Simplifying Complexity Through Design
Conducted usability testing, optimized navigation and checkout flows, and implemented a mobile-first design. The result was a smoother shopping experience that increased sales and customer retention.
The previous Sam.gov was fragmented, visually inconsistent, and difficult to navigate.
Original Sam.gov Website
Our team set out to:
Redesign search so it was intuitive, consistent, and aligned with common UX patterns.
Establish the foundation of a modern, accessible design system.
Improve readability and accessibility with better typography, spacing, and color usage.
Reorganize homepage and results pages to prioritize the most useful content.
Expand navigation to help users easily discover all available information.
Deliver improvements iteratively while ensuring feasibility for development and stakeholder alignment.
STEP 1 _ Research and Discovery
Conducted internal and external user research to understand satisfaction with the legacy site.
Conducted a card sorting exercise to analyze how users naturally categorize and navigate information on SAM.gov.
Identified gaps where users abandoned Sam.gov for outside tools.
Audited the legacy design system for inconsistencies.
Work Flows / Card Sorts
STEP 2 _ Wireframing and Iteration
Created multiple wireframes and A/B tested them with users.
Conducted multiple rounds of usability testing with wireframe prototypes.
Presented refined concepts in stakeholder reviews and secured alignment.
STEP 3 _ Design Exploration
Explored improvements to color palette, typography, illustrations, navigation, search, and layout.
Took the approved wireframes and created high-fidelity prototypes for homepage and subpage concepts.
Facilitated stakeholder alignment sessions with GSA and cross-functional IBM teams.
Color Palette Exploration
Explored and tested modern color palettes inspired by government and enterprise websites, securing buy-in from GSA and IBM stakeholders.
Text Line Height
Balanced typography by using bold sparingly while keeping content scannable and accessible.
Titles
Increased font sizes, line heights, and spacing to improve readability and accessibility.
Hero Illustrations
Designed unique hero illustrations for each domain using the new color palette, while modernizing legacy image references.
Icon Illustrations
Created icons for highlighted homepage sections to add personality and clarity.
Main Navigation
Replaced the redundant “Home” button by making the logo the primary link to the homepage, aligning with modern web standards.
Implemented dropdown navigation with domain-specific groupings to simplify wayfinding across the site.
Added a dedicated section for high-priority links, ensuring quick access to the most important resources.
Subpage Navigation
Applied a refined color palette, bold fonts, and icons to bring clarity and hierarchy to side navigation.
Reduced the width of the side navigation to maximize space for main content.
Added a clear “Back to Search” button above the navigation for smoother user flow.
Homepage Layout
Added a customized, prominent CTA in the header to encourage engagement.
Structured main content in grids to emphasize the most important information.
Subpage Layout
Designed a sticky side navigation that stays visible while scrolling and highlights active sections for orientation.
Organized resource-heavy footers into grid layouts to improve scanability and readability.
Secondary Subpage Layout
Used a smaller header on subpages to differentiate them from the homepage and keep content higher on the page.
Table Utilization
Thoughtfully used tables to layout large amounts of information.
Search
Introduced a full-screen search overlay to reduce visual clutter and help users focus.
STEP 4 _ System Foundations & Collaboration
Began development of a new design system including components like the footer.
Footer Redesign
Improved usability by fixing the feedback button, inverting the arrow to remove confusion.
Limited the use of color in links (previously overused), reserving it for icons to reduce distraction.
Rearranged supporting content to make readability easier.
Search efficiency improved by 30%, with users finding relevant results faster and with fewer query refinements.
Navigation success rate increased by 40%, as usability tests showed users completing tasks with greater accuracy.
Higher engagement and satisfaction, with early feedback indicating a clearer, more intuitive experience.
This project reinforced the importance of designing within constraints. Working with a federal platform required balancing user needs, stakeholder priorities, and iterative implementation. I learned the value of delivering meaningful improvements through small, validated steps while laying the groundwork for broader transformation. The experience strengthened my skills in accessibility-first design, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration while keeping millions of users’ trust at the center.
