Myles Young Design
Portfolio UX / UI

2023

SSI / Website Redesign

The Space Studies Institute needed a major overhaul to make their complex, technical content easier to navigate — especially for new visitors and potential donors unfamiliar with their mission. The existing site was dense and difficult to manage, so our goal was to bring clarity, structure, and a sense of storytelling to their digital presence.

I led the redesign with a focus on user experience and long-term sustainability. Beyond simplifying the interface and information architecture, I made sure their small internal team could confidently update content without needing outside support. The result was a more engaging, intuitive site that supported both their outreach and fundraising goals.

SSI website redesign

Audience

Primary: Donors, researchers, nonprofit supporters (avg. age 40+)

Secondary: Space-curious new visitors

My Role

UX/UI Designer (solo) — full-cycle ownership of research, design, testing, and implementation

Timeline

1 year (2022–2023)

Tools Used

Figma, WordPress (Divi), basic SQL database, HTML/CSS

Challenge

The Problem

The SSI site was dense and intimidating, with:

  • Highly technical content that confused casual visitors
  • Poor navigation — especially for users unfamiliar with space science
  • Unclear donation CTA placement and impact messaging
  • Inconsistent formatting and accessibility issues for an older audience

Objectives

Project Goals

  • Create a clear, intuitive information hierarchy for diverse audiences
  • Improve readability with accessible typography and responsive design
  • Reinforce donor confidence through persuasive visuals and clear impact paths
  • Enable stakeholder independence via an easy-to-maintain CMS

Selected visuals

Project Assets

SSI Research Library page
SSI Conference Archives page
SSI Research Library Online SPS Reports Collection
About SSI page
SSI Researcher's Collection page

Approach

Design Process

  1. 01 Research & Discovery
    • Conducted stakeholder interviews focused on mission clarity and content priorities
    • Extracted and analyzed metadata (ISBN, author, value) from the physical library via SQL import to inform value-driven content strategy
  2. 02 Information Architecture
    • Restructured navigation into logical categories (Research Library, Donate, About SSI)
    • Mapped user flows for both new visitors and researchers
  3. 03 Wireframing & Prototyping
    • Designed desktop and mobile wireframes focusing on readability and clear CTAs
    • Iteratively refined layouts in Figma, aligning font sizes and weights with the target audience
  4. 04 Usability Testing
    • Tested prototypes with target users (40+ demo) for navigation ease, content clarity, and donation flow
    • Incorporated feedback by adjusting copy, button prominence, and homepage layout
  5. 05 Visual Design & Implementation
    • Selected Divi WordPress theme for ease of editing and ongoing client support
    • Built templates, styled components, and built all pages via Divi + HTML/CSS
    • Collaborated with a developer for CMS integration, ensuring stakeholders can update content independently

Results

Outcome & Impact

30% Decrease in bounce rate
25% Increase in donation clicks on homepage
✓ Stakeholder-reported improvement in site maintenance time

"Visitors mention how clean and easy the site feels now — especially compared to before."

— SSI Client Feedback