The Challenge

North Fort Bend Water Authority (NFBWA) faced a critical communication problem. Homeowners were frustrated with unexplained fees on their water bills and lacked awareness of the region’s unique challenges, like subsidence—the sinking of land caused by excessive groundwater withdrawal. This issue, central to NFBWA’s mission, was poorly understood by residents, leaving them unaware of why the Authority relied on Houston’s water supply or invested in infrastructure like pipelines.

Additionally, existing educational efforts through traditional media and print materials were expensive and ineffective, with many residents discarding the information. The NFBWA board needed a modern solution to educate their community and inspire action on conservation and sustainability.

My Role: From Research to Design

As the Information Architect and UX Designer, I played a pivotal role in reimagining NFBWA’s website and communication strategy. My work began with deep research to understand the challenges faced by the Authority and the community:

• Stakeholder Insights: I met with the NFBWA board and over a dozen municipal leaders to uncover key pain points. Homeowners didn’t understand subsidence, were unclear about NFBWA’s purpose, and lacked actionable guidance on water conservation.

• Information Strategy: These insights informed the architecture of the new website, ensuring it provided clear, accessible, and engaging content about the Authority’s work, conservation initiatives, and infrastructure investments.

The Process: Turning Insights into Action

1. Listening to the Community
The discovery process revealed that residents and municipal leaders needed simple, relatable explanations of complex topics. For example, subsidence—central to the region’s water challenges—was poorly understood but vital for residents to grasp why the Authority operated as it did.

2. Building an Educational Strategy
We developed a strategy focused on clarity and accessibility, prioritizing these key topics:

• Explaining subsidence and its impact on homes and infrastructure.

• Highlighting the importance of pipelines and water conservation efforts.

• Providing actionable tips for homeowners to conserve water and reduce costs.

3. Designing a User-Centric Website
I restructured the website to ensure users could easily navigate and find the information they needed. Key improvements included:

• Simplified Information Architecture: Grouping content into intuitive categories like conservation, subsidence, and NFBWA initiatives.

• Educational Visuals and Tools: Incorporating graphics and interactive elements to demystify complex topics.

• Accessible Design: Ensuring the site met modern accessibility standards to serve all users.

The Solution

The redesigned website became a powerful educational hub for the community, making NFBWA’s mission clear and actionable. It transformed how the Authority engaged with its audience, replacing confusion with understanding and frustration with empowerment.

Key features of the solution included:

• Educational Content: Clear explanations of subsidence, conservation, and infrastructure projects.

• Interactive Tools: Resources to help homeowners calculate water savings and learn practical conservation methods.

• Unified Communication: A cohesive voice and tone that humanized the Authority and strengthened its connection with residents.

Visit the site at https://www.nfbwa.com

The Results

The redesigned website and campaign strategy delivered measurable success:

• Increased Awareness: The community gained a clearer understanding of subsidence and NFBWA’s purpose.

• Higher Engagement:

  • 89% increase in new user website traffic.

  • 1,979% growth in organic search impressions.

  • 108.3% social media audience growth.

• Community Impact: Homeowners were empowered with actionable conservation tips, while municipal leaders felt better equipped to communicate NFBWA’s goals.

Reflections

This project demonstrated the power of thoughtful research and design in solving complex communication challenges. By focusing on clarity, education, and accessibility, the redesigned website became a vital tool in NFBWA’s mission to provide a safe and sustainable water supply for the community.

Awards

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