Mission-critical resource database and website
Imagine state residents who need immediate access to critical health and human services information and struggle to access state, local, and not-for-profit agencies’ services.
The panic, the frustration. By being unable to reliably, quickly, and readily access NJ211’s centralized human service agencies’ database and website, NJ residents kept missing opportunities to access mission-critical information and guidance.
Working closely with NJ211’s digital team, Square360 developed bespoke solutions that boosted the reliability and usability of NJ211’s critical health and human services digital resources.
The Results:
- Improved user engagement, with visitors exploring more content, staying longer, and returning more frequently
- Stronger overall performance demonstrated by significant gains across key performance indicators
- Increased mobile usage driven by the redesign
The Challenge
The problems hindering NJ211’s ability to deliver reliable, accessible, and user-friendly information about community resources to those seeking help included:
Unreliability of the Resource Database
New Jersey citizens in need should be able to find community resources at any time, day or night, using the NJ211 website. The previous resource database platform could not reliably deliver to this high standard, with its reliance on a traditionally structured external database leading to slow performance and downtime risks
Inefficient and ineffective Search functions
Users faced numerous obstacles when searching for critical resources. Information was stored across multiple systems and the lack of an integrative approach to organizing structured and unstructured data complicated search accuracy. NJ211’s dependence on industry terms to categorize resources made it difficult for laypeople to find what they were looking for quickly.
Cluttered User Interface
NJ211’s website was challenging to navigate, particularly for users in stressful situations. An overly busy UI, poor mobile accessibility, and poor content strategy limited the platform’s effectiveness. Attempts to balance stakeholder priorities with user needs on the homepage created further usability challenges.
Inefficient Stakeholder Support
Human service agencies depend on an accurate and updated NJ211 dataset to inform their clients. Still, agency representatives faced an antiquated process to update listings, which burdened staff and reduced the platform’s value to NJ residents when the information wasn’t dependable.
The Solution
From discovery through launch, we worked closely with NJ211 to implement custom-tailored solutions to transform this perceived directory service into a reliable, holistic, and user-friendly resource for NJ residents.
Dynamic Data Lake
We built a new centralized repository to address search issues and ensure seamless, fast, and reliable access to critical resources that automatically filter information based on user location. This all-encompassing data lake integrates structured data from the iCarol database with unstructured website content, parsing and normalizing records for optimized searches. The added facet of geolocation enables users to narrow search results further. With its independence and scalability, the data lake ensures reliable performance even when external systems are offline. It provides NJ211 with a robust, future-proof solution that reduces downtime risks and supports future growth, underscoring Square360’s dedication to delivering reliable, scalable solutions.
Intuitive and Holistic Search
Search We developed a modern, responsive search function that went beyond answering the immediate question by aggregating data from multiple sources to provide more resources and options to users. These tailored results encouraged a deeper exploration of available services and improved outcomes for citizens. The auto-complete feature accelerates efforts to find relevant information, which is especially helpful to users facing a crisis.
Content Strategy Transformation
To support NJ211’s content strategy emphasizing high-value topics, we revamped the IA and introduced new content types, “Stories” and “Initiatives.” We also established a synonym-based taxonomy to make industry-specific technical content accessible through everyday language. This strategic realignment ensures that much-needed resources are easy to find.
Stress-Free Design and Enhanced Engagement
Recognizing the challenges faced by NJ211’s audience, we embraced a minimalist design philosophy to reduce cognitive load and improve usability. The mobile-first interface prioritizes clarity and simplicity, creating a calm user experience that fosters further exploration. Flexible layout components enable NJ211’s team to balance user needs with stakeholder visibility, ensuring the site effectively serves diverse audiences.
Streamlined Agency Tools
NJ211 desperately needed help managing a vast amount of mission-critical information. Incorrect or outdated information could frustrate stressedout users or leave a family in the cold. The solution we developed empowers human service agency representatives to manage their listings directly, significantly reducing administrative delays and errors. This streamlined approach increased operational efficiency and strengthened trust between NJ211 and its partner agencies.
The Results
The redesign led to improvements in several key performance indicators (KPIs), including: