DoD STEM
DoD STEM’s mission is to inspire, cultivate, and develop exceptional STEM talent through a continuum of opportunities.
Client
Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
Roles
Communication and Design Strategy, Lead UI/UX Designer, Creative Director, Visual Designer
Date
March 2020 - Present
Visit the Site
About
The Department of Defense (DoD) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program attracts, inspires, and develops exceptional STEM talent across the education continuum to enrich the current and future DoD workforce to meet defense technological challenges. As part of the Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC), a $100 million federal investment, my organization oversees the consortium of over 20+ partners working towards the growth of STEM education in grades K-20.
As the Creative Lead for the communications and outreach efforts of both DoD STEM and DSEC, I guide the team tasked with increasing user engagement and amplifying collaboration of the DSEC partners. My role encompasses leading the team, product management and strategy, UX research, UI and UX design, visual identity and branding, event planning and logistics, and strategizing on efforts to further enhance and promote DoD STEM's programs while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders.
Role
The future of STEM is in the next generation of students.
The primary goal of the DoD STEM website is to provide STEM opportunities and resources to students and educators to spark interest in STEM by increasing awareness of STEM careers and provide educators with tools for bringing STEM in the classroom.
I led the redesign of an updated website to appeal to a broad audience of varying age groups which incorporated a new visual identity. I oversaw the creation of social media accounts and created an application portal for grant submissions. To increase collaboration with the DSEC partners, I designed an online community platform for information and resource sharing. As we continue to make enhancements to the site and various portals, I collaborate and provide feedback to my team of UI, UX, and accessibility designers.
The new site strategically positioned DoD STEM as a source for information on STEM opportunities and careers for students and educators. I also streamlined the application process for grant submissions for both the end users and the client. Our team collaborated with partners to improve the efficiency of event tracking, data collection, and resource sharing. Since the initial redesign, two other DoD agencies have emulated the overall structure of this site for their STEM sites.
Results
475%
After the redesigned site launched, website traffic increased by 475% with over 9,000 user visits and over 18,000 page views.
60K+
Redesigned the "Opportunities" section of the site in 2023, resulting in over 60,000 page views, a 32% increase from the prior year.
1 Million+
DoD STEM reached 1,075,499 students across the United States through the website and education and outreach programs.
40K+
DoD STEM reached 40,288 students across the United States through the website and education and outreach programs.
Components
Process
How do we increase the number of students in the STEM field and build awareness of DoD STEM?
Our process began with research, I initially performed a heuristic evaluation of the previous DoD STEM website to identify usability and accessibility issues. Our team evaluated the current STEM landscape to inform decisions around the new site structure. Low fidelity wireframes were created as well as mood boards to guide the visual direction of the site. I work directly with our development team to ensure feasibility of new features, and to build our new design components. The site is constantly being updated based on user feedback, client needs, and website optimization software.
Process Flow
Heuristic Review, Site Map, and User Flow
Wireframes
Visual Concepts
Robotics Grantee Portal
Social Media
Our team launched DoD STEM’s social media presence on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn in early 2021. Our engagement rates have grown organically throughout the years. From September 2022 through August 2023, the team published more than 1,000 social media posts that reached more than 135,000 users across Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
Events
As part of the Communications and Outreach team, I support events for educators and students that create engaging experiences and drive interest in STEM. I oversee the strategy and creative direction for creating interactive booth spaces, promotional items, and campaigns including custom event landing pages and social media.
Below are images of the 2024 FIRST Robotics World Championship in Houston, TX. DoD STEM sponsors K-12 teams throughout the year with robotics grants. During the championship, we recognize the DoD STEM sponsored teams and have a booth at the Innovation Faire. Through this, we raise awareness of the robust set of STEM opportunities that DoD STEM offers. Our challenge is creating an experience that students will want to interact with on a small budget.
DSEC
Building a network of STEM partners to increase reach.
The Defense STEM Education Consortium (DSEC) is funded by DoD STEM and I oversee the creative direction as well as digital collaboration tools. In creating the visual identity of DSEC, it was important for the Consortium's identity to relate back to the DoD STEM brand while also maintaining its own look and feel.
To aid with the efficient management of the consortium's numerous outreach events and to increase collaboration amongst the partners, my team created a private platform that tracks events and corresponding data, and also has a community of practice. My team also supports the consortium by creating reports, presentations, and other materials to show the outcomes of this impactful program.
STEM oN The Go Vehicle
DSEC Annual Review Report
DSEC Alumni Studies Report
DSEC Presentation Slides
