Integrative Conservation Clinic
The Integrative Conservation Clinic (ICC) at William & Mary University struggled to translate their research into an accessible online platform for conservation professionals due to a lack of technical expertise. By collaborating with our team, we developed a framework with features like tiered content organization, multilingual accessibility, and annotation functions, effectively enhancing information access and user experience to support their conservation efforts.
Project Type
Capstone
Tags
UI Design, User Research, Wireframing & Prototyping, Animation, Information Architecture
Designers
Reuben James Soriano, Saahil Ebrahim, Mary Macdonald, Carlos Fernandez, Kevin Simone, Olivia Albin
Project Duration
Sep. 22’ - May 23’
Before seeking our help, the ICC had conducted extensive research to define their approach but struggled to translate their ideas into a coherent, user-friendly platform that met the needs of conservation professionals. Their initial attempts lacked the necessary technical expertise to develop key features and functionalities, hindering their ability to create a compelling solution for their audience.
Although the ICC had a clear big-picture vision, they were unsure how to realize it. After our initial meetings, where we gained a deep understanding of their projects and goals, we conceptualized a framework for the platform. This included an open-access library of articles categorized into three tiers—Backgrounds, Approaches, and Tools (BATs)—which would serve as a centralized hub for quick knowledge acquisition and peer connection. We also integrated multilingual accessibility and content summaries by experts to enhance global contributions to conservation. These features were designed to streamline information access, making the platform an effective tool for professionals in the field.
The development of the Integrative Conservation Clinic platform faced several significant challenges that hindered its effectiveness. These pain points highlight the difficulties encountered in translating the ICC's vision into a functional and accessible tool for conservation professionals.
Translating Vision into Usability: The ICC had a strong vision for creating a centralized online platform for conservation professionals, but struggled with technical expertise, resulting in difficulties in translating their ideas into a user-friendly and cohesive digital experience.
Complex Information Landscape: Competitor platforms varied widely in how they organized and presented information, leading to challenges in creating a simplified, yet effective, search functionality and information retrieval system that conservationists could easily navigate.
Barriers to Access: Users faced significant barriers, such as expensive paywalls and fragmented information sources, which hindered access to reliable, up-to-date research necessary for conservation efforts.
Lack of User Support: Competitor sites often lacked tutorials and on-site guidance, making it difficult for users to fully understand and utilize the tools available, leading to missed opportunities for deeper engagement and knowledge application.
The insights gathered from competitor analysis and user feedback provided valuable direction for improving the ICC platform. These key takeaways emphasize the opportunities for enhancing user experience, fostering collaboration, and ensuring accessibility.
Streamlining Information Access: By recognizing the need for a simplified search functionality inspired by successful competitor frameworks, the platform can enhance user experience by making it easier to find and access relevant information.
Enhancing Usability with Annotations and Tutorials: Introducing comprehensive tutorials and an annotation function can significantly improve the platform's usability, helping users to better understand and apply the tools and resources available, thereby fostering deeper engagement.
Fostering Community and Collaboration: Emphasizing community interaction, as seen in successful platforms like WildHub, is crucial. Incorporating features that support collaboration and knowledge-sharing will enrich the user experience and create a more vibrant conservationist community.
Maintaining Relevance and Accessibility: Regular updates and a commitment to keeping information accurate and accessible, including offering resources without paywalls, are essential to ensure the platform remains a valuable, reliable resource for conservation professionals globally.
For a complete breakdown of the project including our user persona, low-high fidelity prototype designs, usability testing results and more, make sure to read our full case study.