ESPEN

Figma

Accessibility

Website

The ESPEN Portal is a dynamic web platform funded by the WHO Regional Office for Africa to help track and support the elimination of the most prevalent Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) using real-time data. Its purpose is to empower public health officials and stakeholders to monitor progress, spot trends, and make informed decisions toward disease elimination.

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The challenge

This project presented a unique UX and visual design challenge: how to present complex, multi-layered data in a way that feels trustworthy, clear, and easy to navigate, especially for users whose primary focus is interpreting data, not learning how to use a tool.

The portal needed to:

Communicate large, data-heavy dashboards clearly
Support users in understanding and interpreting disease metrics
Promote trust and authority through professional presentation
Balance clarity with engaging visual design so the interface feels approachable, not overwhelming

UI design

Clarity through structure

To make dense data digestible, I introduced:

Clear separation of information blocks
Generous spacing and hierarchy between headers, charts, and filters
Reduced reliance on heavy text, instead using meaningful visuals and icons

These choices guide users gently through their workflow - from overview statistics to detailed map and chart analysis - without cognitive load.

Professional but engaging visuals

The portal’s visual tone had to reflect its use by public health professionals. To achieve this:

Icons were designed to visually represent core categories and actions
Minimal copy was used to reduce distraction and keep users focused on data
Colour and typography were chosen to feel authoritative, not decorative

Outcome

The redesigned ESPEN interface now:

Communicates complex epidemiological data clearly and accessibly
Reflects WHO’s professional standards and tone
Provides a flexible design language that grows with the platform

The portal’s design lets the data take centre stage, giving users the visual structure they need to interpret and act on information with confidence.

Colour palettes & data visualisation

One of the most technically challenging aspects was developing multiple colour systems for map and chart use:

Some views required up to 25 distinct colours in a single display
Palettes needed to work with high contrast for clarity
Accessibility considerations, including colour-blind friendliness, were prioritised

Rather than choosing palettes purely for aesthetics, I emphasised functional clarity, ensuring that each hue remained distinguishable on busy visuals and accurately reflected underlying data.

This work reinforced the idea that highly functional design sometimes means prioritising clarity over visual “flash.”

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