my Role
Team
Duration
Tools
UX Researcher, Project Manager
1 Project Manager
4 UX Researchers
4 UX Researchers
March 2023 -
April 2023
April 2023
Figma
Miro
Google suite
Miro
Google suite
Context
This usability testing study was conducted as part of the Civic User Testing Group (CUT Group program at the University of Michigan, aiming to evaluate and enhance the usability of public websites and apps. Specifically, usability testing was conducted for the Michigan Voter Information Center website, in collaboration with the Michigan Department of State.
Objective
The objective was to identify and address usability issues to improve the user experience, particularly for new voters in the state of Michigan.
CUT Group's motto is "If it doesn’t work for you, it doesn’t work!"
problem
Navigating the voting process for the first time can be daunting for new voters, who often face barriers like unclear information, complex systems, and inaccessible resources.
First-time voters often struggle to access essential resources like voter registration, election dates, and address updates on the Michigan Voter Information Center website. These challenges hinder their ability to make informed decisions and participate confidently in the voting process.
Talking to these users, I identified three main pain points they face
1
Information Overload
Poorly organized content made it difficult to find key resources.
2
Navigation Frustrations
Essential actions like voter registration and election dates were hard to locate
3
Accessibility Barriers
The site’s design created unnecessary hurdles for voters unfamiliar with the voting process.
1
Information Overload
Poorly organized content made it difficult to find key resources.
2
Navigation Frustrations
Essential actions like voter registration and election dates were hard to locate
3
Accessibility Barriers
The site’s design created unnecessary hurdles for voters unfamiliar with the voting process.
1
Information Overload
Poorly organized content made it difficult to find key resources
2
Navigation Frustrations
Essential actions like voter registration and election dates were hard to locate
3
Accessibility Barriers
The site’s design created unnecessary hurdles for voters unfamiliar with the voting process.
And so the design question arises
How might we make the Michigan Voter Information Center website more intuitive and user-friendly, ensuring first-time voters can complete essential tasks with confidence?
solution
Mapping the journey to a better user experience
To address the challenges faced by first-time voters, we followed a structured, user-centered testing process which helped us recommend the following redesign.
Redesign highlights
The final redesign prioritizes ease of navigation, clear information hierarchy, and prominent placement of essential resources like voter registration and election dates.
The redesigned homepage
So, how did we arrive to the main design?
Research process
To inform the redesign, we used a multi-step research approach:
User Testing
These sessions aimed to assess how easily users could navigate the site, complete essential tasks, and understand the presented information. The structured process included pre-test questions, task-based evaluations, and post-test feedback, providing a comprehensive understanding of user challenges and opportunities for improvement.
Pre-test Questions
Preliminary questions were asked to assess the users' familiarity with the voting process and with the website being tested prior to the testing.
User Tasks
Users were given tasks to assess whether the information on the website is easily findable. The tasks included registering to vote, changing address, registering for absentee ballot, and finding the dates for next election.
Post-test Questions
Post-test questions were asked to gather user feedback on users' likes, dislikes, problems encountered, and suggestions for improvement.
Research questions informing the user test
How easily can first time voters find/navigate to key information?
Is the language clear and concise enough to be understood by a first-time voter?
Is the presentation and organization of information intuitive enough for first-time voters?
Are there redundant steps on the voter information site that can be consolidated?
Affinity mapping
- After user testing, we organized the findings using affinity mapping, grouping feedback and observed behaviors into key themes.
- This analysis was crucial, as conducting interviews and testing sessions with 12 users generated a large volume of feedback.
- By categorizing these insights, we were able to prioritize the most important issues and identify focus areas for the redesign, ensuring a targeted and effective approach.
Goal
This process aimed to identify recurring issues that users experienced when trying to navigate the site.
Results
The mapping highlighted user confusion about the site structure and information overload, highlighting key areas for improvement.
A section of the larger affinity map
Comparative analysis
- A comparative analysis of similar voter information websites was conducted to identify effective design practices for the redesign.
- This was essential to ensure we adhered to familiar design patterns that users recognize and expect, rather than introducing overly creative or unconventional elements.
- Additionally, we considered the State of Michigan's digital design system to ensure consistency and alignment with other state platforms, providing a cohesive user experience across government websites.
Goal
The aim was to evaluate each site based on ease of navigation, information hierarchy, visual clarity, and user guidance
Results
The analysis identified successful strategies for organizing content (cards, simpler navigation), which guided improvements for the redesign
Identified Issues with the current design
Our research provided a comprehensive understanding of the issues users faced. These insights allowed us to pinpoint key problems and develop targeted solutions to enhance the user experience.
Problem 1: Users found the amount of information and the format in which it was presented overwhelming
Solution
- Simplified navigation: Merged the two navigation bars into a single, well-organized bar with broader categories and subcategories, and familiar, intuitive labels. Users can focus on finding important information without being distracted by unnecessary options.
- Card-based organization: Organized information into cards that feature broader categories with actionable descriptions. This approach provides a clearer, more structured presentation of content, making it easier for users to scan and understand, reducing cognitive load.
Problem 2: Users did not find information where they expected it to be
- Missing upcoming election dates
Users could not find any information about upcoming elections on the homepage. - Trouble registering to vote
Users expected the register to vote to be the first section on the site, but they had to look through the site for a while to find it. - Can't find a way to change the address
Users expected to find a section for changing address and updating personal information on the homepage, but couldn’t find it.
Solution
A prominent call-to-action for voter registration is placed at the top of the homepage.
A dedicated section on the homepage to prominently display upcoming election dates and deadlines.
The homepage layout has been rearranged to prioritize essential sections. This helps users find these important functions right away.
Before
After
Taking a final look at the redesign
Before
After
Outcomes & Learnings
Leading a team for successful outcomes: Leading this project taught me the importance of clear direction and communication in cross-functional teamwork. It was a balancing act keeping the team focused on making the website simple and accessible while managing all the creative ideas that came to the table.
Challenges of user-centered government resources: Public websites must present complex information clearly. I learned how structuring content around user expectations improves trust and accessibility.
Challenges of user-centered government resources: Public websites must present complex information clearly. I learned how structuring content around user expectations improves trust and accessibility.
What I would do differently: If I were to approach this project again, I would aim to gain access to the website's analytics data to gain insights into user behavior, such as which sections users visit most and where they encounter difficulties. But I also learned how tricky it can be to access that kind of data with government websites due to privacy policies.
