Redesigning an Academic Resource Library with Human-Centered UI Design
Davey Awards - Gold: Features-Website Redesign - 2023
Lead UI Designer
2022
Project Overview
The American Anthropological Association (AAA) is the world's largest organization of anthropologists, advancing human understanding through research, education, and practice. AAA needed a complete redesign of their digital resource hub to improve usability, modernize their visual identity, and better support researchers, educators, and students accessing anthropological content.
The primary goal was to create a clean, accessible, and well-organized platform that could serve as a central source for scholarly materials and community engagement.
My Role
As the Lead UI Designer, I work on building on the proposed color palette, I selected the main typography, curated the imagery, and designed the decorative UI elements inspired by symbols found in Mayan pyramids to create a more human and approachable visual identity. I developed the UI with a modular approach, allowing content slides and sections to be interchangeable for greater flexibility. Although no separate mobile-specific designs were created, I collaborated with the development team during the QA process to ensure responsive performance across devices.
The Challenge
The site was cluttered with complicated navigation and content structure, which made it hard to find resources. Our challenge was to simplify the experience, respect the academic depth, and create a clean, modern look that still felt trustworthy and respected the AAA’s legacy.
Design Process
We started by researching and restructuring the content to create a clearer, more intuitive hierarchy. I designed UI layouts with accessibility and clarity in mind, using warm, readable fonts like Grava and Albert Sans. We built a modular design system to keep the site flexible and scalable. Throughout the project, I worked closely with the development team during QA to ensure everything adapted well to different screens.
Outcomes
The new site delivered a better user experience, faster content discovery, smoother navigation, and a polished visual identity. Feedback from users and the AAA team was very positive. The project also won a 2023 Gold Davey Award for Associations websites.
Key Takeaways
This project reinforced how important modular design is in complex academic platforms. It also helped me sharpen my skills in balancing respect for institutional history with modern, user-friendly design.