Heuristic Evaluation: Sifting through volumes of content – Optum

In this project, I was tasked with redesigning a resource portal for engineers, architects, and analysts that provided content and tools to help them build and upload their products to the cloud. From its initial release, the portal had grown organically, with content compiled from various sources. Its navigation system wasn’t scalable, making it difficult for users to find what they needed or understand their location within the site. The sheer volume of content posed a major organizational challenge.

To make sense of the structure, I conducted a heuristic evaluation, which resulted in an extensive site map and multiple content lists. However, documenting the entire catalog proved nearly impossible, so I relied on the insights gained from this process to inform my approach. One of the key takeaways from the evaluation was that the portal could not be viable with a simple UI design fix. The content structure must be addressed before any navigation or UI would work. 

Initially, I grouped information into what I thought would be the broadest and most understandable categories. But this structure didn’t integrate well with the UI. Through multiple iterations and discussions with my design colleagues, I refined the hierarchy to better align with both the UI and the client’s needs.

Surprisingly, the final structure was the complete inverse of my initial designs. The largest groupings became smaller and were positioned lower in the hierarchy, while sections I originally considered secondary or even tertiary, moved to the top. This shift created a more intuitive navigation system for users and simplified content management for portal administrators.

The breakthrough came from collaboration, experimentation, and challenging my own assumptions. Sometimes, the best solutions emerge by talking through challenges with teammates, sketching ideas on a whiteboard, and being open to approaches that defy prior experience.