GLANSIS
GLANSIS
October 2023 - December 2023
Role: UX designer
Duration: 12 weeks
Tools: Figma
Client: Rochelle Sturtevant
Demo / Prototype
Overview
Problem
Difficulty to locate information on the current GLANSIS website can be frustrating for users. The need for a smooth user experience is particularly crucial to Great Lakes Researchers, natural resource managers, AIS decision makers, and K-16 educators.
Challenge
How can we redesign the website for GLANSIS, a database with information about non-indigenous aquatic species in the Great Lakes, and tailor it to different users?
Executive Summary
For this project, we partnered with NOAA, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to redesign their GLANSIS page, a database with information about non-indigenous aquatic species in the Great Lakes, and tailor it to different users. I focused particularly on redesigning the Species List Generator tool, which generates information about non-indigenous species in the Great Lakes. Three key design decisions were changing the format of information for the species list, redesigning the implementation of the search tool, and making the species list generator tool more visually appealing.
Current Website
The species list generator page and search tool on the current website are visually unappealing and difficult to use. The species list is in a table format, which violates Jakob’s Law. The search bar is not accessible on every page.
Key Design Decision #1: Reformatting a Table into a List
On the species list page on the original GLANSIS website, the information is displayed in a table, which violates Jakob’s Law and is visually unappealing to users. To fix this issue, I redesigned the information into a list format that displays 10 results at a time while still including important information, such as the photos of the species and their common and scientific names. I also included filter and sort options to help users find the information they need. I improved the visual aspects of the list and included ways for users to locate information more easily.
Key Design Decisions
Key Design Decision #2: Search Bar on Every Page
Another design decision was including the search tool on every page, rather than just on the home page. Users are able to search the website from this search tool, which can be accessed on the top right corner of every page. This is useful because it allows users to find content without exploring the entire website.
Key Design Decision #3: Enhanced Visuals
One of the big issues with the current design is the lack of visual appeal. In particular, the current species list generator tool does not have an engaging or visually appealing design. I redesigned this page so that users could get a direct link to the list of all of the species as well as reorganized the filters.
