Author name: Tess Porter

Mockup improvement to the Digital Archives homepage carousel with WCAG v2.1 accessible navigation buttons

Improving Discoverability and Accessibility in the New York Philharmonic’s Digital Archives

By / December 19, 2022 / Projects

New York Philharmonic’s Shelby White and Leon Levy Digital Archives makes available to the public over 4 million pages of material connected to their symphony orchestra. To inform website redesign decisions to be made as part of their larger five-year NEH-funded grant project, this study assesses the usability of the current Digital Archives’ website for amateur and expert audiences and presents recommendations for improving the platform’s main portals for accessing archival resources: the home and search pages. This case study presents a summary of methodology, homepage recommendations, key takeaways, and links to the full report and client presentation.

Creating a More Intuitive Girl Scouts Experience for Caregivers

By / December 19, 2022 / Projects

The Girl Scouts of Greater New York (GSGNY) provides girls across New York City opportunities to build skills and make friends as part of the nationwide Girl Scouts organization. Core to fulfilling their mission and gaining new members is ensuring that the caregivers of potential and current members find what they need on their website. This case study presents a project to redesign the GSGNY website to meet those needs and includes high-fidelity prototypes and key findings for content, layout, and navigation structure.

The Dot Watch, a sleek wrist watch with white, minimal face containing a dynamic braille pin display and a simple woven metal wristband.

Assistive Technology: Dot Watch

By / September 13, 2022 / Design Critiques

Dot Watch is a sleek, minimal wrist watch with a moving braille pin display for users who are blind or visually impaired. The watch can not only communicate time and date – it can also translate text messages, notifications, the names of incoming callers, and other text from an iOS or Android device.

Banner with the name of a mobile game, Hungry Cat Nonogram, overlaid over a preview of a nonogram puzzle and a customizable cat from the application

Design Critique: Hungry Cat Nonogram (iOS App)

By / September 13, 2022 / Design Critiques

Hungry Cat Nonogram is a simple mobile game application focused on nonograms – puzzles where players use number hints and logic to correctly fill grid squares with colors to create pictures. Players can use coins gained from successfully completing puzzles to customize a cat companion that accompanies them to each puzzle.