State Government
Researcher | Designer | Writer
The solution.
To make her site more modern, I did the following:
Mocked up designs for her to choose (she doesn’t have “brand guides”)
Consolidated content to create a cleaner look
Chose higher resolution photos to portray her school’s theme
Made a page she could easily update to show that week’s curriculum
Created a contact page that links to a more professional email
The results.
The new site went up in August. Analytics show positive results, and she says she has a lot more interest in her school than ever before.
The problem.
An internal SharePoint site used by the entire agency had become a link farm. There was no way to easily navigate the resources in the current state.
The ask.
Make the resources easy to find.
Put the resources into categories that make sense to people.
Portfolio: Resource Library Redesign
Note: Images will be added to this project soon
UX Designer and Writer | Montessori School Website
2020 | Freelance | Timeline: 3 months
Designer | Writer | Editor
The solution.
To make her site more modern, I did the following:
Mocked up designs for her to choose (she doesn’t have “brand guides”)
Consolidated content to create a cleaner look
Chose higher resolution photos to portray her school’s theme
Made a page she could easily update to show that week’s curriculum
Created a contact page that links to a more professional email
The results.
The new site went up in August. Analytics show positive results, and she says she has a lot more interest in her school than ever before.
The problem.
This project came to me from a small, private school. The owner was frustrated with her site host because the tools were difficult and outdated, and also her own skill set is limited. Overall, the issues with the website were:
Failed to interact well with her email, so she often missed emails.
Web tools with the current host were difficult for her to use.
Often had issues staying fully online.
No branding to fully reflect her aesthetic.
Minimal web skills.
The ask.
Make the site more usable for her, since she’s the one updating it.
Create a better look and feel that reflects her aesthetic.
Add a section specifically for summer camp where people can download the registration form.
Portfolio: Montessori School Website
Homepage: Before
The owner had done everything on her own. I helped update the site with improved branding and overall imagery to reflect her aesthetic, and improve the usability both for her and new clients.
Homepage now
Cleaner look. Updated branding. Edited content for easier reading. Updated site navigation for improved usability and consistency.
UX Project Lead | Publication Coordinator Site
2019 | Washington State Government
Researcher | Designer | User Tester | Writer
The solution.
TBA
The results.
TBA
The problem.
Original SharePoint site is outdated and essentially a link farm. Both new and current publication coordinators can’t find information easily, leading to discrepancies in processes and arguments about protocol. Plus, processes and policies changed since the original site was created.
The scope.
TBA