Client: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

Challenge: The client, SAMHSA, was not satisfied with the information architecture (IA) of their site. Upon diving into ways to improve it, the project expanded significantly, guided by several rounds of UX research. The project addressed new UI designs for tier 2 and 3 pages, new components on Drupal, a new footer design, and a new menu design. This challenge was significant because the company had been advocating for these changes for years, and the client was finally receptive. Additionally, users had been requesting better organization through site surveys. The main challenge was the client's known difficulty in decision-making.

Solution and Approach: In this project, I was the Product Owner and led the task (managed a team of over 20 people) - I was also the full-time Content Strategist who created the site map and did UX research. Over nearly three years, the team implemented several steps to address the challenge:

1. Open Moderated Card Sort (2022):

   • Conducted with 12 participants in different groups, reflecting site users.

   • Established recommended categories.

2. Site Analysis (2022):

   • Analyzed the existing site structure.

   • Placed major sections within proposed groupings, considering client constraints.

3. Initial Tree Testing (2022):

   • Conducted on Optimal Workshop with 35 participants (split into general population, professional care providers, and community health workers)

   • Used data to update the initial proposed site map/IA

4. Second Tree Test (2023):

   • Conducted with the round 2 site map

   • Confirmed and made changes to the IA

5. Unmoderated Card Sorting Activity (2024):

   • Conducted with SAMHSA SMEs

   • Further organized SAMHSA-specific programs to address internal concerns and gain buy-in from SMEs

6. UI Development (2024):

   • Built new mega menu designs for client approval

   • Created new Tier 2 and Tier 3 pages to assist with content organization and improve navigation

   • Created new site footer

   • Testing for 508 compliance throughout

7. SEO Optimization (2024):

   • Created a main document for URL redirects.

   • Optimized page titles and new URL slugs for SEO

8. QA and Consistency Checks (2024-2025):

   • Ensured consistency across the board (left navigation, component use, etc)

   • QAed the Excel sheet with page titles, URL slugs, and documentation

9. Project Management (2022-2025):

   • Used Jira and Confluence for ticketing, documentation, and general organization

   • Worked in an agile environment

Timeframe: 2022-2025

Technology Used: Optimal Workshop, Mural, Jira, Confluence, Drupal, Google Analytics, Qualtrics, SiteImprove

Key Deliverables: Information Architecture (site map), Drupal Components, Designs: Footer, Mega Menu, Tier 2 & 3 Pages

Before Implementation: