External UX review of flagship citizen science website

External UX review & redesign of the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) flagship website
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.

Research and Analysis

Identifying the opportunity

User pain points:
"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 and Synthesis

Understanding user needs

Research methodology:
A discovery workshop with 37 participants.
Key representatives at the stakeholder engagement workshop
Key findings:
Empathy map for Industry Professionals.Empathy map for Scientists and Researchers.Empathy map for Policy Makers.Empathy map for Environmental Planners.
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

The Strategy

Charting the path to progress

Strategic recommendations:

Design and Prototyping

From blueprint to reality

Redesign & overhaul:
Proposed information architecture diagram for the ALA.
Restructuring the information architecture by user roles.
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
An ALA prototype screen of the home page.An ALA prototype screen of the article page.An ALA prototype screen of the form page.An ALA prototype screen of the species page.An ALA prototype screen of the news page.
Interactive prototypes were created to Simulate real-world interactions

Evaluation and Iteration

Measurable impact & beyond

Outcomes:
"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:
"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:
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

Conclusion

Unlocking the potential of the ALA through user-centric design

The Atlas of Living Australia underwent a successful user experience overhaul, transforming from a platform with usability challenges to a leader in data accessibility and engagement. This case study demonstrates the power of collaborative research, iterative design, and data-driven insights in creating user-centric platforms that deliver impactful results.