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UX Design Lead
Completed September 2022
INTRO
Data Umbrella is a global community for underrepresented persons in data science. They organize data science and open source events for the community, welcoming all skill levels.
DESIGN
Branding - I had the liberty to choose the branding direction for the project. One of the requirements was to incorporate both light and dark modes. As the event board was an initiative of Data Umbrella, I aimed for a sense of connection between the two, while also ensuring they were not identical. Taking inspiration from Data Umbrella's logo and website, which featured various shades of purple, I integrated similar color tones. Additionally, I made slight adjustments to the logo.


Inter
Inter
Challenges - Advocating for the users' experience was a priority throughout the project. In the case of the Weekly Digest sign up, the stakeholder desired more upfront information from the user. I recognized the importance for customization and data analytics. However, during usability testing, it became evident that displaying all the input fields was overwhelming for the users, leading to a reluctance to sign up. The presence of another Newsletter sign-up below added confusion as well. I designed 2-3 versions, and after addressing some initial resistance, we successfully implemented a simplified version for production.

Visual Accessibility - Data Umbrella prioritized the inclusion of both light mode and dark mode, along with ensuring that all colors adhered to the WCAG 2.0 guidelines. This aspect held significant importance for both Data Umbrella and the project. I carefully selected and verified colors, font families, and sizes to ensure accessibility compliance.

USABILITY TESTING
Conducted 3 usability tests remotely over Zoom. Asked users to complete 5 tasks while I observed.

100% of users were successful in completing all 5 given tasks
All users thought readability was good and liked the look and feel of the Event Board
All users felt it was easy to navigate throughout all the pages
Suggestion to add the Donate button in a more obvious place.
Missing error states in the prototype, user was a little stuck because of this
Although users felt that signing up for the Weekly Digest was an easy task, they expressed annoyance over how many things they had to input. Also ran into confusion of which newsletter they were signing up for.
WHAT I LEARNED
Throughout this experience, I have gained valuable insights into collaborating with external stakeholders, coordinating with developers, and establishing brand colors. One significant takeaway is the importance of prioritizing the user experience over the preferences or desires of the stakeholders. By presenting multiple design options supported by research, I have learned the significance of advocating for the users and their needs.
RECENT WORK
SPEC
Improve the user experience and address usability concerns.
RESPONSIVE | MARKETING | BRANDING
DATA UMBRELLA
Build an open source event board platform that will be free for the data science community to share their events
SEARCH | SUBSCRIPTION | BRANDING
RAND/CAREP
Highlight the Research Associates and showcase all the projects that were completed during the RAND x SPEC collaboration.
MARKETING
BUILDJUSTLY
Validate whether the US Hispanic population is a viable segment for Microsoft to target for growth.
RESEARCH
SPEC
Design social media images, conference post cards, stickers, t-shirts for digital and printed marketing.
MARKETING | BRANDING | SOCIAL MEDIA
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