Desk Research: Laying the Foundation
     

This step was crucial to understand the existing structure and pinpoint areas that needed improvement. We recognized that while the CoC section's detailed architecture aided content digestion, it also increased clicks and confusion.

Key findings:

1 Navigation linkd (Top Bar)

The links at the top bar such as "Find a Lawyer," "Law & Consultations," and others can be overwhelming and might lead users away from the Family section. A range of negative emotions were experienced while navigating both versions of the website. These feelings include anxiety, overwhelm, confusion, annoyance, irritation, disappointment, and feeling jarred.

2 Quick Exit Button

The "Quick Exit" button, while useful in emergency situations, can confuse users who might think it's a navigation option instead of a safety feature.

3 Side Panels and Callouts

The various callouts and boxes on the sides (e.g., " Not sure where to start?" and "Choose the right support services") create visual clutter and can distract users from the main content.

4 Overwhelming colours

Users specifically expressed disliking the colour yellow, contributing to a negative user experience. The colour was associated with COVID 19 and alerts, made the colour stressful. This highlights the importance of colour psychology when choosing colours to work with.

The First Hurdle: Stakeholder Communication:

By involving stakeholders early in the process, we ensured that their insights and feedback were integrated into the design, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.

1 Inititae a workshop

Recognizie challenges posed by tight timeline and development efforts Organize a collaborative workshop involving key stakeholders.

2 Showcase key findings

Present a comprehensive overview of user pain points and nuanced insights during the whorshop Share user reseacher findings, personas,user journey map, wireframes and prototypes

3 Facilitate Prioritization

Facilitate discussions to ensure development effort.a shared understanding of user needs and challenges. Use these discussions to collaboratively prioritize features based on user value and

4 Decision on Design

Together with the team, strategically prioritize features to define a well-scoped design proposal Ensure stakeholders are happy with the presentations, get their buy-in, and foster a sense of ownership and collaboration.

The Second Hurdle: Minor Usability Issues

Usability testing was essential to ensure that the navigation was intuitive and the content was organized in a way that resonated with users. The feedback from usability testing informed further refinements, making the design more robust and user-friendly.

During usability testing, we discovered some minor usability issues that needed to be addressed. While the overall design was well-received, with users appreciating the intuitive navigation and organized content, there were areas that required fine-tuning. For instance, some users found certain interactive elements slightly confusing, and a few navigation paths needed clearer labelling.

Despite these minor issues, the overall usability score was high, averaging 85 out of 100. Users provided positive feedback, with one participant stating, "The new design is much easier to navigate, and the information is more accessible." Another user mentioned, "I love how the content is organized with real-life examples; it makes it so much easier to understand." 

The Third Hurdle: Technical Constraints

As we moved into the design phase, we encountered technical constraints that threatened to derail the project. The existing infrastructure was outdated, and integrating new design features proved to be more complex than anticipated.

Collaborating closely with the development team, we had to find creative solutions to work within these limitations. This involved making tough decisions about which features to prioritize and which to defer for future updates. It was a delicate balance, but it ensured that we could deliver a functional and improved design within the project's scope.

Building a design system for MOJ

I focus on redesign some part of Ministry of Justice’s design system basic on conducted desk research and primary research considerations. A strong feature of our design system is a comparison toggle available on some pages. This compares the current design and our suggested changes. This also aims to educate the user by showing and not just telling.  

A Journey of Growth and Continuous Evolution

This project was more than just a redesign; it was a journey of growth and learning. I enjoyed working with a talented team to address the MOJ website user issues and enhance their experience. The project also involved redesigning and refining the Ministry of Justice's Design System.

The journey doesn't end here. We plan to conduct additional usability tests, enhance navigation and comprehension, and implement Skip Logic Forms and digital forms. Continuous improvement is key to maintaining a user-centric design.

From this project, I gained invaluable experience in integrating successful design features across different sections to maintain consistency and improve usability. I learned the importance of understanding the business, engaging with stakeholders, and using design methods to communicate effectively with less tech-savvy stakeholders. The ups and downs of the project taught me resilience, adaptability, and the value of collaboration.

FURTHER PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS

If this project were to continue, I would consider the following:
Conducting additional usability tests enhancing navigation and comprehension. Implementing Skip Logic Forms and digital forms can streamline the website experience and simplifying processes. Continuous improvements will ensure the website serves users efficiently and informative experience.

WHAT SETS ME APART

Working in the Ministry of justices I understand sufficient context I am committed, pay attention to

helps me build design experise to improve the probability of every design detail and aim for

and empahy correct decisions. the highest standard.

Studying at Victoria University in I do it right the first time and avoid I'm able to understand and transiate

New Zealand and Ministry of justices redundant reworking. You'll often find abstract requirement into concrete

has given me the opportunity to develop me doing thorought competitiveanalysi, design solutions, designing for different

empathy, hone design skills, and acquire conducting user interviews, pulling user devices and all aspects of user

relevant domain knowledge data and even talking to senior experts experience. I often sit with engineers to

before reaching conclusions. ensure desugn detail are 100%

implement