Integrative Conservation Clinic | collaboration for conservation
Improving how conservation professionals access, share, and apply environmental knowledge.
Project Type: UX/UI Platform design
Role: UX/UI Design, UX research
Industry: Conservation, Social
Tools: Figma, Notion, Illustrator, Zoom
Duration: 8 months
The Challenge
Conservation specialists often work across disciplines — ecology, policy, and education — yet most digital platforms fail to connect them effectively.
Key issues:
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Overly complex information architecture that made navigation frustrating.
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Poorly structured content that limited discoverability.
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A lack of social or community interaction among users.
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Limited accessibility for field professionals with minimal tech resources.
How might we make conservation knowledge easier to find, understand, and apply — while fostering collaboration across disciplines?
Research
We began with qualitative interviews with five conservation professionals, including consultants, researchers, and coordinators, alongside a heuristic analysis of existing tools (like ConservationTools.org and WildLabs.net).
Key Findings
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Users relied heavily on word-of-mouth to find credible sources.
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Navigation patterns were inconsistent, with unclear filters and labeling.
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Visual clutter reduced engagement and learning retention.
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Many practitioners lacked reliable internet in the field, creating accessibility challenges.
Design Goals
From our insights, we defined clear goals:
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Simplify information architecture — reduce cognitive load with a clear Browse–Search–Community structure.
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Build trust — use transparent authorship and verified sources.
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Promote collaboration — integrate discussion boards, groups, and forums.
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Design for accessibility — ensure high contrast, readability, and keyboard navigation.
Design Process
Using interview data, we built a low-fidelity wireframe in Figma consisting of 11 key screens.
The interface centered on four main user flows: searching, browsing, bookmarking, and discussing.
Testing & Iteration
Through think-aloud usability testing, we observed:
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Confusion over social features (“Groups” vs “Forums”).
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Difficulty finding saved bookmarks and related research.
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Overwhelming information density on certain pages.
We refined the design by:
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Simplifying navigation labels and consolidating menus.
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Adding a “Bookmarks” panel for faster content recall.
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Enhancing visual hierarchy with whitespace and iconography.
Final Solution
Smart Search Filters
Our solution introduced a guided filtering system that categorized all content into four intuitive tiers:
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Background — Introductory information and context for those new to a topic.
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Approach — Methodologies, frameworks, and models used in conservation practice.
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Tools — Resources and templates that can be directly applied in the field.
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Case Studies — Real-world examples of successful conservation projects.
Impact: Users were able to find relevant content twice as fast and reported a stronger sense of control over their research workflow.
Personalized Dashboard
Conservation professionals often revisit the same materials — for fieldwork prep, team meetings, or report citations.
Our dashboard addressed this by displaying:
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Recently viewed and bookmarked studies for instant recall.
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Recommended resources based on previously explored topics.
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Active discussions or groups the user was part of.
Impact: Returning users completed their target tasks 40% faster, showing that familiarity and personalization encouraged sustained use.
Community Forums
During interviews, users emphasized that knowledge sharing and peer validation were just as important as accessing new research.
Each forum was organized by theme (e.g., “Sustainable Agriculture,” “Wildlife Protection”) and featured:
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Threaded discussions for detailed topic exchanges.
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Mentorship features, allowing experienced practitioners to guide newcomers.
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Resource-sharing tools where members could upload or link case studies.
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Moderation and tagging systems to maintain quality and prevent duplication.
Impact: The forums received positive usability feedback. Users described them as “a refreshing space to learn from peers rather than just reading reports.”
Next Steps
If expanded, future versions could include:
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Conduct more diverse user testing (e.g., educators, NGOs).
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Explore integration with open-access APIs for live data updates.
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Develop a mobile companion app for offline workflows.
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Implement gamified community rewards for verified contributions.
Results
Usability tests with professionals from organizations such as Parks Canada demonstrated:
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100% success rate in core navigation tasks.
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2× faster average task completion time.
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Improved user confidence and trust in platform credibility.
Feedback showed that users appreciated the clarity of the layout and the human-centered approach to organizing complex data.
Key Takeaways
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Accessibility enhances engagement: Simplifying UI elements boosted usage and satisfaction.
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Trust is a design feature: Verified, community-reviewed content built credibility.
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Interdisciplinary collaboration adds value: Users wanted spaces for ongoing knowledge exchange, not just static information.