Google Earth Outreach

2014 - 2016

As part of the Geo team, Earth Outreach helps nonprofits, scientists, teachers, and journalists use Google’s mapping tools to address the world's most pressing problems, e.g. human health, the environment, disaster relief. Projects within these verticals include Google Earth Education, Global Fishing Watch, DiSARM, and more. Each Earth Outreach project has a different set of user groups, from novice to expert, and can appear across a variety of platforms. These projects are most often created in partnership with one or more third-party partner.

As Earth Outreach's lead designer, I saw a unique opportunity to improve experiences and systems for a small (by Google standards) but influential number of expert and hyper-engaged users. I provided scalable support to Earth Outreach's many efforts across their verticals. I focused on sharing user-centered design methods and artifacts with the Earth Outreach team through leading user journey workshops, sharing best practices in summits and tech talks, providing product strategy, design consultations, and creative direction of external design agencies. I also led a small team of 20% designers, researchers, and writers to help across Earth Outreach verticals.

Earth Outreach Site

The Google Earth Outreach site is the go-to place for all resources and case studies a current and potential 3rd party partner might need. Showcasing the latest Google Earth Voyager stories told in partnership with nonprofits and organizations, providing how-to guides, and upcoming events, this site is the hub and public face of the Earth Outreach (Geo For Good) team. In its redesign, it was important to highlight all of this great info and make it easily accessible, while still reflecting Geo and Google's brand.

Global Fishing Watch

Global Fishing Watch is a technology partnership between SkyTruth, Oceana, and Google that is designed to show all trackable fishing activity in the ocean. This interactive website and tool is built to enable anyone to visualize global fishing in space and time. My team and I designed the site and tool with Vizzuality.

Google Earth | Education

Google Maps | Education provides resources to help teachers and students explore, create, and collaborate with mapping tools. With new resources being created, the Google Maps Education team needed to improve usability and update the look and feel to be aligned with other Google marketing sites. My team and I designed the site with R/GA.