Merging Edmonton Nature Attractions
As part of our DESN 442 – Information Architecture class, we were tasked with creating a central hub site for four of Edmonton’s major nature-based attractions: Fort Edmonton Park, Edmonton Valley Zoo, the John Janzen Nature Centre, and the Muttart Conservatory.
Our goal was to consolidate these experiences into a single, user-friendly platform with consistent structure and navigation—making it easier for locals and tourists to browse, compare, and plan visits without jumping between differently structured pages.
Leo Cronin-Barrow, Edzna Castillo, Angelica Billiones
Designed for DESN 442 - Information Architecture at MacEwan
A conceptual hub site merging four major nature attractions in Edmonton, with a heavy focus on the information architecture of the site
My role
As a key contributor to both structure and organization, I developed the final site map used to guide the layout and navigation of the hub. I also:
- Maintained and organized our shared project folders and documentation
- Helped coordinate team efforts and keep our workflow on track
- Supported IA development through card sort analysis and testing insights
- Participated in shaping and refining the final page templates
Merging Edmonton Nature Attractions
As part of our DESN 442 – Information Architecture class, we were tasked with creating a central hub site for four of Edmonton’s major nature-based attractions: Fort Edmonton Park, Edmonton Valley Zoo, the John Janzen Nature Centre, and the Muttart Conservatory.
Our goal was to consolidate these experiences into a single, user-friendly platform with consistent structure and navigation—making it easier for locals and tourists to browse, compare, and plan visits without jumping between differently structured pages.
Leo Cronin-Barrow, Edzna Castillo, Angelica Billiones
Designed for DESN 442 - Information Architecture at MacEwan
A conceptual hub site merging four major nature attractions in Edmonton, with a heavy focus on the information architecture of the site
My role
As a key contributor to both structure and organization, I developed the final site map used to guide the layout and navigation of the hub. I also:
- Maintained and organized our shared project folders and documentation
- Helped coordinate team efforts and keep our workflow on track
- Supported IA development through card sort analysis and testing insights
- Participated in shaping and refining the final page templates
Merging Edmonton Nature Attractions
As part of our DESN 442 – Information Architecture class, we were tasked with creating a central hub site for four of Edmonton’s major nature-based attractions: Fort Edmonton Park, Edmonton Valley Zoo, the John Janzen Nature Centre, and the Muttart Conservatory.
Our goal was to consolidate these experiences into a single, user-friendly platform with consistent structure and navigation—making it easier for locals and tourists to browse, compare, and plan visits without jumping between differently structured pages.
Leo Cronin-Barrow, Edzna Castillo, Angelica Billiones
Designed for DESN 442 - Information Architecture at MacEwan
A conceptual hub site merging four major nature attractions in Edmonton, with a heavy focus on the information architecture of the site
My role
As a key contributor to both structure and organization, I developed the final site map used to guide the layout and navigation of the hub. I also:
- Maintained and organized our shared project folders and documentation
- Helped coordinate team efforts and keep our workflow on track
- Supported IA development through card sort analysis and testing insights
- Participated in shaping and refining the final page templates
Research
User Testing
Web Design
Information Architecture
Research
User Testing
Web Design
Information Architecture
Research
User Testing
Web Design
Information Architecture
Our Challenge
While each attraction’s individual page or site was functional and informative, users lacked a cohesive way to explore them together. Fort Edmonton Park had its own site, while the others were hosted within the City of Edmonton’s larger website. This led to slight inconsistencies in layout, content depth, and terminology, which made cross-attraction trip planning more difficult than it needed to be.
Our challenge was to bring these four locations together under a shared structure that could support discovery, accessibility, and clarity—without removing the unique identity of each venue.
Information was spread across multiple disconnected pages
Navigation and content structure varied slightly between sites
There was no unified platform for planning across attractions
Our Challenge
While each attraction’s individual page or site was functional and informative, users lacked a cohesive way to explore them together. Fort Edmonton Park had its own site, while the others were hosted within the City of Edmonton’s larger website. This led to slight inconsistencies in layout, content depth, and terminology, which made cross-attraction trip planning more difficult than it needed to be.
Our challenge was to bring these four locations together under a shared structure that could support discovery, accessibility, and clarity—without removing the unique identity of each venue.
Information was spread across multiple disconnected pages
Navigation and content structure varied slightly between sites
There was no unified platform for planning across attractions
Our Challenge
While each attraction’s individual page or site was functional and informative, users lacked a cohesive way to explore them together. Fort Edmonton Park had its own site, while the others were hosted within the City of Edmonton’s larger website. This led to slight inconsistencies in layout, content depth, and terminology, which made cross-attraction trip planning more difficult than it needed to be.
Our challenge was to bring these four locations together under a shared structure that could support discovery, accessibility, and clarity—without removing the unique identity of each venue.
Information was spread across multiple disconnected pages
Navigation and content structure varied slightly between sites
There was no unified platform for planning across attractions
Card Sorting
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
afterwards, we consolidated our findings in one final board.
The red cards are the cards that were placed in the same category by majority of the participants which explains that it is what made sense to them (i.e. Volunteer in 'Get Involved')
The teal and purple cards were placed in more than one category (i.e. Buy tickets in Plan your trip, Book with us and Events). We placed them where majority had it or by discussion.
The white cards were either placed in "I am not sure" or in multiple categories by the participants. With that we followed our original placement or discussed a best fit.
Card Sorting
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
afterwards, we consolidated our findings in one final board.
The red cards are the cards that were placed in the same category by majority of the participants which explains that it is what made sense to them (i.e. Volunteer in 'Get Involved')
The teal and purple cards were placed in more than one category (i.e. Buy tickets in Plan your trip, Book with us and Events). We placed them where majority had it or by discussion.
The white cards were either placed in "I am not sure" or in multiple categories by the participants. With that we followed our original placement or discussed a best fit.
Card Sorting
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
To validate our proposed navigation structure, we conducted six card sorting sessions using a Miro board filled with 51 cards—each representing an existing menu item from the attraction websites. Participants were asked to sort these cards into seven predefined categories based on our draft navigation: Plan Your Trip, Attractions, Events, Book With Us, Get Involved, Education, and About.
Participants were given only the context needed to understand each item, allowing us to observe their natural interpretation of where each piece of content belonged.
afterwards, we consolidated our findings in one final board.
The red cards are the cards that were placed in the same category by majority of the participants which explains that it is what made sense to them (i.e. Volunteer in 'Get Involved')
The teal and purple cards were placed in more than one category (i.e. Buy tickets in Plan your trip, Book with us and Events). We placed them where majority had it or by discussion.
The white cards were either placed in "I am not sure" or in multiple categories by the participants. With that we followed our original placement or discussed a best fit.
Our Solution
We developed a modular site structure supported by five core templates: a homepage, two category pages, a content detail page, and a search results page. Each page followed a consistent layout system while allowing space for attraction-specific customization, so the individual identity of each location could still shine through. Our goal wasn’t to replace the existing content but to reorganize it in a way that made discovery, comparison, and planning more intuitive for users. This structure was grounded in insights from card sorting and tree testing, ensuring that the final navigation reflected real user expectations.
The result is a unified, scalable site experience that simplifies access to Edmonton’s nature attractions while preserving what already works.
User-informed navigation
Easily-accessible information
Consistent page structure and content
Our Solution
We developed a modular site structure supported by five core templates: a homepage, two category pages, a content detail page, and a search results page. Each page followed a consistent layout system while allowing space for attraction-specific customization, so the individual identity of each location could still shine through. Our goal wasn’t to replace the existing content but to reorganize it in a way that made discovery, comparison, and planning more intuitive for users. This structure was grounded in insights from card sorting and tree testing, ensuring that the final navigation reflected real user expectations.
The result is a unified, scalable site experience that simplifies access to Edmonton’s nature attractions while preserving what already works.
User-informed navigation
Easily-accessible information
Consistent page structure and content
Our Solution
We developed a modular site structure supported by five core templates: a homepage, two category pages, a content detail page, and a search results page. Each page followed a consistent layout system while allowing space for attraction-specific customization, so the individual identity of each location could still shine through. Our goal wasn’t to replace the existing content but to reorganize it in a way that made discovery, comparison, and planning more intuitive for users. This structure was grounded in insights from card sorting and tree testing, ensuring that the final navigation reflected real user expectations.
The result is a unified, scalable site experience that simplifies access to Edmonton’s nature attractions while preserving what already works.
User-informed navigation
Easily-accessible information
Consistent page structure and content
Looking to hire? Let’s talk.
I’m currently seeking a full-time remote role where I can help bring products, services, and stories to life through thoughtful marketing and design.
I’m ready to get to work—let’s connect!
Looking to hire? Let’s talk.
I’m currently seeking a full-time remote role where I can help bring products, services, and stories to life through thoughtful marketing and design.
I’m ready to get to work—let’s connect!
Looking to hire? Let’s talk.
I’m currently seeking a full-time remote role where I can help bring products, services, and stories to life through thoughtful marketing and design.
I’m ready to get to work—let’s connect!
