Publication Home
Designing for intuitive wayfinding
MY ROLE
Lead Product Designer
TEAM
CEO, Marketing Manager, Software Engineers
outcome
Designed, tested and delivered in 3 weeks.
Launched in Q4 2024.
PROBLEM
"Hey, can you add some text descriptions to this dashboard?"
—from a data analyst.
The publication home felt disconnected from the rest of the platform, with scattered content and unclear navigation. This lack of clarity slowed down daily work and increased frustration.
DEEP DIVE
Interviews
Through a series of user interviews, we uncovered key frustrations and challenges users face when navigating the publication home.
User Stories
As a data analyst, I want clear project context upfront so I don’t have to click through multiple projects to find the right one.
As a data analyst, I want an easier way to generate and access sharable links to streamline collaboration.
As a manager, I want better folder organization so I can quickly find past projects without searching through multiple locations.
How might we help users navigate and extract insights from the publication dashboard with clarity and efficiency?
ITERATIONS
Separating Folders and Projects + Large Preview
My initial approach was to separate folders and projects, ensuring a clear distinction between them.
In addition, I experimented with a large preview area to give users a more detailed view upfront. The goal was to improve wayfinding by making it easier to scan and locate relevant content quickly.
FEEDBACK
After speaking with a data analyst, it became clear that this approach wasn’t solving the core problem. They were uncertain whether we should prioritize folders or projects, and the large preview occupied too much space without providing a clear structure. This feedback highlighted that clarity in hierarchy and navigation was more critical than just visual prominence.
This led me to rethink the dashboard layout, focusing on establishing a more structured way to present information clearly without occupying too much screen space.
SOLUTION
Report Previews: Clarity Before the Click
To help users quickly assess relevance, I designed rich previews that surface key details upfront—including author, date, description, preview image, and a direct link.
Tag Filtering: High-Level Insights at a Glance
By enabling users to filter and group publications dynamically, this approach provides a structured, high-level overview, making it easier to track progress, identify patterns, and navigate large datasets efficiently—without getting lost in the details.
Publication Groups: Context-Rich Folders
After receiving early feedback from testers who were frustrated with the opaque traditional folders, I designed a system where key project details surface at the group level, allowing users to quickly scan, access, prioritizing discoverability, efficiency, and contextual clarity—ensuring folders feel like dynamic hubs, not just storage spaces.
IMPACT
Designing for scalability
The preview panel is a newly added component to the library and is used on other pages, such as the resource and dictionary pages.
1 New
Design System Template
+2.4%
Satisfaction Score
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