SubjectToClimate, designing a UI/Ux conscious learning platform

Background

SubjectToClimate is an NGO/start up that aims to mitigate climate change by providing easily accessible and curated teaching resources on climate change for K-12 teachers through a web application

How does the website work?

It links materials hosted on other sites to a library where they can be easily accessed through filtered searches

It provides information on the usefulness of the different resources

It enables review and rating of materials by users

It allows educators to make and share customized resources

Role

Product designer

Ui/Ux research

Visual design

Prototyping

Project brief

The project given by the client was to create a high fidelity prototype of the web application's resource finder page that takes into account user interface and user experience design.

Process

This project process basically followed the Design thinking process of Empathize, define problem, ideate, prototype, and testing

User Research

After review of the already available research information on problem identification, user personas and solution ideas.

I was able to gather that the main pain points for the users were on the ease of acessibility and reliability of resources, ease of implementation as well as the need for resources that meet current standards, and a key solution was in the use of search filters for ease of finding resources as well as a rating system to show reliabilty.

I also reasearched Library sites with curated content that link products hosted in other sites that are thesame, similar, content adjacent and unrelated to SubjectToClimate's web library.

I chose to use a classified content display view to add more structure to search results even when the filters haven't been used. It would make it easier for the user to have a better view of the available content and save time in having to use the extra filter.

Mapping content and interaction

I went on to sketch the content map and mapping interactions to define the structure around and on the page to be redesigned.

Testing

I created a non-visual paper prototype and tested it with some potential users

Visual design

Although this was already provided by the client, I created a sample mood board and colour pallete and test type to develop the look and feel of the search page

Prototyping

Click the image below to view prototype

Challenges

One challenge I faced was in testing the initial paper prototype as I did not have acess to the ideal user of the web product.

The next step would be implementation and iteration through testing.