Archive work · Earlier project
02 / Grand River Council on Aging
Making an information-heavy community website easier to navigate, starting with its language.
Clearer language starts with intent.
01 / Context & ownership
The Grand River Council on Aging website had to connect people with information across a large set of pages. Dense navigation and unfamiliar categories made finding the right starting point difficult. Our team investigated how people searched, grouped information, and interpreted the labels.
I analyzed a 17-response survey and 21 interviews, synthesized findings into three user archetypes, and helped prioritize navigation requirements. I compared navigation through card sorting and tree testing and presented task-completion findings to client stakeholders. The broader research and prototype outcomes were shared work across our eight-person team.
“Support” could mean receiving help or financially supporting the organization. A short label was not necessarily a clear label.
02 / Decisions that mattered
Interviews, a 17-respondent survey, and affinity synthesis helped the team understand information needs. Open card sorting challenged categories that reflected the organization more than the visitor.
The reasoningA navigation system should match what people are trying to accomplish, not require them to learn an internal structure.
Tree testing exposed confusion in the proposed structure, including the two meanings of “Support.” The team revised labels and made calls to action more explicit.
The reasoningA visually cleaner page cannot repair a label that sends someone in the wrong direction.
Low-, mid-, and high-fidelity prototypes developed the revised architecture into a mobile-first experience, with accessibility and visible routes to information in mind.
The reasoningLimited screen space forces a useful decision: what does someone need to recognize first?
03 / Outcome & reflection
The team produced a revised information architecture and iterative mobile prototypes. Later iterations improved the clarity of the proposed navigation, while remaining interaction issues were documented. The useful output was a more defensible structure, not just a new visual skin.
This case describes a research and prototype outcome. It does not claim a measured increase in live-site task completion or a production launch. The diagram shown here explains the label problem; it is not a final client screen.
Retest the revised labels with representative visitors, resolve remaining interaction issues, and validate accessibility in the implemented site.