Department of Fisheries & Oceans

The Department of Fisheries & Oceans

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) lacked a centralized and structured way to present UX work, making it difficult for internal teams, stakeholders, and the public to understand project outcomes and processes.

This project focused on improving how UX case studies are created, organized, and experienced through a connected producer and consumer system designed to improve clarity, navigation, and accessibility.

1. Overview

Existing systems made it difficult for users to:

Navigate large amounts of information
Understand UX terminology
Follow project progression from problem to outcome
Quickly identify important information

Research also revealed that inconsistent structure and dense content created cognitive overload and reduced user confidence while navigating the platform.

2. The Problem

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3. Research Insights

3. Research & Process

Before beginning the design process, our team analyzed existing public-sector and information-heavy platforms to better understand common usability patterns, navigation structures, and accessibility approaches.

We then conducted:

User interviews
Affinity mapping
Card sorting
Usability testing
Iterative prototyping

Research consistently showed that users preferred:

content that was easier to scan
clearer navigation systems
structured information flow
simplified labeling and hierarchy

Card sorting activities also revealed that users naturally expected case studies to follow a progression from:

Context → Process → Outcome

Through in-person interviews with current volunteers and competitive analysis of other care facilities, we identified four key volunteer needs.

Flexibility: Volunteers needed schedules that fit their availability

Professional Support: Training and guidance helped volunteers feel more comfortable interacting with residents

Recognition: Volunteers wanted acknowledgement and sense of belonging

Emotional Connection: Both volunteers and residents valued meaningful social relationships

3.1 Key Research Insights

Users preferred content that was easier to scan rather than read in large blocks
Clear labeling and structure significantly improved confidence during navigation
Small wording changes heavily influenced user behavior and decision-making
Users naturally expected case studies to follow a progression from context → process → outcomes

4. The Solution

We designed a dual-sided UX case study system that connected both content creators and end users.

The platform focused on:

Simplifying navigation
Improving information hierarchy
Reducing cognitive overload
Creating more structured case study storytelling
Supporting scalable and accessible content creation

4.2 Impact

Users were able to navigate the system more confidently after labels and content structure were simplified through iterative testing.

4.1 Consumer Experience

The consumer-facing experience was redesigned to make UX projects easier to explore, understand, and navigate.

Features included:

Simplified filtering systems
Clearer category labels
Structured case study layouts
Improved visual hierarchy
Easier-to-scan content presentation

4.5 Producer Experience

A producer-side system was designed to help content creators build more consistent and accessible case studies.

The interface introduced:

Structured templates
Guided workflows
Flexible content management
Accessibility-focused formatting support

4.6 Impact

One of the biggest insights from research was that the way content is created directly impacts how users experience and understand it.

By improving the producer workflow, the platform also improved the consumer experience.

4.6 Impact

One of the biggest insights from research was that the way content is created directly impacts how users experience and understand it.

By improving the producer workflow, the platform also improved the consumer experience.

4.3 Case Study Experience

Case study pages were redesigned to guide users through a clear progression from problem → process → outcome.

This structure reduced confusion and helped users quickly identify important information without needing to search through dense content.

4.4 Design Focus

Improved clarity and readability
Reduced information overload
Stronger visual hierarchy
Easier scanning and comprehension

5. Reflection

This project reinforced the importance of clarity and structure in UX design. One of the biggest takeaways was understanding how strongly content creation influences the user experience itself.

Even well-designed interfaces can fail if information is not organized in a way users naturally understand. Through iterative testing and refinement, the project evolved from a visibility issue into a broader challenge focused on communication, comprehension, and usability.