Applying User-centred Design to Climate and Environmental Tools

The number of web portals and online tools to support or inform decision-making on environmental and climate issues has grown steadily in recent decades. This paper explores the benefits and challenges of applying user-centred design (UCD) in environmental tool development, drawing on three case studies at the science-policy interface. We examine the roles and perspectives of scientists, funders, software developers, and end-users, highlighting how their often conflicting objectives can lead to a lack of focus. Active management is essential to align tool development with user needs.
To increase the credibility and usefulness of environmental tools, we argue for stronger adoption of UCD, greater attention to post-creation tool use, and better integration of tool development into broader project lifecycles. Finally, we recommend building on or improving existing tools and platforms rather than developing new ones for each project, fostering greater continuity, efficiency, and long-term impact in the science-policy interface.