How A Website Redesign Helped Texans Prepare for Disasters

In an era of increasing climate threats and natural disasters, access to timely and accurate information can mean the difference between safety and catastrophe. The Texas General Land Office (GLO), responsible for managing state lands and leading disaster recovery efforts, recognized the need to overhaul its disaster preparedness website. With a mission to serve Texans efficiently during crises, GLO partnered with Proscalar to create a more user-friendly and accessible platform.

The Challenge: An Outdated and Complex System

Before the redesign, the GLO disaster preparedness website struggled with several key issues:

• Complex Audience Needs – The site served a diverse user base, from emergency responders to residents seeking evacuation information.
• Outdated Information Architecture – The site’s structure made it difficult to navigate, especially in high-stress situations.
• Compliance with Legal and Regulatory Standards – As a state agency, the website needed to meet strict accessibility and security requirements.

The Strategy: A Research-Driven Redesign

Proscalar took a user-first approach to redesign the site, ensuring that critical information was easy to find and access. The team:

• Conducted thorough user research to understand the needs of both the public and key stakeholders.
• Improved site navigation to allow for faster access to emergency resources.
• Designed intuitive wireframes and added a video carousel for better engagement.
• Implemented a responsive design that works seamlessly across devices, ensuring mobile users—who are often in the most urgent situations—could quickly get the help they needed.

The Results: More Traffic, More Accessibility

The impact of the redesign was immediate and significant.

More Visits: Before the redesign, the website averaged 6,568 visits per month. Post-redesign, traffic soared, reaching 52,028 visits in August 2023—a testament to the improved usability and critical nature of the content.

Better Mobile Experience: The site’s mobile-friendly enhancements meant more users could quickly access disaster preparedness resources from their phones.

Faster, Easier Navigation: Feedback from users highlighted the ease of finding crucial disaster resources, thanks to simplified navigation and enhanced accessibility.

Why It Matters

During peak disaster seasons, the redesigned preparedness webpage accounted for 56% of total web traffic, with disaster-related pages making up over 70% of visits. This underscores the importance of ensuring public resources are intuitive, reliable, and ready when people need them the most.

By prioritizing usability, accessibility, and efficiency, the Texas GLO’s disaster preparedness website now better serves Texans during emergencies. This project is a powerful example of how smart design can drive meaningful impact, ensuring communities stay informed and prepared when it matters most.