Team
Camie Wong
My Roles
UX/UI Design
Duration
1 month
Tools
Wordpress
Context
Challenge
Background
In June 2020, York University launched its University Academic Plan (2020–2025), focusing on elevating contributions to the UN’s 17 SDGs. York University Libraries (YUL) embedded those goals into its Strategic Plan (2021–2026) to function as a catalyst for knowledge creation and dissemination.
Our Goal
Align with YUL’s strategic objectives—showcase interdisciplinary partnerships, curriculum integration, and visibility of research and outreach
Present narrative-driven, story-based summaries of their work on selected SDGs (e.g. SDGs 1, 4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 17)
Design the library’s "Advancing SDGs" webpage to clearly communicate YUL’s SDG-related strategies, initiatives, and impact stories, making them accessible, engaging, and easily navigable.
Initial problem discovery
The Solution
York University Libraries had no centralized, engaging platform to showcase its contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Although the library played a key role in advancing goals such as quality education, gender equality, and sustainable communities, there was:
No existing webpage to present these efforts in a cohesive, accessible, or story-driven format.
A lack of visibility for the library’s partnerships, workshops, and global impact stories.
Missed opportunities to communicate YUL’s role in sustainability, social equity, and innovation to students, faculty, researchers, and external partners.
Design and launch a dedicated webpage that highlights York University Libraries’ contributions to selected SDGs through clear storytelling, visual structure, and measurable outcomes.
The design includes:
A narrative-driven framework featuring real stories (e.g. La Casita Azul, Media Creation Lab) to humanize SDG impact.
Modular content organization by individual SDG, allowing users to explore themes like poverty, education, and climate action.
Integration of impact metrics and community partnerships to reinforce credibility and transparency.
Accessible design principles to ensure the content is usable by diverse audiences, including students, researchers, and external stakeholders.
USER RESEARCH
Target Users
Research Methods
Surveys: Assess clarity and ease of finding SDG-related information. (e.g., “Can you explain what YUL is doing for SDG‑4?”)
Card Sorting: Organize SDGs, storytelling sections, calls to action.
Usability Testing: Watch how new visitors explore the page and where they get stuck or disengage.
Key Takeaways
Users expect intuitive navigation by SDG goal and initiative.
Storytelling motivates deeper engagement and understanding the impact York University Libraries have on the SDG goals
Users want clear visuals and concise summaries—not only policies but actual impact metrics (e.g. recycling totals)
Current students and faculty—looking for teaching support, resources, and research visibility.
External partners and community members—interested in SDG-aligned outreach and impact.
University leadership and funders—seeking transparency and evidence of progress.
DESIGN APPROACH
Homepage Structure
Hero Section: Introducing YUL’s role in the University’s SDG mission—brief mission statement.
Overview: Visual grid of highlighted SDGs (with icons), each linking to detailed pages.
Featured Stories: Rotating carousel featuring high-impact stories (e.g. “No Poverty – La Casita Azul”, “Gender Equality – Media Creation Lab”, “Life on Land – Recycling Campaigns”).
Quick Stats: Highlight measurable outcomes— e.g. “~400 participants in sustainable agriculture courses,” “Recycled 7,730 kg of plastic cups”
Call to Action: Links to progress reports, collaboration info, contact.
DESIGN APPROACH
Navigation Design
Each page includes:
Persistent “SDG menu” enabling users to swiftly jump to goals of interest.
Breadcrumbs and “Back to overview” links to aid orientation.
DESIGN APPROACH
Detailed SDG Pages
Each page includes:
Brief overview of the SDG’s relevance.
“Stories” section with multimedia elements (photos, infographics, videos).
Tangible “Facts” section with metrics and impacts (e.g. courses delivered, kg recycled).
Related resources: links to archives, curriculum integration, workshops.
PROTOTYPE
York University Libraries’ UNSDG Website
Click to view the Prototype
TAKEAWAYS
🎓What I Learned
🔄 What I’d Do with More Time
Designing this page from scratch taught me how to use storytelling as a UX tool to make institutional content more engaging. I learned to balance narrative and structure, collaborate with stakeholders, and design with both emotion and impact in mind.
I would conduct usability testing, add interactive or multimedia elements, and build a visual summary of SDG progress. I’d also enhance accessibility and consider multilingual support to better serve diverse users.