The Client
The client is a directly elected regional government serving over 1.7 million residents in a major metropolitan area. Unique in its operational scope, the agency manages a vast ecosystem of public services ranging from urban planning and waste management to operating the region’s premier cultural destinations, including a zoo, convention center, and performing arts venues. The organization connects multiple cities and counties through a shared vision of equitable growth and environmental stewardship.
The Problem
The existing website presented several significant challenges.
Impending Platform Obsolescence
The existing website was built on a legacy platform scheduled to reach its end-of-life in January 2025, creating a critical deadline for a complete technical overhaul to ensure continued stability and security.
Accessibility and Inclusion Deficits
The agency identified a need to better serve users with significant barriers to access, including those with disabilities, limited internet, or limited English proficiency. The project required a strict standard where any content that does not meet accessibility guidelines would be excluded from the new site.
Mismatched Device Strategy
While internal partners primarily access the site via desktop, the general public largely relies on mobile devices. The previous design did not adequately prioritize this mobile-first behavior, requiring a shift in design strategy
Rigid Content Management
The previous editorial workflow was restrictive; the new build aimed to solve this by providing flexible content options rather than dictating them via limited, rigid templates, streamlining the experience for content creators.
The Solution
User-validated informtion architecture
To tame the site’s massive content library, the I conducted cross-departmental workshops to align stakeholder goals, followed by extensive tree testing and card sorting. This ensured the new navigation structure was based on actual user behavior rather than organizational hierarchy.
Inclusive mobile-first strategy
The redesign prioritized a “mobile-first” approach to align with the public’s primary browsing habits. The new interface features high-contrast visuals and strict adherence to accessibility standards, ensuring equitable access for users with disabilities or limited connectivity.
Structured content governance
To support a large, decentralized team of content editors, the I created a content model with highly-structured data fields. This framework enforces visual and functional consistency across the platform while giving editors the flexibility they need without breaking the design system.
See the website live here: Oregon Metro
How We Got There
To understand the organization’s diverse audiences and their needs, we conducted comprehensive user research.
Audience survey
Surveyed over 200 users from all audience groups, with a priority focus on underserved or marginalized groups, to understand pain points, needs and current behaviors
Card sorting and tree testing
Used a card sort to generate ideas and understand the diverse mental models of audiences, then tested the updated sitemap to validate our recommendations
No placeholder content
Designed all wireframes using real content and copy, provided by the client, to ensure the best layout and accessibility of their information
What I’m most proud of
To manage a very passionate and very large group of stakeholders, all with strong opinions about their respective departments and its content, I created a workflow for collecting and addressing wireframe feedback that helped conserve budget, identify priority changes, and make the client feel heard when it came time to review designs.
Lydia Keener Stock 