Improving Information Architecture for Cannabis Equity Illinois
Refining and improving desktop navigation and overall information architecture.
Timeline
10 weeks
Tasks
User Research, UX Design, Information Architecture & User Testing
Tools
Figma, UXMetrics
Team
Kathryn, Veronika
Find a solution to provide our local community with helpful resources and volunteer opportunities.
Cannabis Equity IL is a coalition that organizes with community members and local dispensaries to advocate for cannabis equality. Their website contains resources and information about cannabis equity in Illinois, providing a space for community members to organize.
Project Overview
The biggest problem: lots of resources without homes.
We created a content inventory to identify all available content and gaps/issues.
All the navigation links are on the same level, indicative that the site lacks any informational hierarchy. Also, some information on existing pages (Expungement, Know Your Rights, and Community Benefits Agreement) are repeated on the Programs page.
Content Inventory
Lack of clear informational hierarchy: Difficult to understand which pieces of information are most important to the user.
Cluttered navigation: Difficult to locate specific types/pieces of information.
Related pieces of information are scattered: Difficult to easily understand or find information on a given topic.
Too many contextual links: Directs users to external pages, which may surprise users if they are suddenly routed out of the site.
Issues with current navigation
We used a hybrid open/close card sorting method (via UXMetrics) in order to learn the most intuitive way to organize the site's navigation. Below is a sample response.
User Research
Card Sorting
Treejacking Test
We identified logical groupings of categories from the card sort and created a treejacking test (via UXMetrics). We then used this tree test to verify that our revised sitemap (see below) made sense to users. Below is a sample question.
The existing site map had only 1 level in the navigation, with no organization or logical groupings. Information about a given topic can be found on multiple pages scattered throughout the website.
Sitemaps
Existing Sitemap
Gathering the data from our card sorting and treejacking tests, I created a revised sitemap that seemed to be more intuitive for users.
Revised Sitemap
Users can now navigate the website easily without having to use the search bar.
In our assessment of Cannabis Equity IL and their mission, we decided to prototype what we believed to be the two most important tasks on the website: Making a donation and learning about expungement.
Hi-Fidelity Prototype
Making a Donation
Issues with the current task process
The current task flow requires a lot of searching. ‘Making a donation’ is housed under the ‘become a member’ category and may confuse users who do not want to become a member.
Solutions
We created a donate button and made it a permanent fixture on the mobile header. We also embedded a donation form into the site so users can experience the entire process within the website.
Learn about Expungement
Issues with the current task process
The expungement resources are housed in several different locations on the site on it’s own ‘Expungement’ page under ‘Programs’.
Solutions
We made expungement resources accessible via two different routes, but ending on the same page.
How are users able to navigate the new site?
We conducted a brief testing session with 4 participants, asking them to perform the two tasks that we had prototyped. Below are the insights:
User Testing
Making a Donation
Users had no difficulty completing this task!
Learn about Expungement
Users were confused about the difference between ‘Programs’ from ‘Legal & Community Resources’. This could be due to the phrasing of the prompt : “find information and resources on expungement”.
How else can we improve the site and make the information more accessible?
This was a quarter-long project and we had to limit our scope to accommodate the limited time. If we had more time to work on this project, we could create a more robust design system and dedicate more time to understanding the current state of the site and its organization!