United Nations

Duration

Mar 2020 - Jan 2022

Company

United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Role

UI / UX Designer, Web Designer, Graphic Designer

Description

This is my full-time job at the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) which is part of United Nations Secretariat. I started as a web design intern and then moved into a design consultant role.

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Over the course of nearly two years, I have redesigned and developed the UN DESA website by revamping the information architecture and applying new UN web design systems and the UN DESA ecosystem, resulting in a 15.2% increase in website traffic over the last year.

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I supported 4 different internal groups and cooperated with 5 engineers and 3 product managers to create new web pages to showcase and promote UN DESA's work with clarity and efficiency. I owned the end-to-end process of defining the scope, analyzing and organizing webpage structure, and creating wireframes and high fidelity prototypes.

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This case study showcases the work of around 2 months.

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Check out the websites here:

• UN DESA website

• Global Policy Dialogue

• UN DESA Highlights Report

• UN DESA Voices

• Policy Briefs

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Problem

Context

The UN DESA website is an information portal that publishes updates about International updates, global conferences and summits, intergovernmental support, economic, social and environmental statistics, cutting-edge analytical products, sustainable development objectives, etc.

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As time goes by, the old version of the website no longer met the current needs. Also, United Nations has released a new design system. Therefore we decided to redesign the website and make changes accordingly.

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Solution

Goals

Based on the results of the research, I proposed solutions from 3 aspects to improve the overall user experience.

Information Architecture‍

It organize and structure content in a way that makes it easy for users to find and understand. This includes creating clear and concise navigation, using appropriate labels and categories, and organizing content in a logical way.

We used card sorting and conducted multiple rounds of review with the 9 divisions under our department throughout the process.

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Design System & Responsiveness

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Localization

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Other Works

Except the work presented above, I also created 5 new web pages to showcase and promote UN DESA's work.

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Designed the layout and data visualizations of 35+ reports, policy briefs, thematic briefs, and working papers.

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Set up templates for briefs, flyers, and social media cards by using a range of technologies and tools to eliminate repetitive development and ensure consistency between design and development, streamlining weekly issues by 50%.

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Fulfilled 100+ internal requests for conceptual, typographical and photographic directions for all print and digital collaterals, including designing logos, images, banners, etc.

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Check out the Reports here:

• UN DESA Highlights Report 2019-2020

• UN DESA Highlights Report 2020-2021

• UN DESA Climate Review

• 2020 Voluntary National Reviews Synthesis Report

• Responding to COVID-19 and Recovering Better

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Check out the briefs and papers here:

• Policy Brief

• Working Paper

• Thematic Brief

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Takeaways

Pay attention to detail

The United Nations is the largest intergovernmental organization and has a significant influence on leaders worldwide. Any misspelling, improper use of colors, or outdated map information can have serious consequences. Pay attention to every detail and allow plenty of time to check the work before submitting it. Just one single check can prevent you from making some silly mistakes.

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Working with multicultural cross-functional teams

This work experience has taught me to work with people from multicultural backgrounds and multiple functional backgrounds. Even though everyone is different, everyone is kind and united in their desire to get things right. Respect and communication can bring the team together.

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Gather Feedback

Feedback from different teams helped me iterate my designs, and at a higher level, it helped me grow as a T-shaped designer. In addition, I have gained a deeper understanding of the work and concerns of other roles in the team. Through real projects in the industry, I also improved my professional skills.

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