International Peace Gardens

Built a financial education platform from scratch, using research-driven design to create clear user flows, accessible content, and a trustworthy, intuitive experience.

UX Case Study

The International Peace Gardens, located in Salt Lake City’s Jordan Park, are free and open to the public. They represent the botanical and cultural diversity of 26 nations, offering immersive experiences through curated gardens, events, and educational opportunities. From Japanese tea houses to Greek sculptures, the gardens are a vibrant symbol of global unity.

The existing website lacked clarity, interactivity, and visual appeal. Essential information like hours, directions, and events was buried or hard to find. The design felt outdated and uninspiring, and the Donate button was practically invisible, a major issue for a public garden reliant on support.

Year
2025

Client
International Peace Gardens

Challenges Identified

Goals & Objectives

Key Insights

Outdated visual design that doesn’t reflect the beauty of the gardens

  1. Confusing navigation with no clear hierarchy

  2. No engaging multimedia content to tell the gardens’ story

  3. Homepage image too large and dark, overwhelming users

  4. Minimal information about each country’s contribution

  5. No sidebar or quick-scroll navigation, making exploration difficult

Results

Improve site usability and accessibility for diverse visitors

  1. Boost attendance and increase community engagement

  2. Highlight the cultural and educational value of the gardens

  3. Increase donations by building trust through better design

  4. Add interactive features to make exploration more dynamic

Overuse of buttons and colors diluted the user flow

A cluttered interface and lack of interactive content made users feel lost and disconnected from the site’s purpose. A/B testing revealed users preferred cleaner layouts, simplified navigation, and more vibrant visuals that mirror the experience of visiting the gardens in person.

  1. Collaborate with stakeholders to implement the redesign

  2. Develop an interactive garden map for on-site and remote users

  3. Create individual pages for each nation, featuring their garden photos and histories

  4. Launch a campaign to reintroduce the gardens through the new site

Next Steps

Home Page

About Page & Donate

Solutions We Implemented

Redesigned Information Architecture: Streamlined the nav bar with grouped, intuitive categories (Visit, Nations, Events, Donate)

  1. Modernized Visuals: Applied a vibrant, nature-inspired color palette and updated typography for better readability and emotional tone

  2. Interactive Nation Cards: Users can explore each nation’s garden with photos, cultural facts, and event highlights

  3. Improved Event Calendar: Simplified upcoming events layout with filters for families, cultural nights, and holidays

  4. Clear Calls to Action: Bold Donate and Visit buttons placed strategically for better visibility and conversions

  5. Responsive Layout: Fully optimized for mobile, tablets, and desktop

  6. Future Features Planned: Interactive garden map, video tours, and multilingual support

Home Page

Visits Page

MOBILE

About Page

Nav Menu

Improved navigation clarity led to longer session durations

  1. Increased interest in events with simplified layout and filters

  2. Higher visibility of donation flow thanks to bolder CTAs

  3. Boosted emotional engagement through visuals and storytelling

  4. User feedback indicated a stronger connection to the mission and desire to visit in person

DESKTOP

AFTER SCREENSHOTS

PROJECT OVERVIEW

BEFORE SCREENSHOTS