DESE Profiles Reimagined Website
Modernized a 20-year-old school-profiles site. Used by policymakers, agencies, and researchers
Led the UX/UI redesign of DESE's School and District Profiles platform, a public tool used by policymakers, school leaders, and parents across Massachusetts to access school performance data. Reworked the information architecture and visual design to make complex, high-stakes data approachable for both technical and non-technical users, reducing cognitive load without sacrificing depth. Partnered directly with developers and stakeholders from concept through implementation.
Know Before You Draw
Before a single wireframe was sketched, I delved into how existing profiles functioned through focus groups with stakeholders and agency staff, gathering acceptance criteria, existing functionality, and pain points. From there, I built a competitive PowerPoint deck benchmarking other state profile experiences to identify gaps. Only after that foundation was solid did design begin. Jira served as the central source of truth throughout, keeping tickets and acceptance criteria organized for a clean dev handoff.
The Problem
The original DESE Profiles website, created in the early 2000s, was built primarily around displaying data rather than designing for user experience. While the data itself was valuable, the platform lacked a clear user focus, making it difficult for stakeholders, policymakers, and parents to interpret and navigate information easily. The layout felt outdated, the information hierarchy was inconsistent, and key insights were buried within dense data tables. As expectations for digital experiences evolved, the platform needed a more modern, intuitive structure that balanced robust data with clarity, accessibility, and user-centered design.
The Inspiration
I was inspired by the recent Wikipedia redesign from a big-picture perspective—especially how an older, information-heavy website can be refreshed without losing what makes it useful. Wikipedia has always been very functional, and I appreciated how the redesign improved hierarchy, readability, and overall feel while still handling a massive amount of content. That thinking shaped how I approached the DESE Profiles redesign: maintaining the depth and reliability of the platform while adding more clarity and personality. I also looked at niche school websites that feel more focused and community-driven. Combining that warmth and simplicity with Wikipedia’s large-scale structure helped me design Profiles as both a comprehensive statewide data hub and a more approachable, human experience.
The Solution (Out with The Old In With The New)
The legacy platform buried users in dense, unfiltered data with inconsistent navigation, overwhelming non-technical visitors while still slowing down power users. I redesigned the system around progressive disclosure: simplified entry points for casual users, deeper comparison and filtering tools for advanced ones, and a consistent visual hierarchy to support every data-literacy level.