The user management system is a Government of Ontario tool that gives users a one-site login for all applications in the microservice (an approach to developing a single application as a suite of small services, each running in its own process and communicating with lightweight mechanisms, often an HTTP resource API) ecosystem. The tool tracks users’ activities within each microservice, manages access and permissions, manages microservice details, and more.
The current accounts system needs to be rebuilt as it is built on a technology stack that needs revamping. The current system is complicated and users have complained that it is confusing and there are too many unnecessary steps.
The new system will be launched by end of 2021.
My Role
I led the UX team for all user research and prototyping, led the design and user flow of the system, and was responsible for coding the entire frontend of the application including ensuring the application’s accessibility.
Being able to lead the research and design of the system gave me the freedom to really listen to the user’s needs and build a system that exceeded their expectations.
Tools Used
- Figma
- Jira
- Confluence
- Trello
- HTML5
- CSS3
- SASS
- Bootstrap 5
- Laravel
- PHP
- JavaScript
- Vue3
- Typescript
- Jest
User Research Approaches
User research and design steps used for this project:
- Jurisdictional scans of user management and CMS systems
- Site scans of the (then) current system
- Multiple rounds of user research sessions examining contributors using the (then) current system and understanding their desires for an updated system
- Affinity Mapping with user research results
- Features documentation and discussion with developers
- Prototyping with low-fidelity mockups followed by user testing
- Prototyping with high-fidelity mockups followed by user testing
DISCOVERY
Research Goals
- Understand common user issues and pain points
- Understand current user workflow, processes, and how the system could be streamlined to meet their needs
- Understand accessibility issues and how those can be remediated in the new system
- Find opportunities to help users become more self sufficient in the system
- Find opportunities to open the system to all departments to manage their own users
- Understand how permissions and can help remediate any security concerns for content restriction
Competitive Analysis
Scanned existing account management systems trying to understand:
- Layouts and features
- Filters and search
- Accessibility concerns
- Necessary user information
- User flow
- Use of stylistic elements (colour, text, buttons, etc.)
- Navigation and layout
- Permission sets and statuses
- How and if system can connect with multiple applications or services
INTERVIEWS
Super users of the existing accounts management system were interviewed over the course of our research and gathering stage. User interviews were broken down into three separate phases.
Phase 1 – Introductory and Discovery
In this stage users were walked through the current accounts management system to understand user habits, user flow, and discover how the system could improve. Results were documented through low-fidelity wireframes.
Phase 2 – Low-Fidelity Mockup Testing
After compiling data from the first round of testing, I created a series of low-fidelity mockups to address the needs of users and to improve their user experience. I then tested these mockups with users to test the assumptions learned, confirm user flow, and test new elements and functionality. Results were documented through high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
Phase 3 – High-Fidelity Mockup and Confirmation Testing
Combining everything learned from the first two rounds of user testing, the high-fidelity prototypes were presented to users to test functionality, new elements, design, style, and flow and to confirm the product would be useful and beneficial to users.
RESULTS
The accounts application is currently under development and is expected to finish by end of 2021.