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Usability Strategy for Interactive Map Implementation | MacArthur Foundation
Project Type
Interactive Map Feature Planning & Usability Research
Date
March 2025
Summary
I developed a research-backed usability report to guide the MacArthur Foundation’s implementation of an interactive grant map. The project focused on discoverability, map integration, user expectations, and filter usability, helping the team translate leadership’s vision into an intuitive, user-friendly experience.
My Role & Approach
I served as the lead usability analyst and created a client-ready research report with best practices for interactive data visualization. I analyzed peer examples, reviewed usability principles, and structured findings into a slide deck and written summary. When scope shifted mid-project, I reframed recommendations to align the map with the existing grant search experience.
Problem
The Foundation planned to introduce an interactive grant map alongside its existing search feature but lacked guidance on how best to structure, present, and label the experience for its public audience.
Implication
Without structure, the map risked duplicating search functionality, hiding key data behind unclear controls, or confusing users with unexplained visual elements.
Recommendation
I delivered a structured research report with best practices and peer examples, focusing on clarity, accessibility, and feature discoverability. Recommendations emphasized organizing content by user intent, ensuring intuitive filters and pin logic, and embedding the map to improve visibility and engagement.
This project emerged from a client touchpoint where MacArthur Foundation leadership expressed interest in developing an interactive map to showcase their grant award activity. The map was intended to help the public understand what regions and topics their funding reached, supporting transparency and storytelling across the site.
I was tasked with delivering a research-backed report to help guide the design of this map. My role included reviewing peer sites, identifying usability-forward map implementations, and outlining clear recommendations that aligned with the Foundation’s audience and goals.
The research focused on four key areas:
Map Discoverability – Should the map be embedded or linked? Where should users encounter it? How does its placement affect engagement?
Interaction Patterns – Are pins scaled or color-coded by grant size? Can users toggle between current and historical data?
Filter Visibility & Labeling – Are filters like location, year, program, and funding type clearly presented and intuitive?
User Expectations – Does the map explain what it shows, who it’s for, and how to interact with it without extra instructions?
Mid-project, the scope expanded to clarify that the map should supplement the existing grant search tool, not replace it. I adjusted the report to emphasize integration, showing how the map could work alongside search, not compete with it.
Deliverables included a slide deck and written report, following our team’s standard format: one insight per slide, each with usability rationale, visual references, and a focused recommendation. The report was delivered for independent review, ensuring that each recommendation was clear, actionable, and fully supported by usability best practices.
This project deepened my experience with exploratory data interfaces and interactive design. It also reinforced the value of usability strategy, not just documenting what exists, but helping clients build solutions that are intuitive, scalable, and audience-focused.