Enhancing New Zealand's earthquake information experience

GeoNet website and app

Client

GNS Science, New Zealand

Services

Design Workshops User Research User Experience Design User Interaction Design Mobile Design (iOS and Android)

Industries

Science and technology

Date

2019

Problem

GeoNet is New Zealand's go-to resource for real-time earthquake information. However, as the primary touchpoint for New Zealanders following seismic events, the existing GeoNet website and mobile apps were in need of modernization to improve usability, accessibility, and alignment with contemporary design standards. The challenge was to enhance the user experience across platforms while ensuring the interface remained accessible to a broad audience, including non-technical users seeking clear and actionable information during high-stress situations.

Solution

In collaboration with GNS Science developers, the GeoNet website and mobile apps were redesigned to improve usability, accessibility, and alignment with the brand. For the mobile apps, navigation was simplified, making it more intuitive for users to access key features. Fonts, icons, and colors were updated to enhance accessibility, while components from Material Design and Human Interface Guidelines were introduced for consistency across Android and iOS platforms. For the website, significant improvements were made to the information architecture and visual design. Font sizes were increased for better readability, primary and secondary navigation were clearly differentiated, and distinctive heading styles were applied across all pages to improve content hierarchy. A more modern and interactive user interface was implemented to align with the GeoNet brand and provide users with a seamless experience during critical moments.

www.geonet.org.nz

Key design decisions

Adherence to design guidelines

Incorporated Material Design principles for Android and Human Interface Guidelines for iOS to ensure intuitive user interactions.

Enhanced information architecture

Improved the website’s content hierarchy with distinct navigation layers and larger, more legible font sizes.

Balanced simplicity and functionality

Focused on creating a user-friendly interface while maintaining the scientific integrity of the information presented.

Impact

The updated GeoNet platforms significantly improved the user experience. The iOS app now holds a 4.8-star rating in the App Store, with over 10,000 reviews. Users praised the app for its speed, reliability, and ability to handle large amounts of traffic during seismic events. Non-technical users appreciated how easily the platform presented complex scientific information in a digestible format. The redesigned website and apps ensured GeoNet maintained its role as a trusted resource, enabling New Zealanders to access critical earthquake information quickly and confidently.

Key takeaways

Improved navigation

Simplified navigation systems significantly enhanced the usability of the website and mobile apps, making it easier for users to locate key features.

Accessibility

Updates to fonts, icons, and colours improved accessibility, ensuring the platform could be used by a diverse audience.

Consistency across platforms

By aligning the website and mobile apps with platform-specific design guidelines, the experience felt cohesive and reliable for users.