Meta Content Library serves a diverse audience, including academic researchers, journalists, civil society organizations, and policy experts. While some users regularly work with large datasets and complex queries, others are subject-matter experts with limited technical expertise.

The challenge was designing an experience that felt approachable for new users while remaining efficient for experienced researchers conducting sophisticated investigations.

How this influenced the design

• Added onboarding-oriented content for first-time visitors

• Surfaced commonly used features and shortcuts for returning users

• Prioritized clarity and discoverability over product jargon

• Reduced reliance on institutional knowledge to use advanced functionality

Content Library exists in part to support transparency obligations under the EU Digital Services Act. As a result, many aspects of the experience were governed by legal, privacy, and policy requirements regarding what data could be accessed, how it could be displayed, and which users could download it.

The challenge was helping users understand those limitations without making the product feel restrictive or confusing.

How this influenced the design

• Created clear explanations of downloadable versus view-only data

• Added comparison tools that helped researchers understand available datasets

• Used content and navigation to make eligibility rules more transparent

• Balanced compliance requirements with usability goals

The product already contained established search, filtering, analytics, and content-display systems. Building entirely new experiences would have required significant engineering investment and increased maintenance complexity.

The challenge was improving usability while working within existing technical foundations and delivery timelines.

How this influenced the design

• Reused existing components when adding new features

• Extended existing search and filtering patterns instead of replacing them

• Leveraged current navigation structures when introducing new functionality

• Focused on high-impact improvements that could be shipped quickly

Content Library was evolving from a single-purpose archive into a broader research platform that included search, filtering, downloads, dashboards, saved searches, and platform-specific capabilities. As new functionality launched, discoverability became increasingly difficult.

The challenge was creating an information architecture that could support future growth without overwhelming users.

How this influenced the design

• Introduced clearer navigation and feature categorization

• Created dedicated entry points for new capabilities

• Designed homepage experiences that highlighted relevant functionality based on user needs

• Established patterns that could accommodate future platform expansion