Encouraging climate action through education

UX Researcher | Product Designer

Jan ‘23 - Feb ‘23

As a UX consultant at Pratt Institute, I led the redesign of the Climate Science website's "courses" section, conducting exploratory and qualitative research with two colleagues to boost engagement and drive collective climate action.


During concept development, my goal was to inspire climate change action by providing concise information and a cohesive narrative suitable for all age groups, addressing previous criticism of the site's childlike appearance, leading to the creation of a new brand identity.


I successfully convinced the client to adopt our visual design and brand identity guidelines for the upcoming site launch. The new identity is now implemented, and the courses section is in beta testing, with a full launch on the horizon.

CONTEXT

About Climate Science

Climate Science, a London-based educational charity, was founded to simplify and make climate change education reliable and accessible. Their mission is to educate and empower young individuals to take proactive steps in addressing climate change.


They reached out to us to foster young people's enthusiasm for climate change, offering education and inspiration for creating a positive impact on the world.

Learn about climate change through courses curated by experts

Apply your knowledge by participating in global student competitions

Get Involved with the wide-spread community to take collective action !

The team's primary focus consisted of three key components: courses, olympiad, and a community platform

PROBLEM

The site fails to convey a coherent narrative

Our comprehensive analysis, revealed that the website suffers from redundant and disorganized content. This issue results in an inability to offer a coherent narrative for those seeking to understand climate change.


Lack of substantial integration , between Courses, Olympiad and Community modules

Despite Climate Science's courses module being a crucial tool for raising awareness and advancing their mission, it has consistently faced low retention rates over the past two years.

Lacks structured information & overview , makes it difficult to encourage users to explore further

Comprehensive courses, necessitating a significant time commitment and dedication to absorb.

Appears geared towards children , but provides advanced courses curated by experts, suitable for all age groups

High-Level Goals

01

Constructing a unified narrative to motivate users

02

Sustaining user engagement and inspiring them to take action

03

Build a versatile brand for Climate Science, appealing to all ages

SOLUTION

A personalized course experience to inspire and engage learners of all types

Course Recommendations based on preferences, daily pace, and difficulty level

Learning outcomes to help learners track their progress and stay motivated

Concise, bite-sized information for time-pressed learners!

Course overview

Previous courses page

Solution

Course Introduction: Helping learners anticipate the course content and required commitment

Encouraging learners to apply their knowledge by taking small steps toward making a huge difference

Integrating community with courses !

Previous selected course page

Solution

Climate Education

Get Involved

Competitions

About Us

Language

Welcome back!

Continue your Climate Learning

2/6

COURSES

1025

POINTS

5

CERTIFICATES

4

OPPORTUNITIES

Share

Congratulations on completing the course!

2 Days

100 pts

Simple

You are ready to embark on the next phase! Join the global student-led competition to mitigate climate change. Win a trip to present your ideas at the annual UN Climate Summit!

Explore Olympiad

Establish a career in tackling climate change

Put your newly acquired skills to use in various job positions and volunteer opportunities related to climate change.

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Integrating olympiad with courses !

Further motivating learners to take bigger steps toward making a positive impact

While developing this concept, I strived to craft a brand identity that appeals to learners of all age groups. Climate Science's mission is to educate about climate change in a fun way! The visual design of the redesigned modules reflects this goal, aiming to captivate a wide audience without appearing overly childish while maintaining an element of fun.

RESEARCH

What motivates people to learn about climate change?

We conducted research, including literature reviews, technical and competitive analysis, and eight user interviews, to understand user motivations, attitudes toward climate change, and what drives their desire to learn. This exploratory research informed the development of project goals aligned with the client's overarching objectives.

Low Commitment, Highly Motivated

Jacob

Director, ABC Company

Working professional and dad of 2. Wants to make a difference but is always short on time.

Mid Commitment, Highly Motivated

Lilly

Homemaker

Adopts lifestyle changes to make an impact. Expands her knowledge through credible magazines and news reports.

High Commitment, Highly Motivated

Jane

Graduate Student

Actively participates in rallies and volunteering events. Prefers getting in-depth knowledge through research papers.

Primary Motivational Factors for Individuals Concerning Climate Change Action?

What are the Specific Learning Needs of the Target Audience?

What Motivates Long-term Engagement and Learning?

Role Peer Influence Plays in Shaping Climate Change Attitudes and Actions?

“ I have 2 small children, want them to have a long and happy life in a planet that doesn’t melt them ”

“ It’s more satisfying to see the impact of your actions rather than making a financial donation for the cause ”

“ It’s a top priority for me but not for many people out there. We all need to get together and take action to change the situation ”

Key Insights

01

People feel motivated to pursue goals they can achieve

Literature Review

02

People’s commitment toward taking an action is schedule-dependent

USER INTERVIEWS

03

People are unsure of which module to start with on the site and why

USABILITY TESTING

DEFINING THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

How might we build a community of climate activists through education ?

We recognized the need for a new information system for Climate Science that connects Courses, Olympiad, and Community modules. This flexible structure, as opposed to the existing linear one, directs users between modules, motivates them, and aligns with our mission.

Before : Linear Structure with dead-ends !

Learner

Climate Science Ecosystem

Olympiad

Courses

Community

Non Existent Community , community page lacked information. Users didn’t understand its potential benefits

What exactly is Climate Science ? Why should I explore it ?

Where do I even begin ? Which module would be the best for me ?

I’ve taken courses , what’s next for me ?

After : Flexible Structure, Further encouraging climate action

Learner

Climate Science Ecosystem

Actions

Opportunities

Olympiad

Toward actions that make a bigger impact

Apply your knowledge, take small steps

Guide them into the ecosystem as they join

Pre-inform learners to spark curiosity

Sense of community to inspire and support learners

Driven by community!

Olympiad

Courses

However, this objective did not come without its share of challenges ...

01

Delivering courses to engage and retain diverse learners effectively

02

Motivating low-commitment learners for significant actions

03

Strategically linking Olympiad and Community to courses, encouraging user exploration

CHALLENGE 1

How might we effectively engage diverse learners ?

Answer: Empower users to tailor their course curriculum, offering a personalized learning experience where they have the autonomy to determine their path through the course catalog. I addressed a range of commitment levels for learning, devising specific design solutions catering to low to mid-high commitment learners.

Engaging bite-sized information to spark curiosity and set course expectations.

Introductory crash course on the site offering a glimpse of courses for low commitment learning , was a also 30 minutes long course!

To capture learners' attention, I extracted and highlighted short video snippets for each course on the catalog, as modifying course content was restricted. Originally, the videos in many courses were initially hidden within the material.

Take a Quick Crash Course

View captivating videos on compelling subjects and delve into our selection of courses

2:45

Climate Change: What Is It and Why Does It Matter?

Course: What Is Climate Change


2:45

Food Waste: We need to Stop Wasting our Food

Course: Food Farming


2:45

Battery Powered: What is the problem with Battery Powered Planes?

Course: Clean Energy


2+

6/8 participants self-identified as visual learners

“Show me an infographic or something first giving me summary level information that increases my appetite to learn more!”

“I see online learning as rapid education or quick learning, and this works perfectly for me !”

A personalized learning experience for all types of learners

The unstructured catalog, lacking overviews and guidance, overwhelmed users with required courses, giving the perception of very high level of commitment to learn.

Guiding learners through selected topics, reducing overwhelm by aligning content with their interests. Learners can customize time commitments to their pace, encouraging them to enhance their daily pace and complete courses more quickly!

2

5/8 participants were willing to allocate 5-10 minutes daily to review the course materials

“When I read courses, I was expecting to see something that required me to devote several weeks”

Resolved by displaying time commitments in course thumbnails based on learner’s pace.

“I love this ! I can actually appreciate the urgency to adapt to the changes we are in.”

CHALLENGE 2

How might we motivate low commitment learners for significant actions ?

Answer: Guide users to define learning outcomes, set achievable goals, and incentivize them with opportunities to create positive real-world impact through applied knowledge gained in courses.

Before entering the course, learners lacked an understanding of what to expect from each course and the level of commitment required, this discouraged them from exploring any new course!

Highlighting what to expect from the course, required commitment level, and anticipated learning outcomes to benefit them personally or professionally.

2/6

COURSES

1025

POINTS

2

CERTIFICATES

4

OPPORTUNITIES

What you will learn in this course ?

Complete this course to acquire skills to be qualified for job openings and volunteering opportunities.

CLIMATE RESILIENCE

GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

People: Why Climate Change will Increase Inequality

10 min

Economy: How much will Climate Change Cost?

10 min

Animals: How can Animals Deal with Climate Change?

10 min

Can Animals & Plants Survive Climate Change?

10 min

Climate Change Impacts Beneath on Oceans

10 min

Climate Change Impacts Beneath on Oceans

10 min

Switch to Advanced Mode

Course overview, emphasizing expected achievements and time commitment

Pique curiosity with advanced difficulty levels, showcasing additional learning incentives

3

6/8 participants preferred to grasp the topic, estimate time commitment before starting the course

“Give me bullet points, tell me how much effort I need to be making, tell me what I’m getting myself into or it is even worth it ? ”

“Love the idea of sharing a glimpse for what’s in store if I switch to advanced ! That’s a smart nudge without forcing learners”

Presenting incentives and progress tracking

Climate Science provided two learning modes: simple (limited chapters) and advanced (full course)

How can I apply this acquired knowledge? There's no clear path to translate it into actions for a significant impact.

Fostering application-based learning and lifestyle changes through enjoyable, low-effort challenges that bring a sense of satisfaction from small contributions to the cause and create a sense of community through collective action.

Through application-based learning, the design encourages Challenges as initial steps toward climate action, leading to significant actions. As learners progress, heightened awareness and curiosity would drive them to engage in local volunteering or pursue climate science careers, unlocked as they acquire necessary skills in courses.

Establish a career in tackling climate change

Put your newly acquired skills to use in various job positions and volunteer opportunities related to climate change.

Citysville

No Experience

Posted 5 days ago

Clean Water Pollution

CHANGE.ORG

Citysville council of land management is preparing to build single-family housing that may pollute the water.

View

Citysville

No Experience

Posted 5 days ago

Clean Water Pollution

CHANGE.ORG

Citysville council of land management is preparing to build single-family housing that may pollute the water.

View

Citysville

No Experience

Posted 5 days ago

Clean Water Pollution

CHANGE.ORG

Citysville council of land management is preparing to build single-family housing that may pollute the water.

View

View All Opportunities

IMPACT & TAKEAWAY

Influentially persuaded stakeholders for a user-centric brand identity overhaul

01

Influenced the revamp of CS, making it suitable for all learner types

02

User testing revealed the design's ability to engage and retain learners.

03

Research Insights prompted CS to pivot to personalized learning

Our team acknowledged the need for a new brand identity to accommodate diverse learners, providing a personalized and adaptable experience across all three modules. Despite the initial concerns of the CS team regarding the impact on their mission of delivering an enjoyable learning experience, our research-backed intuitive design solutions convinced them to embrace a new brand identity and a pivot toward personalized learning.