UX Research & Design - TRIUMF

During my internship at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, I lead a UX Research study aimed at enhancing the user experience of their website. My primary focus was on strategizing a comprehensive redesign and reorganization of their external-facing web platform.

Timeline: 4 months
Team: In-house team of two
Skills: Card-sorting, Interviews, Focus groups, Analysis, Wireframing

Results:

I earned an outstanding student evaluation for my research, and was nominated for the Co-op Student of the Year award. I returned full-time to TRIUMF to continue this project.

What is TRIUMF's Website for?

TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, relies on its website for recruitment, funding, education, business, and public disclosure. With a broad portfolio of scientific research and commercial partnerships, their website serves as a vital hub for international engagement.

Problem

TRIUMF has a broad user base who have different needs and different levels of technical understanding of their content. There has been no clear segmentation or understanding of what these different needs are. Since the website has not been designed with any specific user experiences in mind, and tries to do everything for everyone, it has become a confusing experience for all users which causes frustration and pain points for users, staff, and stakeholders.

Approach

I began the process by devising a UX research sprint plan. This plan included conducting interviews with key stakeholders to define the project’s scope and expectations, organizing focus group sessions involving diverse audience segments and internal groups, and facilitating a card sorting session.

UX Research Techniques

Five focus groups were engaged, strategically incorporating staff from various departments and divisions. Each group participated in a one-hour session encompassing structured questions, a card sorting exercise, and an open discussion.

The gathered insights, coupled with findings from previous interviews with the executive leadership team, were then employed to construct personas and user journey maps. This contextualization aimed to pinpoint opportunities for streamlining workflows and enhancing user experience on the website.

Results & Next steps

The initial phase wrapped up with the creation of a UX research report, the development of a comprehensive requirements document, and the design of a Figma wireframe to provide stakeholders with a clear visualization of the project scope. Subsequently, this package was presented to key stakeholders to secure their approval for advancing the project. Presently, the project is underway in an agile environment. I became the lead designer, leveraging my prior success in UX research and strategy, which earned me an outstanding student evaluation for my internship and lead me to return full time at TRIUMF. View the design here: TRIUMF UI/UX Design