usability.gov program update and site redesign
DESCRIPTION
Usability.gov: The Research Behind the Redesign August 2013TRANSCRIPT
Program Update and Site Redesign | Aug 2013
2 | Aug 2013
The New & Improved Usability.gov
3 | Aug 2013
What We’ll Discuss…
During this webinar we’ll cover:• Getting the initial buy-in• Redesign goals and resources• Taking our own advice• Touring the site• Measuring success• Our next steps and how you can get involved
4 | Aug 2013
Getting the initial buy-in…
Initially, we analyzed our metrics, conducted market research, high-level expert review, and content assessment.
Recommended additional user research to confirm concerns and begin to identify improvements.
5 | Aug 2013
Taking our own advice…
This provided us an opportunity to improve, by becoming our own user-centered design case study.
6 | Aug 2013
A user-centered approach…
Among other methods, throughout the process, the team conducted:
• Expert review• Market research• Metrics analysis• In-lab usability testing of wireframes for desktop and mobile versions• Remote interviews• Surveys• Focus groups• Card sort• Review feedback through social media
7 | Aug 2013
Identifying and structuring content…
To better understand the tasks that users or potential users come to the site with, we looked at a number of things. Throughout the process we:
• Identified what we have• What’s working and/ or needed to be edited• Whether there were gaps, or added to• Learned about the need for the ability to relate content• Discussed challenges for implementing UX• What resources might help• What types of content the site should have• How the content should be presented
8 | Aug 2013
Are we meeting expectations…
Metrics: • Majority of our users are coming from search• Need to optimize for non-branded keywords• Need to redirect high-value content that had moved• Mobile engagement was comparatively low
Remote Interviews & Surveys:• Outdated content and look and feel• Need for government-specific information• Need to show how the bigger picture comes together to improve the user’s
experience
Market Research:• Similar sites have broadened the discussion• Top tasks related to the topic were not on the site or did not have enough
information
9 | Aug 2013
Redefining our purpose…
Usability.gov is the leading resource for user experience (UX) best practices and guidelines, serving practitioners and students in the
government and private sectors.
10 | Aug 2013
Redesign Goals…
• Re-introduce the site as the leading resource for user experience (UX) best practices.• Take a user-centered approach and evaluate and improve our methods as we go.• Create a more engaging platform.• Create a more sustainable site moving forward.
•Update existing content
•Add additional content to cover what people are asking for
•Make all content actionable and engaging
•Relate content in multiple ways
Content
•Leverage Drupal’s more dynamic capabilities
•Provide the ability to render content in a number of ways (cards or list)
Technology
•Create a fresh look and feel
•Experiment with tile design
•Take a mobile-first design approach
•Make it a responsive design
Design
•Expand our network
•Create a criteria for allowing external submissions to the blog
•Determine a process to get people involved in the Guidelines update
Outreach
11 | Aug 2013
Time and Resources…
• Project Management• Content Strategy• Subject Matter Expertise• Accessibility• Business Analysis• Change Management• Enterprise Architecture• Information Architecture• Interaction Design
•Marketing•Metrics Analysis•Quality Assurance•Technical Development•User Research•Usability Testing•User Interface Design•Visual Design
Timeline: • Concepts and research started in Nov 2012• Site launched in July 2013
Areas of expertise were called upon throughout the process:
Remember: Some people wore multiple hats and most weren’t in the day-to-day.
12 | Aug 2013
Making content more useful…
Need to show how all the pieces come together to improve the user experience.
We added overviews, methods, templates, resources, and glossary terms
for each area.
Started with designs for a smartphone screen, and then moved up and out in.
Went beyond responsive design by designing first for touch and swipe and then reverse engineering for the more traditional click and scroll.
Mobile-First Approach
13 | Aug 2013
It took multiple designs and several rounds of user testing to get to the end result.
Focused on making it:• Functionally usable for both desktop and mobile users• Conceptually usable for all users• Accessible to all users
Evaluating concepts for the new site…
14 | Aug 2013
15 | Aug 2013
Demo of the site
Demo of the site
16 | Aug 2013
Demo of the site
17 | Aug 2013
18 | Aug 2013
Putting It All Together
The final tile design addresses these challenges through a number of functional and conceptual elements…
• Double-wide tiles for featured content• Docked top-task tiles on every page for user orientation• Tiles that respond to gestures (directional swiping) on mobile devices• A list-view toggle option for a more traditional content layout• Organized and collapsible content sections to reduce users’ cognitive
and visual load
Measuring success…
• Are we reaching our intended audience?• How are they accessing the site?• Are users finding content on the site? If so, how?• What is our top content?• Is there content that people aren’t finding?• How are users interacting with the site?• Do users find the interface and content usable and appealing?
19 | Aug 2013
Refining the new site…
• Upcoming usability testing• Analysis of metrics• Using Twitter as a customer service line• Reviewing comments through the page-level and site-level surveys
20 | Aug 2013
21 | Aug 2013
Building a stronger community around the program…
Accepting blog submissions and giving attribution
Follow us and share ideas through on Twitter @UsabilityGov
Sign-up for email updates
Involving colleges and universities and recruiting a fall intern.
22 | Aug 2013
Will the Guidelines be updated?
Yes and we need your help!
Tell us how you would like the process to take shape on our recent blog.
23 | Aug 2013
Getting the word out…
Feds can take part in:
• GSA’s First Fridays Program
• UX Community of Practice
24 | Aug 2013
What we discussed…
Today we covered:• Getting the initial buy-in• Redesign goals and resources• Taking our own advice• Touring the site• Measuring success• Our next steps and how you can get involved
25 | Aug 2013
Contact Information…
Katie Messner | Web Manager, Usability.gov Program
Email: [email protected]
Stay Connected to Usability.gov
Follow us on Twitter @UsabilityGov
Sign-up for email updates