SCADask
An interactive research platform transforming static reports into engaging digital experiences.
Team: Mauricio Herrera Manzur, Hailey Dang, Sanskruti Deshpande, Jiwon Lee, Sejoon Kim
Overview
I led the website redesign of SCADask, SCAD's research platform.
SCADask's research lived inside long PDF reports. With a team of designers and writers, I turned those reports into web pages people can scan in a minute, and added case studies and podcasts as new ways in.
Problem
Good research that nobody reached.
To learn what a report said, you had to download a 40-page PDF. The Director wanted SCADask to be more visible, so I started by asking why people weren't engaging with the research already there.
Research
Why people stopped at the PDF.
I ran 12 interviews with stakeholders, SCAD staff and students, reviewed 20 research and editorial sites, and audited the old site and its analytics.
Readers wanted the takeaway first.
9 of 12 people wanted the main takeaway before deciding to open a full report.
Most visits ended after one report.
74% of sessions ended after one page. Nothing pointed people to the next piece of research.
“Just tell me the main point. Then I'll decide if the whole report is worth my time.”
- Interview participant
Solution
Read the findings first, view the full report later.
We kept the reports and changed what comes before them, so a reader can stop after 30 seconds or keep going into the full report.
Lead with the takeaway
Every report opens with a short summary and its headline numbers.
More ways in
Reports, case studies and podcasts share one homepage, and every page ends with related research.
Charts built for the web
PDF charts became interactive web charts, split into short chapters with one finding each.
Research in practice
Case studies show research applied to one real project, for readers who'd rather see a story than read a report.
Built to keep publishing
Reports didn't fit one template, so I built reusable modules the writer can combine without a designer.
Impact
SCADask launched in September 2026 and is live at scadask.com.
+28%
Time on research pages
+32%
Engagement with research
+24%
Visits exploring 2+ reports
20+ responsive screens ∙ 3 content formats ∙ 1 design system
