1. Information Architecture & Content Organization

• Inconsistent sidebar categories and labels create unpredictable navigation patterns.

• Key park information (e.g., admission fees, hours, amenities) is not consistently placed across pages.

• Recommendation: Standardize sidebar categories and their order across all park pages to create a more predictable and structured experience.

2. Content Discoverability & Information Access

• Users expect critical details (e.g., pricing, admission fees) to be directly linked or embedded within the page.

• PDFs containing park rates and schedules are difficult to navigate, particularly for mobile users.

• Recommendation: Implement pop-up windows or expandable content sections that integrate relevant information from PDFs, allowing users to interact with key details more seamlessly.

3. Visual Hierarchy & Readability

• The text-heavy layout creates cognitive overload, leading to excessive scrolling and overlooked details.

• Key actions and important information (e.g., cost, availability, registration) are buried within long-form text.

• Recommendations:

  • Reduce text density using collapsible content sections and jump links for in-page navigation.

  • Improve visual hierarchy by restructuring content to surface essential details first.

  • Reorder key information fields for clarity (e.g., move Hours → Address → Features to the top).

  • Use buttons and interactive elements to increase engagement with textual information.

4. Labeling & Terminology Alignment

• Unclear distinctions between similar categories (e.g., "Activities" vs. "Recreation") confuse users.

• Users expect email subscriptions under "Register", not "Connect."

• Recommendations:

  • Restructure and rename ambiguous navigation labels to better align with user mental models.

  • Rename "Connect" to "Get in Touch" and nest only contact-related links within this category.

  • Consolidate redundant links (e.g., "Boating/Paddling" and "Boat Launch") and organize in alphabetical order for easier scanning.

5. Interaction Design & User Expectations

• The "See More" link is misleading, often leading to images rather than useful content.

• Users want key park information (availability, cost, registration) to be easily accessible without excessive clicks.

• Recommendations:

  • Ensure "See More" consistently leads to structured, valuable information, or integrate it directly into the park’s main page.

  • Consider a carousel or slideshow for additional park images instead of a vague "See More" link.

6. Search Functionality & Relevance

• Users instinctively rely on the internal search bar, despite its poor results.

• The current Pages, Content, and Files tabs obscure relevant search results, making it harder to find key information.

• Recommendation:

  • Optimize search functionality by consolidating results into a single, relevant content feed instead of fragmented tabs.

  • Improve search relevance through better keyword calibration and auto-suggestions for common queries.

7. Secondary Usability Considerations

• Users frequently rely on Quick Links, finding them more useful than the main navigation.

• Many users did not recognize the sidebar plus sign as an expandable element.

• Users scrolled to the bottom of pages expecting contact information, which was missing.

• Recommendations:

  • Provide clear affordances for expandable elements (e.g., add visual cues to indicate interactivity).

  • Ensure contact details are consistently placed at the bottom of pages for easy access.

  • Notify users when a link navigates to a new page and allow them to return easily (per Nielsen's Usability Heuristics).

See our report here!