Empowering Communities to Lead Climate Solutions

Overview

EJ TCTAC ( Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers) Website Network helps low-income environment communities get funding to deal with climate change and environmental damage. These communities have the solutions. They just need support and we are here to help.

Role

Designer

Client & Duration

AtmaConnect & U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Nov,2024 (2 weeks)

Background

Many community groups and climate activists in the US are already doing important work to fight climate change, but often, they face a major barrier : lack of funding. This website was created as a response to that need. As a redesigned version of the previous site, it aims to be more inclusive, accessible, and supportive for all communities working toward a cleaner, safer future.

Goal

The goal of this project is to provide more communities and climate activists with better access to funding for their environmental efforts.

Problem

The previous website navigation made it difficult for many users, particularly community members and climate advocates, to find the resources they needed.

• It wasn’t easy to find clear info on how to access for funding or grants

• People didn’t always know where to look for regional support or who to reach out to for help
  
  

To apply for a grant, users must be redirected to the "Grants.gov" website — this process cannot be replaced.

Defining the Problem

Finding and understanding grant information can be confusing, especially for communities who need it most. Complex navigation, scattered resources, and unclear steps often stand in the way. So i framed the problem as :

How might we design more inclusive information about Grants to solve navigation issues for all users?

Design Process

I analyzed the navigation and other supporting elements related to grant visibility on benchmark websites. Here’s what I found

Analysis on EPA website

Organizing infrastructure

I created a simple mind map to identify the key needs and information that should be displayed for users and be relevant to them. This mind map helped me organize a more structured and intuitive Information Architecture.

Design Result

Now here comes the fun part. The EJ TCTAC website design, made to be more intuitive and easy to navigate.

Impact

We’ve been measuring how the website is improving access to grants and support. While the data tells a positive story, we’ve excluded some values to ensure privacy and confidentiality are preserved.

Reflection

Working on this project gave me the chance to design a clearer and more inclusive Information Architecture. It also taught me the value of collaborating with stakeholders across different levels, national and regional. You can access the website here

It’s been a meaningful experience to help empower communities by making funding more visible and accessible for them.