Designing a CKAN-powered Data Hub

The Texas Water Data Hub was a concept to make statewide water data accessible for researchers, policymakers, and the public. When the project lost its engineering team, I took ownership of the design strategy and led usability testing to better understand user needs. My research uncovered redundant workflows in the data intake process and identified usability pain points in CKAN, the open-source platform powering the Hub. This led to a collaboration with CKAN’s core developers, transforming not just the Hub, but CKAN’s global ecosystem.

I synthesized over 1,100 data points from existing in-context research through affinity mapping to identify critical pain points and inform design criteria.

I led stakeholder workshops and created an MVP matrix to prioritize features and align the team and stakeholders across the nation on the project vision.

I analyzed CKAN’s release notes and documentation to understand its functionality.

I conducted market research on other organizations using CKAN like data.gov, africaopendata.org, and opendata.dk.

I ran usability tests on CKAN’s out-of-the-box instance, uncovering inefficiencies in the data intake flow.

I proposed a data-first upload process, automating metadata parsing to streamline manual workflows.

I shared my usability insights with CKAN’s core developers, highlighting specific pain points and opportunities for optimization.

I partnered with CKAN engineers to implement backend changes that streamlined workflows globally.

This project went beyond the Water Data Hub, driving innovation for a platform used by governments and organizations worldwide. But to list a few things:

Optimized manual entry for data contributors, improving efficiency and reducing input errors.

Created a collaborative community of stakeholders from local towns to out-of-state agencies to improve data accessibility and foster cross-sector dialogue.

Made a lasting contribution to CKAN’s open-source software, impacting data management globally.

This project taught me the power of turning constraints into opportunities. By leveraging research, usability testing, and strategic collaboration, I was able to drive meaningful change both locally and globally. It reinforced my belief in designing with both immediate users and long-term impact in mind.