Updating the information architecture of Jobs NYC
Context
In Q4 2024, I led the redesign of the website's information architecture. For this project, I worked alongside another content strategist whom I managed. I also facilitated regular design conversations with a UX designer and got input from various stakeholders.
The existing Jobs NYC website was hard to navigate, with users getting stuck on the landing page.
On the existing site, users entered on the jobs.nyc.gov landing page. However, this landing page was ineffective at funneling people to relevant content.
The first task the design asked of users was to self-identify as a specific user group: a jobseeker or an employer. Based on analytics, I validated that 96% of users were jobseekers.
However, only 18.67% of users clicked the button to identify as a jobseeker and clicked to the homepage tailored for jobseekers.
Jobs NYC also had a lot of content but not enough guiding microcopy to facilitate our users' goals.
Users were coming to Jobs NYC to look for a job. However, the immediate CTA they saw on the jobseeker page used vague language like "Explore programs".
Career services like hiring events were also not getting much attention on the jobseeker page.
By identifying the key user goals and mapping them to specific content, I was able to create wireframes that resonated with users.
Identifying the key user goals helped me to organize content on the new landing page design.
- Section headings call out user goals; each section links to relevant content.
- Users land on the page and don't need to self-identify. Instead, all the content on the page is immediately actionable for a jobseeker. Employer users that land on the page have off-ramps to see content for them.
I also created wireframes for key subpages and linked them into a clickable prototype right in the Google Doc (you can add hyperlinks to specific headings within the doc.)
This let us demo certain user flows to our stakeholders throughout the design process, right within the Google Doc. This also helped keep the initial designs to a low-fidelity so we could rapidly iterate.
With the redesigned information architecture, a user is two clicks away from finding the content for their needs.
The new information architecture is in process of being implemented.
Afterwards, Jobs NYC will undergo a complete redesign using the new nyc.gov design system in Q2 2025.
Post a comment