CLIENT PROJECT
| 2025–PRESENT · TNO / EGDI
EGDI
European Geological Data Infrastructure
Making complex geological data easier to find, navigate, and explore.
30+
National Geological Survey Organisations
Across a pan-European stakeholder ecosystem.
5 ➞ 2
primary discovery journeys
Consolidating fragmented access flows around clearer user intent.
6
workshop participants
Cross-disciplinary stakeholder validation.
01
Overview
Shaping a clearer product system for European geological data
EGDI is a pan-European platform for discovering and exploring geological data. Working within a three-designer team, I focused on clarifying how users enter and move through the platform, consolidating five fragmented access flows into two primary discovery journeys, and shaping a clearer information architecture across search, map exploration, and thematic discovery.
Rather than treating individual pages as isolated redesigns, we structured them as parts of one product system: entry routes should reflect user intent, search and map exploration should share stable interaction patterns, and thematic content should provide a more guided path into geological data.
Role
UX/UI Designer — Freelance Consultant
Client
TNO · European Geological Data Infrastructure
Scope
UX strategy, information architecture, interaction design, workshop facilitation, visual direction, implementation support
Project Status
Design phase delivered · implementation support
02
Product Problem
Three recurring breakdowns made the platform harder to enter and navigate
Reviewing the legacy experience revealed three recurring issues: unclear starting points, overloaded work surfaces, and inconsistent interaction patterns between search and map exploration.
Together, these breakdowns made it harder for users to understand where to begin, what to do next, and how different parts of the platform related to one another.
03
Design Strategy
From disconnected tools to an intent-led platform model
Instead of treating the Homepage, Data Search, Map Viewer, and thematic content as separate redesign tasks, we reframed the platform around three discovery intents: finding data quickly, exploring spatial information, and browsing geological themes.
My contribution focused on translating fragmented access patterns and user needs into two clearer discovery journeys, then using these journeys to align the platform’s main entry points and information architecture.
04
Homepage Experience
Separate entry paths for distinct user intents
The legacy homepage offered several competing entry points without clearly communicating how they differed. We redesigned the homepage around clearer entry routes rather than a single undifferentiated starting point. Expert users could move directly into Data Search or Map Viewer, while broader users could enter through thematic content before progressing into more technical tools.
05
Data Search
Reframing search as a stable work surface
Once the entry logic was clearer, the next challenge was making search itself easier to scan and work within. We reorganised Data Search into three persistent functional zones for filters, results, and metadata preview.
The structure reduced context switching, allowed users to inspect metadata without losing their place in the result list, and gave engineering a clearer, more scalable foundation for implementation.
06
Map Exploration
Unifying map exploration with search logic
Map exploration previously relied on a long, hidden layer list that made discovery and configuration difficult. We introduced a searchable Layer Catalogue and a persistent Layer Control panel, bringing the interaction model closer to Data Search.
Users could discover, add, and configure layers through a more consistent workflow, reducing the sense that the Map Viewer was a separate tool and strengthening coherence across the platform.
07
Validation
Testing the direction with international stakeholders
To evaluate the redesigned experience, we defined three representative user flows spanning the platform’s core interfaces and presented them at the Geological Survey of Slovenia’s biannual meeting.
I facilitated a two-hour workshop with six participants across project management, development, and geology, using the flows and Mentimeter prompts to capture qualitative feedback in real time.
Feedback supported the three-column Data Search structure and surfaced concrete priorities for improving map controls and interaction feedback.
08
Outcome & Reflection
A clearer platform foundation for implementation
The redesign moved EGDI from a fragmented legacy experience toward a more coherent product system for geological data discovery.
Across the work, we consolidated fragmented entry routes into two primary discovery journeys and established more consistent interaction patterns across search, map exploration, and thematic discovery.
The work also established reusable interface patterns that could support more consistent implementation as the wider platform evolves.
Shared Product Direction
Stakeholders aligned around clearer entry routes and a more coherent relationship across search, map exploration, and thematic discovery.
Design Direction Supported
Feedback supported the three-column Data Search structure as a clearer way to review and discuss complex metadata.
Actionable Iteration Priorities
The workshop identified concrete improvements for map controls, layer configuration, and interaction feedback in the next design cycle.
Implementation Foundation
Reusable layouts, components, typography tokens, and interaction patterns created a more consistent basis for development.
Client Perspective
"Poyang was crucial in translating our complex conceptual goals into tangible, user-friendly solutions. His work significantly enhanced the usability and accessibility of the EGDI platform—the heart of the GSEU programme."
— Francesco Pizzocolo, TNO Senior Programme Manager
What this project strengthened
01 — Translating across disciplines
Turning geological and technical requirements into clearer information structures and interaction models.
02 — Leading through ambiguity
Driving design decisions independently while aligning with project, development, and domain stakeholders.
03 — Designing for scalability
Using reusable patterns to support future datasets, pages, and implementation work.
