The Problem

iTree Ecosystem Analysis is a report created every five years that details the quantitative value of D.C.’s urban forest. Casey Trees needed an interactive website to highlight the most salient aspects of this technical subject matter to make these key findings more accessible to a wider audience.

Users & Audience

D.C. residents with an interest in the local environment who would read a digestible report about the numerical value of trees and urban forestry researchers.

Research

We started off by doing some competitive analysis of online reports that explained complex environmental processes to get a sense of how similar organizations were sharing data-driven research. Afterwards we did a couple rounds of user and cross-browser compatibility testing to ensure the site was user friendly and responsive across all devices.

Challenge

We wanted this report to appeal to researchers and non-researchers, so finding the right balance between information dense infographics and visually appealing icons and photos led to more revisions than we had anticipated.

Solution

To make the report digestible to a diverse audience, I included ‘Show More’ buttons that revealed details for those wanting to dive deeper. I used white space and large headings to highlight the underlying information architecture and bring focus to key areas. I created icons to add weight and memorability to important categories and subcategories. Interactive visualizations were developed to shed light on how tree benefits are measured.

Outcome

Made available for the first time as a microsite, the report was well received internally and continues to perform well as a resource on the Casey Trees website.