Climate Smart Restoration Tool
Making it easier for land mangers to understand what to plant, factoring in climate variables
View Climate Smart Restoration Tool (climaterestorationtool.org) in production
Design role
Client
Background
Collaboration to understanding scope
One of the hardest part of this project was understanding the technical language of the scientists, gathering requirements/objectives, and displaying it simply.
Simply, we were using an updated climate data approach and the use of vegetation inventory and biome data provided a different set of plant species.
I understood this by collaborating with Chief Project Officer, Software Engineering Manager, and National Forest Service team to understand user needs. The National Forest Service team also provided context through their research paper.
I drafted a one-pager to outline users, goals, and objectives which served as an initial discussion for our team and clients.
Understanding target audience and their motivation
Gathering requirements
Before design, I led the conversation of understanding user needs with our clients. Some questions I asked:
Challenges and design iterations
Initial simple 1-2 steps for generating map view were misunderstood between client and team
Scope and needs shifted after design reviews with team. I used designs to align with the team's needs and to initiate discussions.
Design recommendations
I led the final designs with the left panel because:
Content would be contained and most accessible to users
Users most likely would need to manipulate map layers during their search
Style guide
Deliverables
Examples of high-fidelity desktop and mobile designs and prototype to the Engineering team
Outcome
View Climate Smart Restoration Tool (climaterestorationtool.org) in production
