Geographic Data Sharing Platform
Simplifying Arctic Data Discoverability for Scientists to accelerate Climate Analysis
Status : In Development
Role
Product Designer
Duration
1 month
Platform
Mobile
Team
Prachi Kadam
Mahek Shaikh
Antara Karthik
Govind A
Role
UX/UI Designer
Timeline
5 sprints
(5 weeks)
Tools
Figma
Adobe Suite
Miro Board
Team
1 Product Manager
2 UX/UI Designer
2 Developers
1 Climate Data Scientists
Core Responsibilities
Lead the UX/UI Design of Data Tables & Maps Module, Usability Testing, Visual Design, Interaction design, Design System & Iconography
What is IABP?
The International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP) deploys buoys with sensors to collect vital atmospheric data in the Arctic, aiding research on climate patterns and sea ice dynamics.
Primary goal
Develop an open source information portal that provides real-time Arctic atmospheric data collected by IABP, Buoy specifications, data analysis methodologies, and publications.
Purpose of the data
Research on Arctic climate, weather forecasting, satellite validation, climate modeling, and sample tracking.
Impact of the data
Over 1000 publications have benefited from observations from the IABP!
Government organizations also use the data to assimilate the strength and trajectory of storms in Alaska.
Buoys being deployed into the Arctic Region by IABP for collecting atmospheric and geospatial data.
Understanding the Problem Space
The old website required a redesign to improve the efficiency of finding and downloading relevant information from Data Tables and Geospatial Maps.
A walkthrough of the old website
A walkthrough of the old website
A walkthrough of the old website
Who are we designing for?
Meteorological Professionals
Need timely and reliable weather forecasts to support various industries, emergency preparedness, and decision-making related to weather-sensitive operations.
Research Scientists & Students
Use the data for scientific publications, policy recommendations, and global collaborations on Arctic climate change.
A Climate Scientist Using Geospatial Data To Analyze Weather.
Picturing the Problem Space
Defining the Problem Space
#1 Low Discoverability of Data
Large amount of data in a tabular format challenged users to view and process information. More than 70% of users took >10 minutes to find desired buoy data.
#2 Limited Download Options
Users had to download the raw file of each data set individually which was most time-consuming.
#3 Information Overload
The website is filled with text and numbers in the form of tables or paragraph. Users failed to notice important information and CTA’s due to the lack of visual hierarchy.
#4 Static Maps were redundant
The map does not provide any search option to users that makes it impossible to find specific buoy data.
#2 Limited Download Options
Users had to download the raw file of each data set individually which was most time-consuming.
#4 Static Maps were redundant
The map does not provide any search option to users that makes it impossible to find specific buoy data.
Defining Product Vision
User Goals
How might we help users to browse, find and analyze relevant data as efficiently as possible?
Business Goals
How might we improve the website’s usability to showcase its impact and attract funding?
Want to know how we got there?
A quick scroll through my research process
Defining the Scope
After our stakeholder meetings, we identified three key opportunities for improvement. I took complete ownership of the Buoy Data Tables and Static Maps pain points, prioritizing these while also providing feedback on the third area.
Pain point 1
Pain point 2
Solving for Pain point 1 : Buoy Data Tables
Solving for Pain point 2 : Static Maps
Designing for Accessibility and a Smooth Rollout
Final Solution
Arctic Data Portal
The page was de-cluttered and organized for easy navigation by:
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Creating customized filtering and search.
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Compact Tables with only important information upfront.
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Multi-select download.
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Using colors to indicate Active and Inactive Buoys.
Option to toggle into a
Grid for a holistic view
This feature enables users to view all information in a visually organized manner, improving accessibility and clarity.
Adding Map Controls and Interactions
This feature allows users to easily locate and download buoys directly from the map, eliminating the need to navigate to a separate page.
Prototype
Metrics that Matter
The time recorded to find a data set in the redesigned website was reduced by 90% when compared to the same task on original design.
The user testing of the final High Fidelity Prototype recorded a high 95% satisfaction rate by users.
Reduced time to complete task
Increased User Satisfaction
Challenges and Takeaways
