Please note: Although there are limited images or data shown due to confidentiality, my design process, the way I think and how I work is seen throughout the project.
In preparation, I conducted desktop research to familiarise myself with the portal including the review of previous research related to user experience. Stakeholder engagement was also crucial so I familiarised myself with those key staff members who could assist. I created Mural boards to capture my notes and insights so I could collaboratively work with team members.
Desktop research resulted in valuable insights about the platform and the user experience. Previous research indicated that users did have trouble navigating the complex process but didn't delve into the why or the how. Stakeholder workshops and interviews helped me to understand more about the problem and stepped out the user journey so I could visualise what users go through. However, to truly understand how users interact with the product, I took a deeper dive into our users mental models, identifying how users expect it to work and potential areas of cognitive overload. Finally, we did a usability heuristics assessment of the portal, uncovering opportunities to improve efficiency and overall user satisfaction.
I analysed the portal against the UX heuristics (originally developed by Jakob Nielsen). This analysis went beyond basic functionality where I looked into user mental models, understanding how users expect the product to work. This helped me to identify areas where the portal creates unnecessary cognitive effort. This focus on cognitive efficiency will help inform the recommendations for a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.
The design stage revolved around translating the research findings into actionable insights. Mural proved to be an invaluable tool in this process. By laying out our research, user flows, and heuristic analysis findings on the Mural boards, I was able to effectively visualise user journeys and identify key areas for improvement. This collaborative workspace facilitated brainstorming and information sharing, leading to the development of a comprehensive report and presentation. This report, informed by the Mural insights, will not only detail our findings but also present clear and prioritised recommendations for optimising the user experience.
A key aspect was clearly communicating the impact of user-centered design principles. I presented to key stakeholders and reported on the findings and provided recommendations. I defined terms like mental models, cognitive load, interaction cost, and usability heuristics, explaining how they influence user experience. By illustrating how these concepts work, stakeholders were able to gain a deeper understanding of how a minor design choices can significantly impact user frustration and efficiency.
Gaining access to crucial software and CRM systems was time-consuming, causing delays. The plus side to this is I managed to speak to a range of staff members and understood their roles and responsibilities and created relationships.
Navigating the nuances of government processes and stakeholders required extra sensitivity and careful planning. These initial hurdles, however, only highlight the importance of thorough planning and flexibility in the UX audit process.
Navigating the government's strict security protocols presented a significant challenge. Gaining access to internal systems took longer than anticipated highlighting the importance of staff onboarding for future government projects. By dedicating more time to onboarding, we can ensure a smoother discovery phase and a more efficient overall audit process.
My analysis using UX heuristics revealed issues like unclear information architecture, inconsistency in design patterns, and potentially confusing error messages. These findings underscore the importance of clear visual hierarchy and a consistent user flow. One important but often overlooked UX heuristic, Accessibility had the most issues and became the number one issue to fix. This reiterates the importance to include it at the start of any UX project.
While Mural wasn't my initial choice - I typically favour Miro - it proved to be a valuable tool in this project. While there was a learning curve initially, embracing Mural's functionalities allowed me to effectively collaborate and visualise the research findings. I've now expanded my UX toolkit and gained proficiency in both platforms, giving me greater flexibility for future projects.
The delivery stage highlighted the importance of preparation. Anticipating stakeholder questions beforehand proved invaluable. By thoroughly familiarising myself with the data and coming up with clear and concise answers, I was able to respond to questions with confidence. This preparedness ensured the presentation ran smoothly rather than a daunting experience.
The report uncovered over 300 usability issues. The business now have a clear understanding of the effort it takes to use the portal. With the suggestions provided, the business can make a number of quick fixes to improve the usability while work gets underway to design and develop a better solution. The key areas to focus on were Accessibility, Consistency & Standards and Aesthetic & Minimalist Design.
Form a clear understanding of what user needs and behaviours are for a mobile app to provide input into the scope of any future mobile app development.
This project provided enough insights to help the business decide on whether to progress with the development of an app or hold off until there is a greater need for one.
The aim of this project was to provide the business with a visually pleasing journey map to help understand every aspect of their customers journey. This includes all the touch points, emotions and actions from start to finish.
Stepping out the customer journey helped various business units to enhance the customer experience, align different teams and prioritise work from initial product awareness to loyalty and retention.
The aim of this project is to deliver updated content and a revised information architecture to enhance the user experience.
By following a UX design process, we can ensure that the updated pages are effective in achieving project goals and providing a positive user experience.
The aim of these projects was to provide in-depth reports for early design concepts or MVPs to enable a more streamlined collaboration process, improve decision quality and enhance administrative efficiency.
Co-design workshops with internal and external stakeholders provided valuable insights into the needs and behaviours of users. The business can now make informed decisions on whether to continue to development, continue research or choose to pause or end the projects.
The aim of this project was to evaluate how well users understand the portal and to identify pain points they may encounter while navigating.
The report uncovered over 300 usability issues by looking at mental models, interaction cost, cognitive load and usability heuristics. The business now have a clear understanding of the effort it takes to use the portal. With the suggestions provided, the business can make a number of quick fixes to improve the usability while work gets underway to design and develop a better solution.
A 6 month UX Design project. This is part of UX Immersion course through CareerFoundry.
The Brains Trust is a responsive web application that enables anyone to instantly chat with an expert in any field.
The aim of these projects was to provide in-depth reports for early design concepts or MVPs to enable a more streamlined collaboration process, improve decision quality and enhance administrative efficiency. Co-design workshops with internal and external stakeholders provided valuable insights into the needs and behaviours of users.
