Case study / ALA

Client

The Atlas of Living Australia

Sector

Government, biodiversity, education

Challenge

The ALA was suffering from bloated infrastructure, overly complex user interfaces, and poor user feedback, support and guidance. Their website needed to be redesigned to better connect with its audiences – including building a more intuitive information architecture and developing a coherent visual language.

Goal

Enhance user experience and engagement across the ALA platform for all audiences (citizen scientists, researchers, industry professionals, policy makers, and the general public), fostering deeper connections and data contributions.

My role

As lead UX designer, I spearheaded concept development, research, information architecture, wireframing, visual design, and accessibility considerations throughout the redesign process.

Impact

By prioritising user needs and data-driven design, the ALA website transformed into a hub for accessible data and vibrant engagement. User activity soared, data contributions climbed, and website traffic blossomed, demonstrating the power of user-centric design in unlocking platform potential and fuelling meaningful connections in biodiversity research and conservation.‍

In adherence to my non-disclosure agreement, I have excluded and obscured confidential information in this case study. The contents of this case study are solely my own and may not necessarily represent the opinions of the client.

User pain points:

Complex information architecture and navigation can be overwhelming for new users.
Search functionality is not intuitive and often yields inaccurate results.
Data visualisation tools are powerful but lack clear instructions.
Heuristic UX scorecard of 49.9% indicated suboptimal user experience, requiring strategic improvements.

"I know the ALA has valuable data for my industry, but it's buried so deep, I can't find it. There's no way to search based on my specific needs, and the summaries are too technical for someone like me." – Disengaged industry professional

"I want to contribute my bird sightings, but the data entry form is confusing and I'm not sure what all the scientific terms mean. There's no simple way to learn what I need to know." – Frustrated citizen scientist

Research methodology:

Stakeholder engagement workshop: We gathered 37 diverse representatives (citizen scientists, researchers, industry professionals, policy makers, and the general public) to ensure balanced input and capture a broad range of perspectives on the ALA website. The chosen sample size of 37 reached saturation for key groups, meaning further interviews wouldn't yield significantly new insights, making it an efficient and effective approach.
Expert review: This encompassed an in-depth analysis of user experience (UX), data quality & accessibility, citizen science integration, technical aspects, and overall impact. The UX review evaluated information architecture, usability, and visual design for diverse user groups. Data quality was assessed through standards, search & filtering, and visualisation effectiveness. Citizen science integration covered community features, contribution workflows, and educational resources. Technical evaluation included performance, security & privacy, and technology stack. Finally, benchmarking, impact analysis, and actionable recommendations were provided.‍
In-depth telephone interviews: These were conducted with 40 users representing diverse expertise levels, informed by usability testing guidelines suggesting 5-8 participants per test. This sample size allowed for both broad insights across user groups and efficient data analysis, potentially reaching saturation for common usability issues and design flaws.‍
User testing sessions with 18 participants to evaluate specific functionalities: We started with basic tasks like navigation, terminology comprehension, and workflow completion (account creation, data submission) to assess general usability and design satisfaction. Further testing targeted diverse user groups (citizen scientists, researchers, industry professionals, and environmental planners) with specific tasks, such as finding, using, reporting, contributing, and publishing.

A discovery workshop with 37 participants.

Key representatives at the stakeholder engagement workshop

Key findings:

Poor information architecture led to navigation difficulties and impeded discoverability: One key finding revealed a poorly structured information architecture hindering user navigation and information discovery. This manifested in several ways, including isolating user groups in silos, burying key content under layers of menus, and utilising overly technical language or inconsistent terminology.
Inconsistent terminology and categorisation: This posed a significant challenge, confusing users of diverse backgrounds. Mixing scientific classifications with user-friendly terms (e.g., "insects" under "creepy crawlies") created ambiguity, hindering information access and comprehension for various user groups.
Limited community engagement features: Findings revealed limited community engagement features (lack of forums or discussion boards, inadequate feedback channels, one-way communication) hindering both data quality and user participation. This manifested in various ways: incomplete data due to missing feedback mechanisms, inadequate quality control relying solely on automation, restricted data collection formats, and lack of onboarding support leading to user confusion and low participation.
A one-size-fits-all design approach failed to cater to specific user needs across various roles: Citizen scientists were overwhelmed by complex interfaces and scientific data, while researchers lacked advanced analysis tools and access to specific datasets. Industry professionals found generic information and restricted data exports unhelpful, while policymakers struggled with interpreting raw data and connecting with data providers.

Aggregated empathy maps representing users from the stakeholder engagement workshop, and the in-depth telephone interviews (40 participants).

"I clicked around for ages trying to find information about the koala population in my area, but everything led me to scientific papers I can't understand. Where's the simple version for people like me who just want to learn more?" – Lost citizen scientist

"Sometimes the website uses scientific jargon, other times it's like talking to a child. It's hard to know what level of information I'm getting, and I never know if I'm reading the most up-to-date data." – Inconsistent researcher

Strategic recommendations:

Establish a data-driven UX alignment strategy for continuous monitoring and iterative improvements: tracking user interactions and gathering feedback to understand user behaviour and needs, prioritising UX improvements based on data and feedback, personalising the experience based on user preferences, and demonstrating the impact of design changes using data to align with business goals like increased user engagement and data contribution.
Foster community support and engagement: Increase engagement through forums and discussion boards for specific areas, collaborative project features for research contribution, online challenges and contests to incentivise participation, user stories highlighting impact, and comprehensive training resources for new users.‍
Restructure information architecture with a 'hub approach' for ALA: Create dedicated hubs for key user groups. Citizen scientists, researchers, industry professionals, policymakers, and the general public each have unique information needs. Hubs cater to these needs by organising content, resources, and functionalities specifically relevant to each group.
Embrace role-based control and layered design for ALA: Define specific roles like Citizen Scientist, Researcher, Educator, etc., and grant appropriate access to data, tools, and functionalities based on user expertise and needs. This ensures novice users aren't overwhelmed by complex information while providing advanced users with unrestricted access.
Implement advanced auto and user validation methodologies to improve data quality: automated checks for errors, species identification assistance using image recognition and expert feedback, and location verification through map integrations and geolocation features.‍

Redesign & overhaul:

Restructured information architecture: Revamped IA for intuitive navigation and content organisation. Categorised content based on user tasks and goals, grouped content by user roles (citizen scientists, researchers, etc.) with tailored sections and functionalities, implemented role-based navigation and search, integrated contextual search for specific areas, and utilised clear navigation labels and breadcrumbs for easy location awareness.‍

Proposed information architecture diagram for the ALA.

Restructuring the information architecture by user roles.

A revamped content taxonomy was established for user-centricity: Sections organised around user tasks ("Identify a species," "Contribute data"), clear hierarchies with consistent language guiding users, and standardised terminology across the platform using plain language for broad understandability.
Developed low-fidelity mockups to visualise design concepts and gather feedback: This allowed me to quickly sketch and test various layout ideas, user flows, and information architecture without investing significant time and resources.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA form page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA explore page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA contact page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA article page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA knowledge base page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA login page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA species page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA home page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA news page.

Low-fidelity wireframe of the ALA application page.

Low-fidelity wireframes

Interactive HTML and CSS prototypes were developed to facilitate user testing and design refinement: tested specific interactions and functionalities with key stakeholders and user groups through iterative cycles, optimising user flows and information architecture with various navigation paths, and validating design decisions using quantitative data like click-through rates and task completion times.‍
Website templates were designed to ensure efficiency, consistency, and accessibility: separate species profiles with unique visuals and information sections, standardised layouts for citizen science project pages adaptable to various projects, and reusable components for interactive data visualisations with consistent styling and interactions.

Interactive prototypes were created to Simulate real-world interactions

Outcomes:

Measuring User Experience: Implemented a comprehensive UX scorecard to track user engagement (active users, task completion, content interaction), data contribution and quality (submissions, accuracy, validation participation), and technical performance (speed, accessibility, bug fixes), enabling data-driven improvements and alignment with project goals.
Measuring Website Traffic and Engagement: Tracking quantitative metrics like unique visitors, page views, session duration, referrals, task completion, and social media engagement, alongside qualitative insights from user surveys, forum discussions, and case studies, to inform data-driven improvements and user experience optimisation.
Measuring Enhanced Data Quality and Community Contributions in ALA: Implemented a comprehensive data quality and community contribution measurement framework. This framework focused on tracking quantity, diversity, accuracy, completeness, and granularity of data submissions, alongside data provenance, user participation in collection and validation, forum engagement, user group formation, and feedback analysis, to inform continuous improvement and alignment with project goals.

"Now I actually look forward to contributing my backyard bird sightings! The new website is so easy to use, and I love seeing my data on the map alongside everyone else's. It feels like I'm making a real difference." – Empowered citizen scientist

Key takeaways:

Combining collaborative research and iterative design is crucial for complex platforms with diverse user bases.
Prioritising user needs and data-driven insights leads to impactful and sustainable improvements.

"I found the industry report I was looking for in minutes on the new ALA website! The summaries are clear and concise, and there's even a section with practical recommendations for my business. This is exactly what I needed." – Happy industry professional

The Future of the Atlas of Living Australia: Building on Success

The ALA has undergone a significant transformation, moving from a platform with usability challenges to a leader in data accessibility and engagement. But the journey doesn't end here. To maintain the positive momentum and further solidify its position, the ALA can focus on three key areas:

Continuous Engagement and Feedback: Cultivate an active and engaged user base through forums, discussions, collaborative tools, regular feedback channels, and citizen science initiatives that incentivise participation, knowledge sharing, and environmental stewardship.‍
Expanding Capabilities and Innovation: Push the boundaries of data exploration and analysis by integrating advanced visualisation tools, exploring AI-powered functionalities for quality enhancement and user experience personalisation, and forging partnerships to expand data access and foster collaboration within the biodiversity research community.‍
Cultivating Sustainability and Impact: Ensure long-term sustainability and impact through securing funding, measuring and communicating the ALA's contributions to research, education, and conservation, and championing open access and data sharing to foster transparency and collaboration within the biodiversity research community.

A post review workshop setting, with participants around a table and a woman near the front of the room pointing at post-it-notes.

Post project review workshop

External UX review of flagship citizen science website

Research and Analysis

Identifying the opportunity

Research and Synthesis

Understanding user needs

The Strategy

Charting the path to progress

Design and Prototyping

From blueprint to reality

Evaluation and Iteration

Measurable impact & beyond

Conclusion

Unlocking the potential of the ALA through user-centric design