Hierarchy and Accessibility
The process of merging 2 persons in the Family Tree takes a complex merging tool. I was able to be a part of the redesigning of this tool. Here' a quick overview of that redesign, and the pain-point I found along the way.
Here's a look at the merge tool before a redesign:
It has a 3 step process, and it shows you the 2 persons with minimal guidance.
With the new guided merge, we now let the user
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Select the vital details.
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View the sources under each vital detail.
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View the resulting person.
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See the highlighted inconsistencies.
We also let the users know whether we believe (through data analysis) if the users should 1) Merge, 2) Possibly merge, or 3) Not recommend a merge, which is what you see below.
Enhancing Usability
The Pain-Point
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The “Group by relationships” toggle had poor visibility and only labeled one state. Users often missed the control all together, or they didn’t understand the difference between the views or why it was important.
The Solution
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I redesigned the toggle as selector chips, which gave the control stronger hierarchy and made it more visually accessible. Both options were now clearly labeled—Group by Family and Group by Relationships—so users could instantly understand what each view represented. To support those who needed more context, I added an info icon with a simple explanation. The new placement and chip styling made the control stand out on the page and feel more intuitive to interact with.
The Impact
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This redesign improved both clarity and discoverability. Users were able to immediately grasp the difference between the views, which reduced confusion during the merging process. The simplified control lowered friction in an already complex workflow, while also making the feature more accessible and user-friendly overall.
The Pain-Point
The Solution
Info Icon: Clarity
