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Gracie Mansion Conservancy

A Desktop Archive Redesign

Role: Product Designer 

Timeline: Three Months (Nov 21 - Jan 22)

Tools: Figma, Excel, WIX, Google Survey

Project Focus

Improving the search experience of the Gracie Mansion’s archive to decrease time spent searching for written content and the probability of abandoning tasks.

Background

Created in 2020, the Gracie Mansion Archive is an FAQ template page adapted to record and share personal, educational, and researched writings of docents and researchers among the Gracie Mansion Community during its temporary closure.

Problem

Unfortunately, due to limited customization, as the archive grew and became a focal point for branding, user engagement, and grant documentation, we found that the search experience severely hindered the usage of the archive. 

Visual Data: Unable to find archive quickly; participant spent 4.33 minutes looking for archive
Qualitative Data: Quote for unable to find archive quickly :To be honest, it's not inherently obvious where the [archive] would be.
Visual Data:Increased search times due to scroll only navigation; Participants spent 1.16 minutes searching for a specific essay using a title.
Qualitative Data: Quote for increased search time due to scroll only navigation:Once you get to a certain number of things on a page, it needs to be... broken up or more searchable
Qualitative Data: Quote for unable to find eaasy related to past initatives: I don't see any other [essays] related to [She Persists]. And, I can’t check all these titles.
Visual Data: Unable to find eassays related to past exhibits and initiatives; participants spent 2.66 minutes locating essays related to past exhibit.
Problem Space: Issues with Site Navigation and the Archive
Site Navigation: Littered with roadblocks.
Site Navigation Issues.png
The archive: A list of wordy titles with no organization
GracieMansion Drop down gif.gif
Drop down essay selection-unable to view essays independently.png
Few titles with obvious categorical distinction_visual.png
Few titles with defining categorical distinction_statement.png
Archive screenshot.png
Long list with an inefficient scroll for searching_statement.png
Research & Discovery:
It’s a marketing and usability issue.

Survey results revealed that most of the GMC online community had never heard of the blog, while participants in usability testing and interviews expressed that they would not revisit the blog due to its lack of organization.

Have you visited the blog.PNG
I have not visited the blog.PNG
usability feadback.png
Prioritizing Solutions for access to the Archive

The search experience exhibited during usability testing may discourage user engagement with the archive and the website. Therefore, it is essential to address website and archive usability before launching initiatives to highlight the archive.

Chart for solution prioritizatio n.png
Validating Findings: Behavioral and Competitive Analysis
From wanting easier search access and scannable text to abandoning tasks due to minimal search support, behavioral analysis aligns with the findings of the GMC survey and usability report.
Competitive Analysis of 8 similar websites encouraged clearly defining entry points and the search experience.
Solution

A website redesign focusing on increasing entry points to the archive and adding search functionality and clear categorization to the essay archive.

Archive Redesign Solution
Interpolating Data into Wireframes
Low-Fidelity Feedback: Participants preferred a direct search where possible.
Low fi mock up of improvements for the Gracie Mansion Conservancy essay archive.
Mid-Fidelity Feedback: Using Categories causes the search bar to shift downwards; this is not ideal for direct search or mobile scaling/usability.
Mid Fidelity mock up of Gracie Mansion Conservancy essay archive mock up with annotations
Hi-Fidelity Feedback: Great improvement!
hi fi.png
Success

After testing the design, I found that participants' search experience drastically reduced in terms of time, and satisfaction increased.

Visual Data: Found archive immediately; Participants spent 3.6 seconds mving from homepage to archive
qualitative Data: Quote for found archive immediately; Oh...well. It was right there. So, that was easy.
Qualitative Data: Quote for Significantly decreased search times using by search bar;It’s nice to have a search bar here. Quick and easy.
Visual Data: Significantly decreased search times using search bar; Participants spent 1.8 seconds searching for a specific essay using a title.
Visual Data: Found multiple essays related to past initiatives using categories: Participants spent 4.2 seconds locating essays related to a past exhibit.
Visual Data: Quote for found multiple essays related to past initiatives using categories; I guess I’ll just pick the first two [She Persists essays] since they are sorted so neatly.
Implementation and Trade-Offs

Only a partial design implementation is currently featured on the Gracie Mansion website. In light of the Conservancy's financial standing following the pause in in-person activity, I made the decision to prioritize and enhance in-person programming to ensure the organization's stability. This shift in priorities has been agreed upon by stakeholders to better align with the conservancy's current business needs.

Still, full plans have been submitted to developers for quotes and future implementation.

Implemented_Information Architecture.png
Next Steps

The next steps for the website redesign will involve collaborating with the advertising and social media marketing departments to raise awareness of the archive. Additionally, I will assess the search functions on pages similar to the ones just redesigned. Below are some of the ways I would proceed:  

  • Enhance visibility and engagement:

    • Integrate social media, email, and newsletter advertising to promote essays and archive content while analyzing user behavior and preferences regarding social media usage and website navigation.

  • Improve user experience and exploration:

    • ​​Link exhibit items to their essays, unifying the archive and exhibit content to encourage user exploration.

    • Streamline the essay submission and approval process among contributors to improve efficiency and collaboration.

  • Optimize navigation and accessibility:

    • Assess and update the exhibit archive on the website, ensuring a user-friendly experience by addressing difficulties in navigation and location.

    • Implement references to the archive throughout the Gracie Mansion website, aligning it with user lifestyles and interests.

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