Design That Drives Growth
School Finder – Integrating Community Metrics with School Data for Smarter Decisions
The School Finder initiative was developed for the largest regional education agency in the United States, serving over 1.4 million students across 80 school districts. The agency’s mission is to enhance educational quality, equity, and access through data-driven decision-making and community support.
The challenge was that U.S. education data—covering schools, communities, demographics, and funding—was scattered across multiple sources, making it difficult for families and policymakers to access and analyze in one place.
The project’s solution was to design a unified, interactive platform that consolidates these datasets into a single, easy-to-navigate experience. Parents can explore nearby schools using a dynamic heatmap and compare them by performance, demographics, and community factors. Researchers and government agencies can leverage the same tool for long-term planning, funding allocation, and policy evaluation.
The 10-month design process included 150+ interviews and workshops, resulting in a scalable, intuitive interface optimized for public use.
What's Done
UX research and data-source mapping
Interactive heatmap design and school comparison interface
Dashboard with historical data and AI-based projections
Mobile-friendly school search and filtering experience
High-fidelity Figma prototype with scalable components
