NASA Earthdata
Unifying NASA Earth science data
I lead UX strategy and product design for NASA Earthdata, connecting thousands of datasets, tools, and resources into an experience that helps people find the right data, evaluate whether it fits their needs, and understand how to use it.
Timeline
2023 – Present
Role
Senior Product Designer
My Focus
Product Strategy · Research · Information Architecture · Interaction Design · Design System
Collaborators
NASA · Distributed Archive Data Centers · Development & Content Teams
Bringing a fragmented data ecosystem together
The challenge
NASA’s Earthdata platform brings together Earth science data from over a dozen Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), many of which had operated independently for more than a decade with their own navigation patterns, terminology, and dataset page structures. For users, that meant the path to the right data often depended on already knowing where to look and how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
The challenge was not simply helping users find data, but helping them understand what data existed, determine whether it met their needs, and identify the best path to access it. I led the end-to-end design of a unified data product experience that consolidated fragmented dataset discovery pathways into a more consistent, intuitive system within Earthdata.
Product strategy
I defined the strategy for how Earthdata would work as a unified product, creating a shared experience around the decisions users make as they discover, evaluate, access, and use data.
Support multiple discovery paths
Meet users wherever their search for data begins.
Design for evaluation
Help users quickly decide if data fits their needs.
Create consistency across complexity
Use shared patterns without flattening scientific differences.
Connect the ecosystem
Link data to the tools, context, and resources needed to use it.
Project Highlights
I worked on many more projects during my time at NASA; if you're interested in hearing about any of them, reach out to me.
Reframing Data Discovery
Need
Users often had to know which NASA data center, mission, or tool to visit before they could begin looking for data.
Goal
Create discovery paths around how researchers actually look for data, rather than how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
Role
I mapped user journeys across the existing data sites and translated them into a shared information architecture, taxonomy, and discovery model.
Results
Multiple paths into discovery through topics, measurements, missions, instruments, and platforms.
Stronger connections between science content and data across the platform.
More continuous discovery journeys without requiring users to understand where data lived.
Designing the Right Level of Detail
Need
Dataset pages exposed large amounts of technical metadata without making it easy to answer: What is this? Is it relevant? Can I use it?
Goal
Help users evaluate datasets quickly while preserving the scientific depth experienced researchers need.
Role
I prioritized information around user decisions and designed the hierarchy, interaction patterns, and progressive disclosure model.
Results
Faster assessment of dataset relevance before diving into technical detail.
Progressive access to deeper information for more advanced evaluation.
Clearer paths from evaluation to data access without losing context.
Creating Consistency Without Sameness
Need
Data centers needed flexibility to represent very different scientific products, while users needed enough consistency to know where to look and how to interact with each dataset.
Goal
Create a predictable Earthdata experience while preserving the information unique to different types of science data.
Role
I audited content across data centers and designed a flexible framework around shared user needs and dataset-specific content.
Results
Predictable information and interaction patterns across datasets.
Flexibility for specialized scientific content within a shared framework.
A reusable model that could scale across Earthdata’s diverse data catalog.
Making Earth science data easier to use
The resulting Earthdata experience brings previously fragmented data pathways into a more coherent system, helping users not only find relevant data, but understand whether it fits their needs and how to work with it.
Outcomes
12 data experiences → connected product
Created a shared framework that brought independently evolved data experiences into one coherent Earthdata system.
finding data → making data decisions
Designed discovery around helping users find, evaluate, access, and use the right data.
different structures → shared patterns
Established predictable interactions across diverse scientific datasets.
isolated resources → connected paths
Linked data to the tools, context, documentation, and access needed to use it.
Takeaways
Consistency is about expectations, not sameness
A shared system doesn’t require every dataset to look or behave identically. The important part is giving users a predictable model for where to look, what to expect, and how to move forward.
Design the decision, not just the destination
Getting someone to a dataset isn’t the end of discovery. Good data experiences help people decide whether it’s relevant, whether they can use it, and what to do next.
A principle I still design by
Make complex systems predictable without making them simplistic.
NASA Earthdata
Unifying NASA Earth science data
I lead UX strategy and product design for NASA Earthdata, connecting thousands of datasets, tools, and resources into an experience that helps people find the right data, evaluate whether it fits their needs, and understand how to use it.
Timeline
2023 – Present
Role
Senior Product Designer
My Focus
Product Strategy · Research · Information Architecture · Interaction Design · Design System
Collaborators
NASA · Distributed Archive Data Centers · Development & Content Teams
Bringing a fragmented data ecosystem together
The challenge
NASA’s Earthdata platform brings together Earth science data from over a dozen Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), many of which had operated independently for more than a decade with their own navigation patterns, terminology, and dataset page structures. For users, that meant the path to the right data often depended on already knowing where to look and how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
The challenge was not simply helping users find data, but helping them understand what data existed, determine whether it met their needs, and identify the best path to access it. I led the end-to-end design of a unified data product experience that consolidated fragmented dataset discovery pathways into a more consistent, intuitive system within Earthdata.
Product strategy
I defined the strategy for how Earthdata would work as a unified product, creating a shared experience around the decisions users make as they discover, evaluate, access, and use data.
Support multiple discovery paths
Meet users wherever their search for data begins.
Design for evaluation
Help users quickly decide if data fits their needs.
Create consistency across complexity
Use shared patterns without flattening scientific differences.
Connect the ecosystem
Link data to the tools, context, and resources needed to use it.
Project Highlights
I worked on many more projects during my time at NASA; if you're interested in hearing about any of them, reach out to me.
Reframing Data Discovery
Need
Users often had to know which NASA data center, mission, or tool to visit before they could begin looking for data.
Goal
Create discovery paths around how researchers actually look for data, rather than how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
Role
I mapped user journeys across the existing data sites and translated them into a shared information architecture, taxonomy, and discovery model.
Results
Multiple paths into discovery through topics, measurements, missions, instruments, and platforms.
Stronger connections between science content and data across the platform.
More continuous discovery journeys without requiring users to understand where data lived.
Designing the Right Level of Detail
Need
Dataset pages exposed large amounts of technical metadata without making it easy to answer: What is this? Is it relevant? Can I use it?
Goal
Help users evaluate datasets quickly while preserving the scientific depth experienced researchers need.
Role
I prioritized information around user decisions and designed the hierarchy, interaction patterns, and progressive disclosure model.
Results
Faster assessment of dataset relevance before diving into technical detail.
Progressive access to deeper information for more advanced evaluation.
Clearer paths from evaluation to data access without losing context.
Creating Consistency Without Sameness
Need
Data centers needed flexibility to represent very different scientific products, while users needed enough consistency to know where to look and how to interact with each dataset.
Goal
Create a predictable Earthdata experience while preserving the information unique to different types of science data.
Role
I audited content across data centers and designed a flexible framework around shared user needs and dataset-specific content.
Results
Predictable information and interaction patterns across datasets.
Flexibility for specialized scientific content within a shared framework.
A reusable model that could scale across Earthdata’s diverse data catalog.
Making Earth science data easier to use
The resulting Earthdata experience brings previously fragmented data pathways into a more coherent system, helping users not only find relevant data, but understand whether it fits their needs and how to work with it.
Outcomes
12 data experiences → connected product
Created a shared framework that brought independently evolved data experiences into one coherent Earthdata system.
finding data → making data decisions
Designed discovery around helping users find, evaluate, access, and use the right data.
different structures → shared patterns
Established predictable interactions across diverse scientific datasets.
isolated resources → connected paths
Linked data to the tools, context, documentation, and access needed to use it.
Takeaways
Consistency is about expectations, not sameness
A shared system doesn’t require every dataset to look or behave identically. The important part is giving users a predictable model for where to look, what to expect, and how to move forward.
Design the decision, not just the destination
Getting someone to a dataset isn’t the end of discovery. Good data experiences help people decide whether it’s relevant, whether they can use it, and what to do next.
A principle I still design by
Make complex systems predictable without making them simplistic.
NASA Earthdata
Unifying NASA Earth science data
I lead UX strategy and product design for NASA Earthdata, connecting thousands of datasets, tools, and resources into an experience that helps people find the right data, evaluate whether it fits their needs, and understand how to use it.
Timeline
2023 – Present
Role
Senior Product Designer
My Focus
Product Strategy · Research · Information Architecture · Interaction Design · Design System
Collaborators
NASA · Distributed Archive Data Centers · Development & Content Teams
Bringing a fragmented data ecosystem together
The challenge
NASA’s Earthdata platform brings together Earth science data from over a dozen Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), many of which had operated independently for more than a decade with their own navigation patterns, terminology, and dataset page structures. For users, that meant the path to the right data often depended on already knowing where to look and how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
The challenge was not simply helping users find data, but helping them understand what data existed, determine whether it met their needs, and identify the best path to access it. I led the end-to-end design of a unified data product experience that consolidated fragmented dataset discovery pathways into a more consistent, intuitive system within Earthdata.
Product strategy
I defined the strategy for how Earthdata would work as a unified product, creating a shared experience around the decisions users make as they discover, evaluate, access, and use data.
Support multiple discovery paths
Meet users wherever their search for data begins.
Design for evaluation
Help users quickly decide if data fits their needs.
Create consistency across complexity
Use shared patterns without flattening scientific differences.
Connect the ecosystem
Link data to the tools, context, and resources needed to use it.
Project Highlights
I worked on many more projects during my time at NASA; if you're interested in hearing about any of them, reach out to me.
Reframing Data Discovery
Need
Users often had to know which NASA data center, mission, or tool to visit before they could begin looking for data.
Goal
Create discovery paths around how researchers actually look for data, rather than how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
Role
I mapped user journeys across the existing data sites and translated them into a shared information architecture, taxonomy, and discovery model.
Results
Multiple paths into discovery through topics, measurements, missions, instruments, and platforms.
Stronger connections between science content and data across the platform.
More continuous discovery journeys without requiring users to understand where data lived.
Designing the Right Level of Detail
Need
Dataset pages exposed large amounts of technical metadata without making it easy to answer: What is this? Is it relevant? Can I use it?
Goal
Help users evaluate datasets quickly while preserving the scientific depth experienced researchers need.
Role
I prioritized information around user decisions and designed the hierarchy, interaction patterns, and progressive disclosure model.
Results
Faster assessment of dataset relevance before diving into technical detail.
Progressive access to deeper information for more advanced evaluation.
Clearer paths from evaluation to data access without losing context.
Creating Consistency Without Sameness
Need
Data centers needed flexibility to represent very different scientific products, while users needed enough consistency to know where to look and how to interact with each dataset.
Goal
Create a predictable Earthdata experience while preserving the information unique to different types of science data.
Role
I audited content across data centers and designed a flexible framework around shared user needs and dataset-specific content.
Results
Predictable information and interaction patterns across datasets.
Flexibility for specialized scientific content within a shared framework.
A reusable model that could scale across Earthdata’s diverse data catalog.
Making Earth science data easier to use
The resulting Earthdata experience brings previously fragmented data pathways into a more coherent system, helping users not only find relevant data, but understand whether it fits their needs and how to work with it.
Outcomes
12 data experiences → connected product
Created a shared framework that brought independently evolved data experiences into one coherent Earthdata system.
finding data → making data decisions
Designed discovery around helping users find, evaluate, access, and use the right data.
different structures → shared patterns
Established predictable interactions across diverse scientific datasets.
isolated resources → connected paths
Linked data to the tools, context, documentation, and access needed to use it.
Takeaways
Consistency is about expectations, not sameness
A shared system doesn’t require every dataset to look or behave identically. The important part is giving users a predictable model for where to look, what to expect, and how to move forward.
Design the decision, not just the destination
Getting someone to a dataset isn’t the end of discovery. Good data experiences help people decide whether it’s relevant, whether they can use it, and what to do next.
A principle I still design by
Make complex systems predictable without making them simplistic.
NASA Earthdata
Unifying NASA Earth science data
I lead UX strategy and product design for NASA Earthdata, connecting thousands of datasets, tools, and resources into an experience that helps people find the right data, evaluate whether it fits their needs, and understand how to use it.
Timeline
2023 – Present
Role
Senior Product Designer
My Focus
Product Strategy · Research · Information Architecture · Interaction Design · Design System
Collaborators
NASA · Distributed Archive Data Centers · Development & Content Teams
Bringing a fragmented data ecosystem together
The challenge
NASA’s Earthdata platform brings together Earth science data from over a dozen Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs), many of which had operated independently for more than a decade with their own navigation patterns, terminology, and dataset page structures. For users, that meant the path to the right data often depended on already knowing where to look and how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
The challenge was not simply helping users find data, but helping them understand what data existed, determine whether it met their needs, and identify the best path to access it. I led the end-to-end design of a unified data product experience that consolidated fragmented dataset discovery pathways into a more consistent, intuitive system within Earthdata.
Product strategy
I defined the strategy for how Earthdata would work as a unified product, creating a shared experience around the decisions users make as they discover, evaluate, access, and use data.
Support multiple discovery paths
Meet users wherever their search for data begins.
Design for evaluation
Help users quickly decide if data fits their needs.
Create consistency across complexity
Use shared patterns without flattening scientific differences.
Connect the ecosystem
Link data to the tools, context, and resources needed to use it.
Project Highlights
I worked on many more projects during my time at NASA; if you're interested in hearing about any of them, reach out to me.
Reframing Data Discovery
Need
Users often had to know which NASA data center, mission, or tool to visit before they could begin looking for data.
Goal
Create discovery paths around how researchers actually look for data, rather than how NASA’s data ecosystem was organized.
Role
I mapped user journeys across the existing data sites and translated them into a shared information architecture, taxonomy, and discovery model.
Results
Multiple paths into discovery through topics, measurements, missions, instruments, and platforms.
Stronger connections between science content and data across the platform.
More continuous discovery journeys without requiring users to understand where data lived.
Designing the Right Level of Detail
Need
Dataset pages exposed large amounts of technical metadata without making it easy to answer: What is this? Is it relevant? Can I use it?
Goal
Help users evaluate datasets quickly while preserving the scientific depth experienced researchers need.
Role
I prioritized information around user decisions and designed the hierarchy, interaction patterns, and progressive disclosure model.
Results
Faster assessment of dataset relevance before diving into technical detail.
Progressive access to deeper information for more advanced evaluation.
Clearer paths from evaluation to data access without losing context.
Creating Consistency Without Sameness
Need
Data centers needed flexibility to represent very different scientific products, while users needed enough consistency to know where to look and how to interact with each dataset.
Goal
Create a predictable Earthdata experience while preserving the information unique to different types of science data.
Role
I audited content across data centers and designed a flexible framework around shared user needs and dataset-specific content.
Results
Predictable information and interaction patterns across datasets.
Flexibility for specialized scientific content within a shared framework.
A reusable model that could scale across Earthdata’s diverse data catalog.
Making Earth science data easier to use
The resulting Earthdata experience brings previously fragmented data pathways into a more coherent system, helping users not only find relevant data, but understand whether it fits their needs and how to work with it.
Outcomes
12 data experiences → connected product
Created a shared framework that brought independently evolved data experiences into one coherent Earthdata system.
finding data → making data decisions
Designed discovery around helping users find, evaluate, access, and use the right data.
different structures → shared patterns
Established predictable interactions across diverse scientific datasets.
isolated resources → connected paths
Linked data to the tools, context, documentation, and access needed to use it.
Takeaways
Consistency is about expectations, not sameness
A shared system doesn’t require every dataset to look or behave identically. The important part is giving users a predictable model for where to look, what to expect, and how to move forward.
Design the decision, not just the destination
Getting someone to a dataset isn’t the end of discovery. Good data experiences help people decide whether it’s relevant, whether they can use it, and what to do next.
A principle I still design by
Make complex systems predictable without making them simplistic.