Portfolio story · Building Making Canada’s health data easier to explore

← Back to portfolio

2022-2023

I helped Canadians access complex public health information more easily by redesigning the Health Infobase landing page and creating a design manual that improved clarity and consistency.

Context

  • The Health Infobase is a key Government of Canada platform for public health data (for example, chronic diseases, mental health, COVID-19).
  • Over time, the landing page became cluttered and dated, with dozens of competing links and no clear information hierarchy.
  • Users, including researchers, policymakers, and the publicl, struggled to find the data they needed.
  • Updates were being made without a consistent design approach, creating risks for accessibility and usability.
Side-by-side comparison of the Public Health Infobase landing page before and after redesign. The legacy page emphasizes three abstract entry points, while the redesigned page presents clearer topic-based navigation, filters, and searchable health data products.
Before and after. The redesign focused on clarifying entry points and improving findability across a growing catalogue of health data products.

My role

  • Conducted a rapid assessment of the landing page using analytics, content review, and heuristics.
  • Redesigned the landing page to reduce clutter, highlight priority topics, and improve readability.
  • Conducted unmoderated usability testing to improve the redesign before launch
  • Created a lightweight design manual (principles, ideas and patterns) for health data products.
  • Collaborated with subject matter experts and web publishing staff to align on priorities and content placement.

Impact

  • The redesign improved alignment with Canada.ca standards and user expectations.
  • The design manual was adopted as a reference tool, improving consistency across future updates.
  • Set a precedent for pairing tactical design fixes with sustainable, system-level improvements.

What I learned

  • Even small, tactical interventions can deliver lasting systemic impact if paired with guidance.
  • Creating a clear framework (manual) helps prevent regression when multiple teams touch the same content.
  • Success comes from balancing quick wins with long-term stewardship.