The existing website for the School of Information at UT Austin did not meet the needs of its increasing user base due to unintuitive navigation, highlighting a need for a strategic redesign.

Approach

We used a mixed-methods approach, starting with contextual inquiries to uncover navigation challenges, followed by open and closed card sorting to reveal user mental models, and finally validated a redesigned information architecture through tree testing.

Impact

The research guided the creation of new navigation mockups and influenced stakeholders to invest in a site-wide redesign. Our proposed information architecture achieved a 78% task success rate demonstrating clear improvements in how users navigate and access information on the iSchool website.

Context

The Problem

The iSchool website serves as one of the first points of contact for prospective students, current students, faculty, and external partners. However, its existing information architecture made it difficult for users to locate essential information. Broad and ambiguous terminology created confusion and friction in completing basic tasks, causing a need for a redesign.

So what?

The website is often the first touchpoint for iSchool students and faculty. Poor navigation risked lowering applications, frustrating current users, and limiting visibility of important programs. Redesigning the site was essential to improve usability and strengthen how the iSchool presents itself to its community and prospective students.

The Aim

M project aimed at redesigning the iSchool website’s information architecture to make key content easier to find, align navigation with user expectations, and improve overall usability.

Research Method

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Task based user interviews

Observed users completing navigation tasks to identify pain points on the iSchool website.

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Closed Card Sort

Tested two potential navigation structures to evaluate alignment with user expectations.

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Unmoderated Open Card Sort

Ask participants to organize website content, revealing how they naturally group information.

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Tree Testing

Validated the proposed information architecture by measuring task success on key navigation tasks.

Findings from User Interviews

1

Ambiguous Labeling

Broad categories like Programs and People created uncertainty about where key information should be located.

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2

Misaligned Mental Models

Users expected information to be grouped differently (e.g., assuming advisors would be under People), showing a disconnect between navigation labels and user expectations.

Buried Critical Content

Important details, such as Capstone sponsorship information, were difficult to find or overwhelming to parse, limiting visibility of core academic opportunities.

These insights highlighted clear usability challenges but left an open question: what exactly about the site’s structure was causing this confusion, and where were the specific friction points? To answer this, we turned to card sorting exercises to see how users naturally grouped information.

Findings from Open Card Sorting

1

Categories were missing detailed hierarchy

Users grouped content more specifically than the current site allowed, showing the need for subcategories and clearer structure.

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Ambiguous labels caused confusion

Echoing sentiments from the user interviews, broad and unclear card names made it hard for users to place content confidently, highlighting the need for precise, descriptive titles.

Users organized information based on audience

Participants often grouped content by audience (e.g., Undergraduate, Graduate). However, there we also observed a few groupings based on task (Admissions, Programs) which reveals that there are multiple mental models at play.

These findings highlighted that users expected more specific categories, clearer labels, and audience-based groupings than the current site offered. While the open card sort gave us a broad view of user mental models, it left open questions about which structures would work best in practice. To refine these insights, we moved forward with a closed card sort to test two potential navigation designs

Findings from Closed Card Sorting

Based on the categories we saw from the open card sort, we created 2 different sets of categories that could be used to sort information on the iSchool website. We tested each set of categories in a separate closed card sort, and conducted each study with a different group of participants.

Card Sort 2A focused on a distinction between undergraduate and graduate students, along with more specific topic or category names.

Undergraduate students
Graduate students
People
Research
Careers and Employment
Alumni and Giving
About the iSchool

Card Sort 2B focused on more broader concepts, along with more general topic or category names.

Admissions
Programs
Contacts
Research
Careers
Engagement
About

Audience-based navigation best aligned with user expectations, but clearer naming conventions and more specific subcategories were still needed.

In card sort A, participants found it easier to navigate when content was separated into Undergraduate and Graduate categories rather than lumped under broad tabs like Programs or Admissions. In card sort B, users disagreed on where to place items like Alumni or Faculty, Staff, and Students, confirming its categories were too general.

Findings from Tree Test

Overall Performance

Successes

Remaining challenges

Key takeaway

The redesigned information architecture achieved a 78% task success rate and 68% directness, showing improved navigation clarity compared to the original site.

Users located common tasks (e.g., advising information, career services, donation pages) more easily, confirming the new structure reduced friction in key areas.

Some tasks, like distinguishing between undergraduate vs. graduate course offerings, still caused misplacement, pointing to a need for clearer subgroup labels.

The tree test validated that the new information architecture significantly improved usability, while highlighting edge cases where content labeling could be refined.

Project Results

The navigation of the iSchool website was significantly increased with an overall directness of 68% through our identified information architecture. Further, the study built validity in the flaws or issues in the website that have been identified by various stakeholders. It has also created a strong foundation for improvements in website development.

Next Steps

In the first phase of this study, we have identified error prone areas in the iSchool website and even proposed a navigational structure that would improve accuracy while performing various tasks. Further phases of this project can take the findings of this study and explore the following:

Explore Parallel Paths: Investigate potential areas for parallel paths within the proposed information architecture to ensure multiple ways for users to access the same information.
Design Implementation: Develop a strategy for efficiently converting the improved information architecture into the design phase, maximizing usability.
Usability Testing: Conduct comprehensive usability testing on the redesigned navigation to validate improvements and gather additional user feedback for further refinement.

Reflection

This project invoked a phase of intense learning in my professional life as a UX Researcher. This being my first navigational study, I am now able to fully understand the process of assessing and improving the hierarchy of a website. The following have been key lesson I learned throughout this project:

Value of Mixed-Methods Research: Combining qualitative interviews with quantitative navigation tasks provided a holistic understanding of user experiences. I realized that both approaches are essential for identifying and addressing usability issues comprehensively.
Collaboration and Communication: Working with a diverse team of researchers, designers, and stakeholders emphasized the value of clear communication and collaboration. Effective teamwork is vital for aligning objectives and ensuring the successful implementation of design improvements.

Reimagining User Navigation on the iSchool Website

Timeline

Skills

Role

Team

At a Glance

Challenge