Sound Transit
Everett Link Extension
Client:
Sound Transit
Role:
Lead UX Designer
Project length:
4 weeks
Brief:
Work with Sound Transit team to design a progress report website to communicate with more than one million households to share transit expansion updates, financial information, and details about Sound Transit’s special initiatives.
The Everett Link Extension (EVLE) will provide fast, reliable connections to residential and job centers throughout the region. The project will travel through the communities of Lynnwood, unincorporated Snohomish County, and Everett.
Overview
I had the opportunity to work closely with the development team and project managers for 4 weeks as a lead UX designer.
My role involved creating user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes. I developed several custom design drafts based on the client's feedback, collaborated with another designer throughout the creative process, led multiple meetings with project managers, and presented the work to the client.
Goal
The goal of the project is to provide people with greater access to what is happening in the region and to authentically communicate the message to the community.
​Challenge
Since the project is new and not widely known, we need to deliver a lot of information to users. How can we encourage user interaction and feedback? Additionally, how can we ensure a seamless desktop experience for users to engage and manage their interactions?
Given the requirement to translate the website into seven languages, we focused on creating an authentic and culturally relevant reading experience rather than relying solely on embedded Google Translate.
Competitors
Solution
To understand community outreach in different contexts, our team analyzed the interaction model of other community outreach platforms like Seattle Department of Transportation, Community Transit, and other Sound Transit's community outreach websites.
Identifying whom I was designing for helped me understand the needs of proficient users who frequently interact with the site.
While drafting for design solutions, I paid attention to user flows, the connection between content and visuals, and potential UI components to ensure consistency and clarity.
Style guide
Process
I aimed to design a website where users can learn about upcoming projects impacting their lives, exploring diverse design approaches to enhance outreach.
To guide my ideas, I formulated questions questions focusing on:
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Simplifying project information to avoid overwhelming users.
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Leveraging UI elements to focus on the outreach campaign.
I developed drafts for feedback from my design team, provided updates to my project manager during weekly check-ins, and presented progress at client meetings.​
Rough sketches
Form's sketch
Expandable tab's sketch
Result
I explored different design approaches to simplify engagement opportunities. We received positive feedback from users about the site's informative content and easy navigation.
Lessons learned
It was a great project that allowed me to tackle designs quickly within a short timeframe. I learned the importance of providing early and frequent feedback and also consider the project's big picture before going into details.