Stone's Focus on User Experience Design
At Stone, we focus on user experience (UX). We utilize these research and design methods to build exciting, data-driven solutions that meet the needs of the intended users and stakeholders and help clients accomplish important work.
Elevating State and Local Apps
From broadband mapping tools to planning dashboards, we’ve seen firsthand how prioritizing user experience improves the public’s ability to access and act on data. Kirsten Nielsen, our lead UX designer, has been instrumental in translating policy-driven projects into intuitive, user-friendly applications. Here are a few examples:
VTrans Phosphorus Control Plan and Implementation
As part of Vermont’s efforts to address impaired water quality in Lake Champlain, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) aims to reduce phosphorus runoff from its highways and facilities by more than 20% by 2036.
Stone has been helping VTrans meet these regulatory obligations for several years through the development of Phosphorus Control Implementation Plans. Once the plans were developed, VTrans looked to us again for help communicating their progress to both internal and external partners, which resulted in the Esri Hub- and Experience Builder-based website, VTrans Phosphorus Control Plan and Implementation for Lake Champlain.
By concentrating on user experience at the outset of a project and understanding user types and desired outcomes, we developed an application that is routinely used by VTrans staff and others to plan, implement, and track phosphorus reduction measures.
We met with stakeholders and members of intended user groups to gather ideas and define their project requests. User proto-personas were employed to organize the known characteristics of intended users, such as the behaviors and needs of VTrans staff members, consultants, and state legislators.
After sketching ideas on paper, we created wireframes (low-resolution grayscale designs, see image on the left) that allowed us to focus on content strategy and layout. Iterating designs based on stakeholder feedback led to the creation of full-color, high-resolution mockups built and prototyped in Figma.
Kids MapVenture
The New York Department of State Kids MapVenture website is an online geospatial educational tool for students in grades 3 through 6. It leverages ArcGIS Hub, StoryMaps, and Experience Builder to deliver lessons, explore geospatial data, and access educator resources. It is part of the larger New York Geographic Information Gateway.
To ensure the website was intuitive and valuable for kids, we conducted user research with students and educators in New York.
User interviews allowed us to gather key information from participants about their demographics, technology use, and geospatial experience. Usability testing revealed bugs and issues we could improve.
These user research results translated into more efficient content navigation and improved resource organization for classroom educators.
Explore VCBB
The Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) is working toward universal access to broadband in the state. The Explore VCBB website provides background information, resources, maps, tools, and data to help the state, broadband providers, and the public track progress toward the state’s goals, established by Act 71 in 2021.
In 2024 and 2025, prospective funding sub-recipients used an Experience Builder application to submit proposed new or modified project funding areas. It was critical that the tools were easy to use and accompanied by digestible user guidance.
To facilitate a smooth user experience, we developed our user guidance strategy to leverage multiple formats, including a printable guide, a demonstration video, and in-app guidance. In-app guidance includes splash screens to get users started and a click-through guide with instructions and annotated screenshots. Users can download the printable guide from the app, which provides full instructions and contact information for further support.