Information Architecture: Maryland Higher Education Commission

Overview

Maryland Higher Education Commission came to our class to get insights about organizing information on their website. Our group specifically focused on the primary navigation structure as well as the Institutions portion of the navigtion.

Methods

Our group started with a full content audit, MHEC strategic plan review, and competitive analysis. Our initial research incidcated the navigation and search data could use enhancements to make information more accessible.

Strategy > content inventory > personas > market research > user research > sitemap > wireframes.

Navigation - Card Sort

To better understand how to reorganize the information, we completed a card sort using both analogue and digital methods. Coupling the card sort with the competitive analysis and content audit, we recommended that MHEC make modifications to their primary navigation so content is clearer to students, parents, and academic administrators.

Suggested changes for the navigation structure.

Search Audit

We also provided search recommendations. After doing a search audit and a Google Analytics review, we determined important keywords to use to help users find the data they need.

Final Findings

Our final recommendation was to tie the content back to three concepts outlined in their strategic plan - success, access, and innovation. During our presentation, we emphasized building to support those strategic goals. One major finding was to rethink what a student is in 2020 beyond the traditional 4-year academic program.

Skills Used

Content Audit, Card Sorting, Competitive Analysis, Search Engine Optimization, Navigation, Persona and Scenario Development



Who am I?

I make the non-linear clearer.

I am a hybrid Content and UX Designer with a love of writing, photography, graphic design, strategy, and mapping. What I care about is helping people and organizations reach their goals of increasing quality, both in terms of product and process.

Hobbies: Taking photos of porches, baking, hiking, drawing, running, painting, and listening to music.


Portfolio

Image of charts with survey data results for participants who answered the question - Do members of your community vote?

Surveys: Who Registers to Vote?

After studying best practices for survey design, our group asked a sample of people about their voting behaviors and preferences.

Success, Access, and Innovation bubbles with recommendations

Information Architecture: Maryland Higher Education Commission

Another project at The University of Baltimore required rethinking the information architecture for Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC).

Blurred out image of a gaze plot

User Research: Public Housing Authority Project

At The University of Baltimore, my team was tasked with completing a eyetracking research project for a local housing authority.

Image of a group of researchers testing paper protypes of a mobile design.

Interaction Design: Hosts for Humanity

Our group got to work with local non-profit Hosts for Humanity to build a new booking process. Based on research, our group prototyped a mid-fielity mobile site experience, and I was the lead on creating the asset in Axure.

Chart with cognitive learning principles.

Poster Design: Redesigning Error Messaging on Github

Speaking from experience, learning to code is intimidating! And while the developer community is generally friendly, learning how developers work takes patience, time, and resiliance. What can Github do to help users, especially those learning to program, recover from errors while using the application?

Gloo map with results of data from the contextual inquiry.

User Research: Improving the Admissions Customer Experience

A university wanted deeper insights about improving the overall admissions experience for potential students. Using contextual inquiry methods, the group I worked with pinpointed pain points and suggested potential solutions.


Experience

eCommerce Specialist (Mar 2020 - Present)
QA Analyst (Feb 2019 - Feb 2020)

Money Map Press

Perform checks in staging and production environments for a multitude of projects, including development deployments and site configuration changes. Troubleshoot coding errors and clean up HTML/CSS on existing pages.

  • Significantly reduced ordering errors and increased responsive design output.
  • Contributed to eComm and promotional team efforts with designing with HTML/CSS, system maintenance, data analysis, cross-browser/device testing, and project management.

  • February 2019 - Present

    Data Analyst and Administrator

    The Park School - Baltimore

    Provided data administration in Raiser's Edge for the development and fundraising department. I mastered comparing large data sets in Excel with VLookup, served as the project lead for the annual report data listings, and provided data for monthly board reporting

    October 2017 - January 2019

    Contract Web Content Specialist

    Johns Hopkins Medicine

    Worked within Drupal and Confluence to setup new navigation structures for an association website release.

    August 2018 - September 2018 (Temporary Contract)

    Implementation Specialist

    StarChapter

    Provided a bi-weekly online training about managing responsive web content and generating emails in StarChapter. Updated HTML, CSS, and PHP code as needed to meet the customer's design requirements. Provided technical support, product assistance and training to the customer base of board members of local associations.

  • Gathered requirements and setup 100+ business systems with websites and relational databases for new customers.
  • March 2015 - June 2017


    Recruiter - Creative and Technology

    Creative Circle

    I interviewed more than 300 job applicants for positions in design, copywriting, marketing, project management, art direction, UX design, and account management.

    May 2012 - March 2015

    Education

    University of Baltimore

    M.S. Student in Interaction Design and Information Architecture (IDIA)
    Current Coursework: Sequential Visualization and Analysis

    My goal in pursuing a Master's degree in IDIA at The University of Baltimore is to research accessbility for voice and gestural based devices. Part of this research is becoming technically proficient in programming interfaces.

    January 2020 - Present

    University of Baltimore

    UX Certificate
    Coursework in Design Psychology, Interaction Design, User Research Methods, and Information Architecture

    GPA: 4.00

    August 2018 - May 2019

    The Graduate Center at CUNY

    M.A. in Liberal Studies with a focus on Gender and Sexuality Studies
    PhD Level Coursework in Educational + Developmental Psychology, Sociology, and Political Philosophy. I pursued this program with a goal of applying for PhD programs; however, I decided to go into the private sector.
    May 2008 - January 2011

    New York University

    B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication, minors in English Literature and Sociology
    September 2001 - May 2004

    Training

    Professional in Human Resources Certification (PHR)

    HRCI
    May 2014 - Present

    Skills

    Tools and Languages & Tools
    • HTML/CSS
    • Research Methodologies
    • JavaScript (Beginner)
    • Photoshop/InDesign
    • Wireframing Tools (Miro, Figma, LucidChart)
    • Responsive Design
    • Excel/Google Analytics
    • Content Management Systems (Various)
    Graduate Level Coursework
    • Interaction Design
    • Information Architecture
    • Intro to JavaScript
    • User Research Methods
    • Humans, Computers, and Cognition
    • Educational Psychology
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Rethinking Neoliberalism