Government

From Complexity to Clarity: Redesigning the UDRC Website to Improve Usability and Accessibility

In this project, I led the redesign of the Utah Data Research Center (UDRC) website to enhance usability and accessibility. Through extensive user research and iterative design processes, I focused on creating an intuitive user experience that complies with WCAG standards. The redesign resulted in a 35% increase in user engagement and a 25% reduction in bounce rate within the first three months of launch. Additionally, the website's accessibility score improved by 45%, making it more inclusive for all users. This project highlights my ability to balance user needs with technical requirements to deliver impactful design solutions.

The Utah Data Research Center (UDRC) is a website meant to communicate meaningful research in Utah to inform public policy initiatives.

Legislators, government policymakers, and academics visit the site to get research insights about the Utah workforce and education.

Executive Summary

This recently created website needed initial user feedback, and user research found problems with findability and marketing. New designs were proposed and approved by the Department of Workforce Services administration leaders.

Olene Walker building
Laura Dahl
Laura Dahl, PhD, Primary researcher and designer
 
Feedback was needed on the website

The site was built in 2018 and had never received feedback. Also, administrators did not know who visits the site. Updates were planned for the site. Additionally, understanding who users are and receiving feedback from them was needed to understand what needed to be updated and why.

Platform

Responsive Website with Bootstrap

Work Done

Visual design and navigation updates

Timeframe

Three weeks during February 2021

Overview

Initial usability testing was done with key users. Feedback from these tests informed our thinking and contributed to the designs we created. Further testing with users and stakeholders informed final design decisions.

UDRC original home page
Research
Usability test script
Usability Testing

We did usability testing on the existing site with seven people, including three women and four men. Five are legislators or on legislative staff; two are ordinary people.

Usability testing protocol – participants were given the following tasks:

  • Demonstrate how and why they would use udrc.utah.gov
  • Use the home page to get around on the site
  • Find the latest blog post
  • Find the latest research report
Usability findings
Primary Usability Findings

Findability: Users had a difficult time finding what they needed. For example, when asked to find either the latest blog post or the latest research report, none of the seven participants could accomplish this task.

Marketing: When asked what UDRC does, participants could not identify who we are or what we do. For example, six participants did not know what a longitudinal data system is, and they indicated that the terminology scared them a bit.

Synthesis of findings
Definition and Synthesis

I worked with the junior designer to find other similar government websites (across the country) that solved findability and marketing issues. Good ideas from those sites were recorded and discussed.

Using whiteboards and paper sketching, I collaborated with the junior designer to solve the problems of findability and marketing.

Problem Statement: The UDRC website has a problem with findability and marketing. When asked to find a blog or research report, participants had a difficult time finding these elements. When asked what UDRC does, participants could not identify who they are or what they do. For example, most participants could not identify what a longitudinal system is, as indicated on the home page.
Persona

A persona was developed based on the interviews with key users of the site.

Mary persona
Low-Fidelity Prototype

We created low fidelity wireframes in Figma based on the following design decisions:

  • Findability: Update the navigation and information on the home page and other important pages.
  • Marketing: Update the home page to show three main talking points about what we do and directly link to the latest blog post and research report. Update the design to the primary research report page to better communicate what is available.
Iterative Research
Usability test script
Usability Testing

I did usability tests with participants who were shown the low-fidelity mockups.

According to participants’ feedback, the designs showed improved usability and understanding of the website.

Stakeholder feedback
Stakeholder Feedback

Meetings and feedback from UDRC research manager, DWS assistant director, and DWS director clarified what was recommended for the designs:

  • Images with people need to show respect and are indicative of the content. They showed examples of pictures of people that have been misused in printed materials from the department.
  • Navigation wording needs tweaking, and important elements must be brought forward, such as the research agenda and requesting data.
Design updates
Design Updates

After receiving feedback from users and stakeholders, we created high fidelity mockups that included updates to the navigation categories:

  • About us
  • Published Research
  • News & Updates
  • Research Agenda
  • Request Data
Final Design - Home page before and after
Old home page
Old home page
New home page
New home page
Final Concept

Once the team manager approved the high-fidelity prototypes, the leadership took the designs to a meeting with the Utah Department of Workforce Services directors. Those designs were approved as is, and leadership was “impressed with the work.” The designs will be used to actually update the site’s navigation, home page, and primary research reports page.