One Site,
Many Uses
The Integrative Conservation Clinic is a website where conservation practitioners can access region-specific resources to assist in research, connect with others in their field and save found and helpful resources for future use.
Interactive Map
The interactive map function facilitates the retrieval of region-specific information and provides insight into existing studies within that area. This feature enhances users' ability to conduct research and access relevant information while in the field.
Comprehensive Filters
To locate specific research, our users require the ability to filter results by their area of expertise. Our advanced filtering system addresses this need by enabling searches by region, publication date, field of study, and other criteria, thereby optimizing the chances of finding the relevant information.
Multilingual Functionality
In today’s interconnected world, you are likely engaging with individuals from multiple countries. Our multilingual functionality addresses this need, allowing you to extend your reach and communicate more effectively across diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Connection Tools
Engaging with peers and exchanging research, as well as conversing with esteemed researchers, are vital aspects of the conservation field. This platform enables users to save and share valuable resources while fostering connections and building a collaborative community.
The Research
1
Understanding
At the outset of this project, the team initiated secondary research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the conservation field. This involved examining existing tools, identifying resource needs, and determining how best to address any gaps. Through this process, we recognized the broad scope of conservation and subsequently engaged with our users to gain deeper insights into their specific needs.
2
Building
During the user interviews, I handled recruitment, setup, and execution, speaking with a range of conservation professionals, including forestry technicians, wildlife outreach specialists, and aquatic biologists, among others. We discussed their daily tasks, communication methods, resource usage, and challenges, and concluded with a scenario-based question to understand their tool needs. The interviews revealed that the abundance of conservation information makes it difficult for users to navigate, highlighted the need for better connectivity among professionals, and identified challenges in engaging with large audiences.
3
Testing
After recruiting additional users, we conducted the first round of usability testing on our mid-fidelity prototype, where participants searched for, saved, and connected with the author of a resource. While users could effectively use the search and map functions, they found the paths to saved resources and connections unintuitive, although their expected paths were consistent. We incorporated these insights into our high-fidelity prototype and conducted a second round of testing, focusing on search filters and resource type indicators. Participants successfully completed tasks, validating the intuitiveness of our changes. In the third round, we re-tested the initial tasks and achieved a 90% success rate, confirming that the site now aligns with users' mental models.
The Integrative Conservation Clinic
After seven months of research, prototyping, testing, and iterating, Team Evolution is proud to unveil the Integrative Conservation Clinic (ICC). This platform is designed for conservation practitioners to access a wide range of tools and resources in various media formats related to conservation issues and practices. Users can search for, save, and connect with other conservationists to learn about their work.
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The ICC aims to serve as a comprehensive hub for learning, professional networking, and innovative tools. While users can search, filter, and view the map without creating an account, signing in is required to save resources and connect with others. The site displays search results geographically and features a clean, simple design. Additionally, we have included error handling prompts to confirm user actions before removing saved articles, ending connections, or deleting accounts.
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Interactive Map
2
Icons for Media Types
4
Connection Tool
5
Comprehensive Filters
3
Multilingual Functionality
6
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