ROLE
UX Designer
TIMELINE
9 months
TYPE
Product Design
My Role
I led the UX redesign of the Partners for Advancing Health Equity website, focusing on improving content discovery, strengthening the site's visual identity, and creating a more intuitive experience for public health professionals seeking educational resources.
Conducted UX evaluations of the existing website
Identified opportunities to improve navigation and content hierarchy
Designed wireframes and high-fidelity page layouts
Established reusable UI patterns and page templates
Collaborated with stakeholders throughout the design process
The Challenge
Partners for Advancing Health Equity was a newly established initiative without an existing digital presence. The goal was to design a website from the ground up that could communicate the initiative's mission, showcase educational resources, and provide a flexible foundation that could grow as new content and partnerships were introduced.
Starting from Scratch
There was no existing website or design system to build upon. Every aspect of the experience—from information architecture to page layouts—needed to be created from the ground up.
Limited Direction
Stakeholders had a clear vision for the initiative but provided minimal guidance on audience needs, visual direction, or user experience, requiring the design team to lead discovery and establish the project's design strategy.
Balancing Familiarity & Innovation
The new platform needed to offer functionality similar to SSRC's extensive search library while introducing a more modern visual design and improved user experience.
Creating a Scalable Foundation
The website needed flexible page templates and reusable design patterns that could support future content, partnerships, and organizational growth without requiring significant redesign.
Research Findings
Rather than designing from assumptions, I evaluated comparable public health websites, reviewed stakeholder goals, and analyzed the information architecture of existing resource libraries to identify patterns that could inform a scalable experience for Partners for Advancing Health Equity.
The SSRC website that was used as inspiration for this initiative.
1
Stakeholder Goals Needed Definition
The project began with a high-level vision but few concrete requirements. Early conversations revealed the need to establish not only the website's structure but also its overall design direction and user experience.
2
Existing Resource Libraries Set Expectations
The Self-Sufficient Research Clearinghouse (SSRC) demonstrated the importance of robust search and resource discovery. Rather than recreating its interface, I identified the interaction patterns that users already expected while exploring opportunities to modernize the experience.
3
Information Architecture Drives Discovery
Competitive analysis of public health websites highlighted that organizing resources around user goals—not organizational structure—would make information easier to discover and support future growth.
Key Takeaway
Early discovery showed that the greatest opportunity wasn't visual design—it was establishing a clear information architecture and a scalable framework that could support the initiative as it evolved.
Exploring Solutions
From Strategy to Structure
Before moving into high-fidelity designs, I explored multiple concepts to define the website's structure, establish reusable page templates, and create a flexible foundation for future content. Each iteration helped refine the information architecture while aligning stakeholder feedback with the overall vision for the platform.
1
Establishing the Homepage
Our team wanted to create a homepage that immediately communicates the initiative's purpose while guiding users toward the most valuable resources.
Explored multiple homepage layouts to establish the site's visual direction.
Prioritized featured resources and search as the primary entry points.
Introduced clear calls to action to encourage exploration.
2
Building Flexible Page Templates
We looked to develop scalable templates that support a growing library of content without sacrificing consistency.
Created reusable layouts for articles, resources, and initiative pages.
Established a consistent hierarchy across different content types.
Balanced readability with flexibility for future expansion.
3
Refining the Experience
The goal was to transform early concepts into a polished experience that feels modern, approachable, and easy to navigate.
Simplified navigation based on stakeholder feedback.
Improved spacing, typography, and content hierarchy.
Refined interactions to create a more cohesive browsing experience.
The Final Experience
Bringing the Platform to Life
The final experience transformed early concepts into a cohesive digital platform that balanced education, resource discovery, and visual storytelling. By establishing consistent design patterns and a scalable content framework, the website provides an engaging experience that supports both current needs and future growth.
1
Creating a Memorable First Impression
The homepage established the initiative's digital presence by communicating its mission, surfacing featured resources, and providing clear pathways into the platform's most valuable content.
Key Design Decisions
Designed a homepage that clearly introduced the initiative's mission.
Prioritized featured resources and educational content above the fold.
Established intuitive navigation and clear calls to action.
Created a modern visual identity that reflected the organization's goals.
Homepage introducing the initiative and guiding users toward featured resources.
2
Building Flexible Content Templates
The website required page templates capable of supporting a wide variety of educational content while maintaining a consistent experience across the platform.
Key Design Decisions
Developed reusable templates for articles, initiatives, and resource pages.
Established consistent typography and spacing patterns.
Created flexible layouts that could accommodate different content types.
Improved readability through stronger visual hierarchy.
Reusable page templates supporting a consistent and scalable content experience.
3
Creating a Scalable Resource Library
The final experience organized health equity resources into a structured system that made information easier to browse while supporting future growth of the platform.
Key Design Decisions
Organized resources using a scalable information architecture.
Improved search and browsing pathways for educational content.
Designed reusable UI components for long-term maintainability.
Created a foundation capable of supporting future partnerships and content.
Scalable resource library designed to support long-term growth and content discovery.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Outcomes & Reflections
Designing Partners for Advancing Health Equity reinforced that creating a successful digital platform starts long before high-fidelity screens. It requires defining direction, organizing complex information, and building flexible systems that can evolve alongside the organization.
01
Designing Without a Blueprint
Building a platform from the ground up required making strategic design decisions with limited requirements. This project strengthened my ability to transform stakeholder goals into a clear product vision while defining the site's structure, navigation, and overall experience.
02
Information Architecture Shapes Experience
Creating an intuitive experience depended on organizing complex health equity content into clear, meaningful pathways. This reinforced how strong information architecture serves as the foundation for discoverability, usability, and long-term scalability.
03
Building for Long-Term Growth
Rather than designing a collection of individual pages, the project focused on establishing reusable templates and scalable design patterns that could support new content, partnerships, and future expansion without sacrificing consistency.