LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Derby City Council.

Role Web Development Officer - UX Focus Actions Discovery, Research, Personas, User Flows, Prototyping, Visual & Interaction Design, Usability & A/B Testing, Responsive Design, Brand Consistency Year 2017 - 2024
1. OVERVIEW

Derby City Council is a local government authority that sought to enhance citizen engagement by creating a user-friendly transactional website on their chosen Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. This website aimed to streamline access to council services for residents, visitors, professional agencies, and council staff.

2. CHALLENGE

The project aimed to digitise service transactions and encourage a shift towards online channels, reducing reliance on traditional face-to-face and phone interactions. The challenge was to create a seamless experience for users transitioning between the new transactional website and the council's main informational site.

3. USERS AND AUDIENCE

The primary users included residents of Derby, visitors to the city, professional agencies partnering with the council, and internal council staff. Understanding the diverse needs of these user groups was essential for designing an inclusive and user-centric platform.

4. RESPONSIBILITIES

As the Web Development Officer with a focus on UX, my responsibilities included:

  • conducting research
  • developing personas
  • creating user flows
  • prototyping
  • designing visuals and interactions
  • usability testing
  • ensuring brand consistency.

Collaboration with service areas across the organisation and extensive consultation with residents were integral to project success.

5. SCOPE

The project faced constraints such as:

  • tight timelines
  • limited resources
  • limited customisation functionality in some areas of the CRM system
  • the need for extensive collaboration across various departments within the council
  • resistance to change, and a lack of engagement from some departments within the council.

Adapting to evolving requirements and managing stakeholder expectations were ongoing challenges.

To overcome some of the limitations of the CRM system, which were not realised until after adoption, we had to be inventive in some areas and think outside the box to maintain the fluidity of customers' journeys.

Multiple demonstrations were needed with the more reluctant departments to help them become more comfortable with the platform and the plans for their service offering. It was essential to have a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end processes of these department services so practical improvements and efficiencies could be identified and pitched back to the department to encourage engagement.

6. PROCESS
  1. Conducted a competitive analysis to identify strengths and weaknesses of the chosen CRM system and inform product strategies.
  2. Utilised quantitative and qualitative research methods to understand user demographics, needs, and pain points.
  3. Conducted user interviews to gather insights on motivations, frustrations, and feature preferences.
  4. Developed user personas to represent distinct user groups and their goals.
  5. Created a content map to outline core functions and personalised experiences for different user segments.
  6. Iteratively designed wireframes, focusing on simplifying user interactions and streamlining registration processes.
  7. Implemented features such as autocomplete fields and progress indicators to enhance user control and experience.
7. OUTCOMES

The website successfully launched, offering a more seamless experience for users accessing council services online. Key outcomes included increased user engagement, streamlined service transactions, and a shift towards online channels. Lessons learned included the importance of extensive user research, iterative design, and collaboration across departments.

By following this structured approach, we were able to create a user-centric platform that met many of the diverse needs of Derby City Council's stakeholders while achieving the project's overarching goals.

Reflecting on the project, future iterations could focus on further personalisation and accessibility enhancements. There is also a need for technical and design staff to be included in the procurement process to adopt third-party technology, even if it is simply by contributing to the documentation that is to be completed. This ensures that significant roadblocks are not met during the design and development phase, which cannot be overcome. The creative specialists can help inform the prerequisites of any technology being considered to ensure it is fit for purpose.