Grant Tracker

ECECD Financial Dashboard – Built a Public Tool to Increase Clarity and Confidence in Early Childhood Funding

Project: Public-facing financial dashboard redesign
Outcome: Transformed a static reporting tool into a decision-support system for staff, officials, and the public
Client: Early Childhood Education and Care Department (State of New Mexico)
Role: UX Designer & Product Strategist
Team: 1 Data Analyst, 1 PM, 2 Engineers, 1 Policy Advisor
Duration: 12 weeks

TL;DR

I redesigned a public dashboard for early childhood program funding in New Mexico. The result: 8,000+ monthly public visits, unified legislative reporting, and a 64% improvement in stakeholder confidence—turning a data dump into a decision tool.

Outcome / Problem Statement

The original dashboard was data-heavy but meaning-light. It showed numbers without offering insight or direction.

• Internal staff relied on manual reporting

• Officials couldn’t extract relevant funding outcomes

• Public users didn’t understand what the data meant or how it affected their communities

• Stakeholder confidence sat at 2.8/5

Goal: Redesign the dashboard to support strategic decisions, increase transparency, and enable non-technical users to interpret complex financial data.

Users and Needs

Primary audiences included:

• ECECD staff needing real-time program coverage data

• Elected officials seeking outcome-based metrics for decision support

• Public stakeholders wanting a plain-language, navigable view into early childhood investments

Most users didn’t want more data—they needed the right data, clearly explained, in the right context.

My Role and the Team

I led UX strategy and product direction for the redesign.

• Conducted user research and workflow mapping

• Reframed data display around core policy questions

• Created responsive wireframes and tested interaction models

• Partnered with engineers and data analysts to connect visuals with real-time pipelines

Constraints and Process

Constraints:

• Wide range of stakeholders, from technical analysts to lay users

• Multiple, siloed data pipelines

• Political sensitivity around funding equity

Process:

1. Stakeholder interviews and legacy usability reviews

2. Workflow mapping of reporting needs and data access

3. Content and data audit to identify meaningful metrics

4. Lo-fi wireframes, then mid-fidelity responsive prototypes in Figma

5. Onboarding strategies and contextual guidance embedded throughout the design

Design and Iteration Highlights

1. User-Centered Segmentation: Created views tailored to internal staff, policymakers, and public users—within a unified tool

2. Narrative-Based Layout: Reorganized dashboard content around high-level policy questions rather than raw data tables

3. Interactive Maps and Snapshots: Region-level filters and program overviews supported exploration and comparison

4. Progressive Disclosure: Simplified entry point with deeper drill-downs available for analysts and planners

5. Integrated Onboarding: First-time walkthroughs, embedded glossary terms, and contextual tips reduced friction

Results (Before vs After Launch)

The tool became a central resource during legislative sessions and directly contributed to ECECD’s next-phase approval for statewide integrated data efforts (ECIDS).

Design Features That Delivered

• Impact Snapshot: Quick stats on funds distributed, children served, providers supported

• Interactive Map View: County-by-county insights with filters for program type and funding stream

• Drill-Down Analytics: Demographic, programmatic, and regional breakdowns

• Narrative Cues: Captions, comparisons, and visual markers explained trends and changes

• Built-In Guidance: Tooltips, glossaries, and onboarding tutorials helped non-technical users stay confident

Iteration Example

Initial Design:
Static bar charts with complex policy language. Users described the tool as "unclear" and “not useful for communication.”

User Feedback:
“I see the numbers, but I don’t know what to do with them.”
“This doesn’t help me talk to my constituents.”

Redesign:
Added narrative captions, comparative stats (“This county received 18% more funding YoY”), and callouts for funding gaps and progress.

Reflection

The breakthrough was treating data not as an output—but as a story. Users didn’t need more charts; they needed interpretation, guidance, and structure.

The key lesson: design for comprehension, not just display. When clarity becomes the product, trust follows.

Next Steps

• Add demographic filters to improve equity-focused insights

• Launch Spanish-language and multilingual versions for accessibility

• Integrate dashboard views into ECECD’s internal planning and funding workflows

Would you like this converted into a slide deck or presentation format? I can also prep a printable PDF version or Notion entry if you’re building out your portfolio.