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Revamping
The Polis Center website
Role
UX Engineer
Team
4 Designers & Developers
Timeline
3 months including development
Responsibilities
I led a team of three (designers & developers) throughout the process, while closely collaborating with stakeholders.
User Interviews, Heuristic Evaluation, Analytics Review, Site Map, Interface Design, Development
Impact
80% reduction in user navigation errors
The Polis Center is an organization that works for the social good by improving community health, well-being, and resiliency.
RESEARCH
Conducted user interviews, heuristic evaluation, and reviewed analytics to identify pain points in the site’s navigation and content structure.
User Groups
Community members seeking services or resources
Businesses or partners exploring collaborations
Researchers or academics looking for data
Job seekers looking for their next opportunity
Problem
The website’s confusing and inconsistent navigation caused users to struggle with finding key information, resulting in frequent drop-offs.
DESIGN
I streamlined the site structure by consolidating content and standardizing layouts for a more intuitive experience.
Issue 1
Poor Navigation
Solution 1
Fixing the Information Architecture
I reorganized the hierarchy based on user mental models, prioritizing clarity, relevance, and task flow. Each section was labeled using language that resonated with users, avoiding internal jargon.
Fixing Interface
1. Navigation bar issue
The navigation bar did not align with users' goals, often forcing them into unnecessary nested clicks to complete tasks. Many users attempted to return to the home page by clicking the Indiana University Indianapolis logo in the top-left corner, which redirected them to the university's main site instead.
Menu items are not prioritized based on users' goals.
Users struggled to navigate back to the home page due to the logo’s unconventional placement on the right.
Navigation bar solution
Logo on left to quickly return to the home page
Improved nav bar items based on users' goals and expections.
Sub-menu items under the appropriate menu items
Learnings & Takeaways
Designing with development in mind ensured a seamless build process and better execution.
Iterative testing and feedback helped refine the design, reducing errors and enhancing usability.
Prioritizing Information Architecture made the information easy to find and improved user flow.
My work doesn't end here, check out more
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