Anusha Thalnerkar

Sift

An AI-integrated open source platform for seamless search and collaboration with forest restoration practitioners.

Overview

Consisting of 2,400 members, including volunteers, scientists, engineers, Collaborative Earth is a non-profit organization which operate in various ecological regeneration labs to create pathways for social and ecological regeneration.

Team

Product Designers, Organization Lead, Data Scientists and Mentors

Company

Collaborative Earth

role

0-1 - UX Design - Product Strategy - Design Systems

Role

I designed a 0–1 web platform, conducting research and usability testing with participants across the globe, synthesizing insights, defining user flows and interactions. Created a design system to maintain a cohesive visual language.

problem

Sifting through sparse information is a challenge for forest regeneration practitioners

We received a brief from Collaborative Earth with the mission to review and synthesize data due to the abundance of unpublished research, documents, and case studies, some of which are in non-English formats.

Evidence from the team

Practitioners, Data Scientists, and Project Teams all relied on this and many other sheets, but couldn't trace sources, verify accuracy or find it difficult to what they needed

Solution

AI-integrated open-source platform for forest restorations, enabling quicker review of research papers.

The project resulted in an open-source repository that uses artificial intelligence to enhance planning and collaboration by providing insights, community knowledge, resources, and mapping tools.

how we approached

Smart search engine

Searching for case studies and publications based on the location in the implementation stage provides valuable and accessible resources.

AI-integrated resource review

Users can upload resources to quickly generate and analyze insights by leveraging AI, enabling more efficient paper reviews.

Annotate & collaborate

Practitioners can save resources in the workspace, collaborate with team members, and have discussions all in one place.

Smart search engine

Searching for case studies and publications based on the location in the implementation stage provides valuable and accessible resources.

AI-integrated resource review

Users can upload resources to quickly generate and analyze insights by leveraging AI, enabling more efficient paper reviews.

Annotate & collaborate

Practitioners can save resources in the workspace, collaborate with team members, and have discussions all in one place.

solution sneak peek

synthesis from research

What could we make better, and what was missing?

We conducted primary research on the contents of gray literature, exploring their current data usage and methods, and distilled our findings as follows.

how we approached

Overlooked metrics on tools and community impact

Practitioners tend to look for certain tools and resources. Metrics like income and well-being of local communities are often overlooked, but crucial for project success.

Lack of universal tool

There is a lack of one universal tool that aggregates key features for restoration practitioners.

Challenges in quick literature scanning and documentation

It is challenging for practitioners to efficiently scan literature, in short time periods.

synthesis from research

Using the insights, we brainstormed ideas centered on information accuracy and progress tracking for volunteers and practitioners, generating four distinct directions.

What didn't work out as expected?

Concept 1

The search bar was designed for all-in-one functionality, but stakeholders preferred a feature-rich, transparent version with essential functions and AI integration for enhanced search refinement.

Concept 1

The search bar was designed for all-in-one functionality, but stakeholders preferred a feature-rich, transparent version with essential functions and AI integration for enhanced search refinement.

Concept 1

The search bar was designed for all-in-one functionality, but stakeholders preferred a feature-rich, transparent version with essential functions and AI integration for enhanced search refinement.

Concept 2

The tool offers links, resources, and case studies as a repository. They cannot host their projects due to insufficient resources and the need for additional setup from the organization.

Concept 2

The tool offers links, resources, and case studies as a repository. They cannot host their projects due to insufficient resources and the need for additional setup from the organization.

Concept 2

The tool offers links, resources, and case studies as a repository. They cannot host their projects due to insufficient resources and the need for additional setup from the organization.

Concept 3

AI will be integrated into the platform's backend to generate content, summarize papers, and account for users' locations, but the smart search engine will not feature conversational design which is better suited like ChatGPT.

Concept 3

solution

Use Case 1 : When a user switches to a more expensive sync mode

A contextual warning modal surfaces before the user commits, giving them enough context to make an informed choice without leaving the flow

Use Case 1 : When a user switches to a more expensive sync mode

A contextual warning modal surfaces before the user commits, giving them enough context to make an informed choice without leaving the flow

Use Case 1 : When a user switches to a more expensive sync mode

A contextual warning modal surfaces before the user commits, giving them enough context to make an informed choice without leaving the flow

Use Case 2 : When configuration changes need a one-time data refresh

Instead of letting the change go unnoticed, the system proactively tells users how many streams are affected and recommends a one-time refresh over a permanent setting change

Use Case 2 : When configuration changes need a one-time data refresh

Instead of letting the change go unnoticed, the system proactively tells users how many streams are affected and recommends a one-time refresh over a permanent setting change

Use Case 2 : When configuration changes need a one-time data refresh

Instead of letting the change go unnoticed, the system proactively tells users how many streams are affected and recommends a one-time refresh over a permanent setting change

impact and takeaways

Hierarchy

Information hierarchy was the key. We wanted users to understand the reason for the warning without overwhelming them with too much information.

Impact

User testing showed this approach reduced support tickets and minimized disruptions. Designing the warning for the companies ensured there’s balance for both users and business needs.

Action

Actionable CTAs were critical. Rather than highlighting that users were on the wrong path, we provided the best options to configure settings, paying close attention to button semantics.

Hierarchy

Information hierarchy was the key. We wanted users to understand the reason for the warning without overwhelming them with too much information.

Impact

User testing showed this approach reduced support tickets and minimized disruptions. Designing the warning for the companies ensured there’s balance for both users and business needs.

Action

Actionable CTAs were critical. Rather than highlighting that users were on the wrong path, we provided the best options to configure settings, paying close attention to button semantics.

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