Tree of Life Explorer – Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Role
- UX & UI Design
- Type
- Web Application
- Result
- 85% increase in users
- Website
- treeoflife.kew.org
Overview
Kew Gardens completed a remarkable research achievement — an interactive explorer allowing scientists and enthusiasts to browse the tree of life for over 10,000 genera of flowering plants. However very few people were using it. I was tasked with finding out why, and fixing it.
The problem
How do you know, what you don’t know?
The Tree of Life Explorer is a web application built by Kew Gardens, to give access to the tree of life for over 10,000 genera of plants, as well as the DNA sequence data behind it. The brief centred on a core set of questions about the Explorer’s audience and reach.
- Who is using the Explorer, and do they reflect our target audience?
- How are users actually using it, and what do they find most useful?
- Who isn’t using the Explorer?
- Is there something preventing it from being used?
My approach
From data analysis to user interviews
My approach moved through four stages: quantitative data analysis, a market survey, one-on-one user interviews, and finally a design response informed by everything the research uncovered.
I began with Google Analytics, event tracking, and heatmaps to build a picture of how the website was being used and which areas were most visited. In parallel, I placed a survey on Plants of the World Online (POWO) – Kew’s most visited science resource – to assess the size of the potential market and gauge awareness of the Explorer. The findings from both then directly shaped a series of one-on-one user interviews, allowing me to target the conversations around the key areas of the Explorer, before moving on to designing the solution.
01
Data analysis
Google Analytics, event tracking & heatmap analysis
02
Market survey
Placed on POWO to gauge awareness & audience interest
03
User interviews
5 one-on-one sessions targeting key research questions
04
Design
New discoverability features and usability improvements
From the survey
The majority of users didn’t know it existed
In order to gauge interest, I realised we could take advantage of POWO, Kew’s most visited science website, by placing a short survey with three questions: whether users would be interested in accessing the Tree of Life data, whether they knew the Explorer existed, and, since it was assumed the Explorer was aimed toward more technical users, what level of scientific qualifications they had.
The survey results were surprising. Users across all levels of scientific background, from casual enthusiasts to PhD researchers, had a high interest in the tree of life. But the majority of potential users had no idea the Explorer existed.
The survey included a link to the Explorer at the end. It was only live for a single day before reaching its respondent limit, but in that one day, visits to the Explorer increased fivefold.
79%
of surveyed users were interested or very interested in viewing the tree of life and its supporting DNA data
59%
of users had no idea the Explorer already existed — regardless of their level of scientific knowledge
5x
increase in Explorer visits on the single day the survey was live — confirming discoverability as the core problem
User interviews
Key insights from speaking to users
Based on the data from the analytics research, I conducted five one-on-one user interviews with users from different organisations. Each session was targeted at the key areas identified in the prior research, and covered the user’s backgrounds, how they interacted with the Explorer, and any difficulties they encountered whilst using it.
The interviews allowed me to understand the qualitative experience — how other scientists were using the Explorer to aid their own research, specific use cases, and the features users valued most or may have struggled with.
The solution
Translating research into design
The research pointed to a clear root cause: discoverability. Users who would benefit from the Explorer simply had no way of finding it or even knew it existed. My response targeted three areas: connecting POWO’s extensive audience to the Explorer, making navigation between Kew’s Science platforms seamless, and improving the Explorer itself based on direct user feedback.
Classification section on POWO
Although the tree of life data existed within Kew’s ecosystem, Plants of the World Online, their most visited science platform, made no use of it. I designed a dedicated classification section within POWO, directly surfacing and linking to the Explorer. The result benefitted both platforms, bringing new content to POWO, and extra visibility to the Explorer.
App Switcher
To make navigation between Kew’s science platforms seamless, I designed and implemented an App Switcher — an icon placed next to the logo that allows users to view and easily switch between other Kew Science websites. A small addition, but a significant improvement to the discoverability of what Kew Science has to offer.
Broader tree views
The existing Explorer only allowed users to browse the tree of life at a species level. Based on interview feedback, I worked with the development team to introduce higher-level views at the order and family level, giving researchers a much broader perspective on plant relationships at a glance.
Filterable DNA data table
Users flagged that navigating the DNA data table was cumbersome when working with large datasets. I introduced filtering functionality, allowing users to quickly narrow down results and find the specific data they needed — significantly reducing friction for researchers doing detailed work.
The outcome
85% increase in users
By connecting POWO’s existing audience to the Tree of Life Explorer via the App Switcher and a new classification section, the number of users accessing the Explorer grew by 85%. It also had an affect on the rest of Kew’s science websites, resulting in higher engagement across the board.
72%
of respondents liked or loved the App Switcher
77%
agreed or strongly agreed it helped them discover what else Kew Science has to offer
100%
would like to see the App Switcher rolled out across all other Kew Science websites
Recognition
Following the success of the project, I was invited by the Head of Science to present to over 100 staff members, to demonstrate how data and analytics can be used to enhance the services Kew offers.