Usability Test and Site Redesign

Loveisrespect.org is a project run by the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) and Break the Cycle (BTC), two national not-for-profit organizations. The site is aimed at youth, educators, and social service providers, offering informational chat, text, and phone support for victims struggling with relationship abuse. Implementing an intuitive and well-designed information architecture strategy is an important element of any site, but especially important for public service sites like Loveisrespect.org. Since the site provides abuse support, it can be assumed that some of the target users will be experiencing trauma or be in threatening situations. Therefore, it is essential to establish clear and reliable pathways to information. The old site had an acceptable visual design, but the information architecture was confusing and would benefit from restructuring. I worked with two teams on this project – as a member of a group project at the School of Information, we developed and tested prototypes based on usability principals and current best-practices in the field. In my role as Technology Director at NDVH, I lead a team that facilitated the final build-out of the site.