Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN)
UI/UX, Website Design
The Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) is an international knowledge hub supporting scientists, policymakers, public health practitioners, and risk managers working to mitigate the health risks of extreme heat. The website serves as a central resource for research, tools, events, and collaboration across government, academia, and civil society.
Working in-house at Cinnamon Toast New Media (Design Agency) as the design and UI/UX lead, the goal of this project was to transform GHHIN’s website into a clear, accessible, and scalable platform capable of supporting a diverse professional audience while making complex, content-heavy information easier to find, understand, and act on.
Credits: Designed in-house at Cinnamon Toast New Media Inc.
Strategy & Information Architecture
The Challenge: GHHIN’s original site had high-value content but lacked hierarchy and clarity. Resources like research papers, action plans, and event information were hard to find, and the navigation was cluttered. Users struggled to locate what they needed, while critical content was buried deep in the site.
The sitemap was rebuilt from scratch to focus on clarity and task-based navigation. Top-level items were reduced and renamed to make key areas easy to find.
The Resources Library consolidated fragmented content into one central hub, with category filters for publications, research studies, action plans, and more, making it simple for users to discover exactly what they needed. Initial ideas for icon-based filtering were pared back in favour of a cleaner, typography-driven system to reduce visual clutter.
UI/UX Design
The final visual design communicates authority and professionalism while remaining approachable and friendly. Warm and cool tones were applied to differentiate heat- and cold-related content, helping users scan topics quickly. Subtle visual cues, clean layouts, and careful hierarchy made dense content readable and engaging.
Accessibility was a top priority: the site meets AAA AODA standards, with thoughtful choices put into colour, typography, and spacing. Intuitive interactions and hover states help guide users smoothly through tasks such as searching for resources, registering for events, or exploring the interactive homepage map.
Impact: The redesigned site received highly positive feedback from internal stakeholders, partners, and end users. Key outcomes include:
Reduced confusion: users could locate resources, publications, and events quickly.
Improved engagement: the new resources library, interactive homepage map, and featured sections for forums/events increased discovery and participation.
Scalable updates: A robust design system allowed GHHIN to add content and grow the site easily, supporting long-term evolution without compromising usability.
Design System
A robust pattern library and component-based design system were developed to ensure consistency and scalability. Reusable modules for resources, events, and content allow GHHIN’s internal team to add new materials and updates easily, maintaining usability and visual cohesion as the site grows.
