GLANSIS

Website Redesign

Executive Summary

The GLANSIS website provides people with information about aquatic invasive and indigenous species. Unfortunately, some people are struggling to find what they're looking for on the website, especially in the Species List Generator. My project is focused on making improving the efficiency and use of this tool. The aim is to better help users find information about invasive species by improving how the website functions. This involves simplifying the search for various details and features and improving the layout. The goal is to make it simple for people to get the information they need and enhance the overall helpfulness of the GLANSIS website.

Project Overview

Problem

Many users, such as Glansis’ target audience of state and federal managers, researchers, students, and teachers, utilize NOAA’s Glansis website in order to find information about various indigenous aquatic species or specific habitats that can be found in the Great Lakes region. However, the leading problem these groups of people have with the website is their inability to find the information that they’re searching for in the home, species list generator, map explorer, risk assessment clearinghouse, and educator hub web pages. Due to the navigation difficulties of the GLANSIS website, the result is that many users become frustrated, and negative “user friction” is created. Because it is outdated by over a decade, the way in which the website is organized prevents users from finding the information they need. They will eventually set out to find a new source of information resulting in a decrease of Glansis’ website conversion rates.

Role

UX/UI Designer

Time

4 weeks

Task

Enhance user experience across the home page and species list generator, prioritizing intuitive navigation, clear calls-to-action, and intuitive form interaction to foster greater user satisfaction and engagement.

Tools

Figma, Miro, Procreate

Current Experience

  • Home

  • Data Dictionary

  • Species Page

  • Generator Results

  • Species List Generator

    Species List Generator

GLANSIS Final Redesign

Home

Acting as the digital face of the brand, the home page plays a pivotal role in shaping visitors' first impressions. Upon examination of GLANSIS's home page, it became evident that the existing layout was outdated, congested, and lacked navigational clarity. The overarching objective was crystal clear: to reimagine the home page as a sleek, minimalist, and user-centric interface that effectively communicates the brand's identity while simplifying the user's browsing experience.

Species List Generator

The upgraded species generator form offers a far more engaging experience for users. Its format has been expanded and enhanced to be visually appealing, in stark contrast to the original mundane layout. This improvement aims to improve on the captivation of user interest, ensuring that the generation and exploration of species information become not only efficient but also an engaging aspect of their experience on the platform. Considering the importance of the Species List Generator to the GLANSIS website, it is imperative that the generator is both engaging and efficient for users.

Generator Results

Compared to the original species generator results page, the enhanced version doesn't present information in a cramped table format with small text, making it challenging to use. Instead, it utilizes dropdown menus, allowing users to effortlessly navigate through the species results based on the input they provided to the generator. This modification aims to improve user experience by providing a more user-friendly and accessible way to explore and understand the generated species information. Users are able to focus more on information that they find relevant rather than being overloaded by the surplus of information that the previous table provided.

GLANSIS Data Dictionary

The data dictionary has undergone enhancements, due to the fact it plays a crucial role on the website by providing users with extra information and tools. A notable improvement lies in the visual aesthetics, where I focused on making it not only more visually appealing but also easier to navigate. The incorporation of diverse visual elements not only adds an engaging touch but also serves to prevent user confusion. This strategic use of visuals brings about a clearer distinction and detailed presentation of different pages, tools, and informative dropdowns.

Menu Navigation

Moreover, the menu navigation has seen significant upgrades. The implementation of hamburger menus provides users with an effortless means to toggle between pages and access various tools. This improvement is especially beneficial for the mobile version as it optimally conserves screen space, ensuring a seamless and efficient user experience. On larger screens, a navigation bar allows users to easily toggle back and forth between the various pages.