Population FactFinder

Explore census data at an NYC scale.

Background

Population FactFinder allows users to find census data at an NYC scale through a mapping interface. It is one of the most popular tools within the NYC Department of City Planning agency, attracting approximately 25,000 visitors annually. Each user spends an average of 8 minutes on the site with roughly 69% returning.

Project Context

Team

NYC Planning Labs
Population Division
Enterprise Data Management

Duration

Oct 2020 - Oct 2021

Tools

Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Azure
Figma
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Objectives

1. Census Data

One of the main goals of this project is to host the upcoming 2020 census data and allow people to get easy access to it from the most reliable source.

2. UI/UX Redesign

Along with the new data, we wanted to give a new look and experience to Population FactFinder.

Roles and Responsibility

I was part of Labs’ team responsible for research synthesis, ideating and creating - users stories, acceptance criteria, wireframes, and prototypes under my PM Nneka Sobers.

The Process

We began by developing a path analysis and conversing with users to discover how we could improve Population FactFinder. We've received over 90 survey responses and spoken to 10 frequent users of the tool. We then designed around their wants to create solutions that would address the most critical pain points.

At the end of each iteration, we would present our ideas to the engineers and product owners. We assessed whether our designs have solved the problem and which features were feasible to build within the set timeframe.

Three Critical Pain Points

Final Design

Before and After Demo

New Branding

Menu Redesigns

New Feature: Quick Facts

Mobile User Flow

Outcome

Pain point #1: Difficulty with wayfinding

The most common used features are now tucked into a single (orange) menu bar horizontally. This allows users to find everything they need in one place

Pain point #2: The need to relearn the Web App

With its simple layout, even if users have to relearn the web application, getting from point a to b will become much easier because we’ve streamlined the process

Pain point #3: Inability to access popular data quickly

The new feature, quick facts, and the new menu redesign will allow users to quickly access the most popular statistics such as population, housing units, change over time, etc.

Update (2021) :

Due to accessibility issues in final mockups, design has since changed the color palette.
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As of November 2021, all New Yorkers will have access to 2020 Census data through Population FactFinder!
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To learn more, check out the official Press release.

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Learn More About Our Process

Other Projects:

Shuffled.

A toolkit for all your UI/UX design needs.

Objective

Shuffled provides tools and resources to help UI/UX designers succeed.

User Stories

Process

In my research, I found a wealth of tools and resources in an already curated format. I decided to switch my approach and create a list of the different niches they covered. I then rebranded, designed, and built Shuffled in the following weeks.

A Toolkit of Toolkits

As designers, we're truly spoiled with tools and resources. I have selected the best collections that covered a wide range of needs for UI/UX designers.

Ideate and Create

When less is more.

Minimally Designed

All Things UI/UX

Final Thoughts

It’s okay to change scope
I was discouraged to continue this project because the same thing that I planned to do already exists on many other websites.
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Upon a deeper look and creating more user stories, I had found that they did not include everything a user might need as each website had their niche. So I changed my scope and Shuffled was born.

It's not always about a business need.
Shuffled is a passion project and a way for me to engage with the design community. I hope that through this project, I could help designers of all experience levels succeed in their journey.

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Other Projects:

ZoLa

New York City’s Zoning & Land Use Map

What it offers:

Research Zoning Regulations

Find Zoning Information For Your Property

Discover New Proposals For Your Neighborhood

Learn About City Planning Initiatives

High Contrast Mode For Color Accessibility

Project Context

Team

Albert Zhang
Alexandra Santangelo
Leo Yu

Duration

June 2021- Aug 2021

Tools

Microsoft Teams
Google Drive
Figma
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Objectives

1. Mobile Accessibility

ZoLa's mobile design will get a big update as the agency continues to adopt the mobile-first approach.

2. Color Accessibility

ZoLa relies heavily on color to convey information, so we needed to improve its accessibility for colorblind users.

Roles and Responsibility

Alex and I focused on user research and redesigning of the mobile User Interface while Albert focused on color accessibility research.

The Process

We began by conducting surveys and interviews to find out who and how people were using ZoLa. We then came with design solutions to resolve the most common issues that came up.

We then tested said solutions with users by creating prototypes and redesigned them based on the feedback given.

Final Designs

About and Contact

Map (Layers) and Color Accessible Mode

Information Section

Outcome

Color Accessibility

By comparing color-accessible maps with the original, we measured improvement in recognition, ease of use, and map preference
In most scenarios, every color-blind user preferred the color accessible map
In all scenarios, a significant majority preferred color accessible map

Mobile Accessibility

Users liked the overall aesthetics improvements
Short cuts given were highlighted as crucial by users
Users liked the customization given for the map layers feature
Underutilized features are now more prominent and easy to access

Full Process Deck Visit Site

Learn More About Our Process