Showcasing Data with a Redesign of diversitydatakids.org
Overview
Located at Brandeis University, diversitydatakids.org is a highly regarded research program dedicated to improving child well-being and ensuring racial and ethnic equity to provide equal opportunities for all children. The program is data-focused with target audiences including researchers, professionals and policy-makers focused on increasing equitable access to opportunity for children — everything from new research to designing policies and programs that help all children thrive. After leveraging the same website for years, diversitydatakids.org realized they needed to modernize its navigation and design. So, they asked Velir to help bring their digital experience into the present.
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Challenge
There were numerous priorities diversitydatakids.org hoped to address by selecting Velir to redesign their website. The client’s main goals were to enhance site navigation, update the website’s look and feel, and introduce new functionalities for content presentation.
Enhanced navigation was necessary to make the site more user-friendly for researchers and writers who couldn’t locate the data they needed at their desired speed. To change this dynamic, we knew diversitydatakids.org had to restructure their site to make it easier for audiences to find data. diversitydatakids.org wanted to combine this reorganization with a revamp of their site’s appearance and general functionality. Given their plans to release new data in 2023, this update wasn’t only about modernizing the program’s look, but also preparing to showcase exciting new data in an aesthetically appealing way.
diversitydatakids.org also hoped to create a more flexible, effective way for content authors to display their work on the site. While the “Latest News” section existed on the old site, it didn’t have a prominent placement on the homepage. So diversitydatakids.org wanted more obvious, easy-to-understand sections on the homepage, where users could easily find the latest updates and featured content.
Another challenge the client faced is that their site is on Drupal, but their data sets are on CKAN. Both systems have separate code bases but we knew they had to align in design and function. Aligning them with our redesign would be crucial for forming a cohesive experience for audiences and content authors.
The client’s challenges included:
- Establishing a more coherent site navigation
- Improving the overall user experience for the website
- Modernizing the site’s outdated design
- Adding the ability to prominently feature the latest data
- Creating a seamless experience between Drupal and CKAN for audiences and content authors
Approach
Our first phase of work was built around discovery. To understand the client’s objectives, we conducted workshops to gather insights and put together recommendations for our Design and Build phases. These workshops were key in securing buy-in from important stakeholders, so we could maintain a collaborative approach as the project progressed. During the client vision workshop, we presented our initial concepts for the new navigation and homepage, which sought to align with the client’s vision and requirements while building a foundation for further refinement.
For the next phase, we led meetings with the client to understand their preferences for the website’s navigation. These insights were then consolidated into a unified navigation and homepage design. Two highly involved stakeholders with a clear vision for what they wanted, helped streamline the process, and guarantee the organization’s vision was consistently reflected throughout the project.
We aimed to create a clean, professional website that fit within the higher education sphere. While our primary focus was on the Drupal site, we ensured that all design elements — including the header, footer, and other visual components — were consistently mirrored on the CKAN site to maintain a cohesive look and feel across both platforms.
Our approach included:
- Creating a “Featured Work” section on the new homepage where content authors can effortlessly select which pages to feature
- Enhancing the “Featured Work” section to introduce extra color and design elements, making the work “pop” more and catch users’ attention
- Leveraging user insights and stakeholder feedback to create a new navigation structure that streamlines user journeys
Solution
By partnering with diversitydatakids.org, we designed and built a revamped, modern website that better aligns with their organizational goals. The redesigned site now boasts a more intuitive navigation and a refreshed, professional look. The client has expressed great satisfaction with the transformation and has noted how the changes made information more accessible and user-friendly.
Results:
- A revamped modern website that reflects the client’s organizational goals
- A more intuitive navigation and professional aesthetic
- Easier to find data that is more accessible and user-friendly