Rethinking a Website
Project Description
Information Experts created a fresh and exciting look and feel for the Environmental Protection Agency’s RadTown USA website. RadTown USA is an interactive content portal that teaches younger audiences about radiation found in every-day things. We first conducted an analysis of the application’s visual appearance and technical structure and how it compared with today’s industry best practices. Information Experts established a vision for the future state of RadTown USA and incorporated the new goals and requirements the EPA had for the application.
When the time came to renovate RadTown from its Flash-based roots, Information Experts worked closely with EPA to design an engaging world that would inform and educate students through a variety of online interactive elements. The Information Experts design team created a series of scenes to represent the many different regions and locations where radiation sources can be found. These informative vignettes give learners the opportunity to understand radiation in their regions using an engating interface to learn about various topics.
In addition to hand-sketched scenery, Information Experts developed a series of educational activities for use by educators. Each activity set is aligned with common core topic areas and complimented by a series of online education-based games.
The new and improved RadTown USA developed for the EPA
Services
- Custom Illustrated Designs
- Education-based Strategies
- “Gamification” of Complex Topics
- Web Development
- Instructional Design
- Focus Group Facilitation and Logistics
Solution
Information Experts revised the RadTown USA application to be a more valuable and credible educational resource. Focusing on human-centered usability, Information Experts created an online experience that is entertaining and supportive of program objectives. Using our contemporary and vibrant designs, we clarified the message that radiation is a naturally occurring phenomenon, not unlike sunlight, which poses little threat in moderation. The redesign also allows the application to cover additional radiation sources and provide progressively richer content as the application grows.
