Redesigning the Help Desk Experience for a Government Funding Tracking System
This project focused on redesigning the help desk for a government funding tracking system to improve information retrieval and user navigation.
SaaS
Role
Role
Product Designer
Industry
Industry
Government/B2G
Team
Team
Project Director
Project Manager
Developers
Engineers
Timeline
Timeline
6/13/2024- 8/01/2024
Challenge
The government funding tracking system's help desk was unstructured, making it difficult for users to find critical resources. Users struggled with inefficient navigation, excessive clicks, and lack of contextual guidance, leading to frustration and delays. The goal was to redesign the help desk to improve information accessibility, reduce cognitive load, and streamline the user experience.
*Disclaimer: To protect sensitive data, certain user tasks and feature details have been adjusted for this case study and mock-up presentation.
The government funding tracking system's help desk was unstructured, making it difficult for users to find critical resources. Users struggled with inefficient navigation, excessive clicks, and lack of contextual guidance, leading to frustration and delays. The goal was to redesign the help desk to improve information accessibility, reduce cognitive load, and streamline the user experience.
*Disclaimer: To protect sensitive data, certain user tasks and feature details have been adjusted for this case study and mock-up presentation.
The government funding tracking system's help desk was unstructured, making it difficult for users to find critical resources. Users struggled with inefficient navigation, excessive clicks, and lack of contextual guidance, leading to frustration and delays. The goal was to redesign the help desk to improve information accessibility, reduce cognitive load, and streamline the user experience.
*Disclaimer: To protect sensitive data, certain user tasks and feature details have been adjusted for this case study and mock-up presentation.
Results
Task Flow Familiarization: 94% increase in ease of access to updated information, reducing adaptation time by 1.5 hours.
Navigation Efficiency: Users now find relevant resources in 3 clicks instead of thier usual 8.
Usability Improvement: 68% increase in user-reported ease of navigation due to structured content and clear visual hierarchy.
Task Flow Familiarization: 94% increase in ease of access to updated information, reducing adaptation time by 1.5 hours.
Navigation Efficiency: Users now find relevant resources in 3 clicks instead of thier usual 8.
Usability Improvement: 68% increase in user-reported ease of navigation due to structured content and clear visual hierarchy.
Task Flow Familiarization: 94% increase in ease of access to updated information, reducing adaptation time by 1.5 hours.
Navigation Efficiency: Users now find relevant resources in 3 clicks instead of thier usual 8.
Usability Improvement: 68% increase in user-reported ease of navigation due to structured content and clear visual hierarchy.
Process
Key User Research Methods Used:
Conducted ethnographic research, tree testing, A/B testing, and usability testing to understand pain points.
Analyzed large-scale government documentation systems to identify best practices in information architecture.
Developed a See | Do map to align design with user behaviors and streamline actions.
Defining Metrics That Scoped Out the Exact Problem:
Users took an average of 8 clicks to find relevant help resources.
System updates caused 2-3 hours of reorientation due to unclear task flows.
Users lacked notifications and contextual guidance, slowing their workflows.
Execution and Key Enhancements:
Structured Data Organization → Archival data categorized by timeline for easier retrieval.
Improved Navigation & Hierarchy → Clear menu labels, categorized content, and dropdown menus.
Search Optimization → Enhanced keyword relevance and filtering for faster results.
Interactive Elements → Expandable sections (accordions, dropdowns) for better scanning and engagement.
Trade-Offs:
Balancing Simplicity & Depth → Reducing cognitive overload while maintaining essential documentation.
Scope Limitation → Focused on high-impact improvements, ensuring immediate usability without overwhelming users.
Scalability: Prioritized core user needs while designing a flexible system for future expansion.
Simplicity vs. Depth: Balanced reducing cognitive overload with maintaining detailed, necessary documentation.
Accessibility & Compliance: Ensured WCAG standards for usability and readability.
Considerations:
Scalability → Designed a flexible system that can be extended to other users in future iterations.
User Adaptability → Balanced modernization with familiarity to minimize disruptions to existing workflows.
Accessibility & Compliance → Ensured WCAG standards for usability, readability, and navigation.
**Please note: Due to data sensitivity, specific user tasks and new feature information have been modified for the purposes of this mock-up and case study presentation.
Key User Research Methods Used:
Conducted ethnographic research, tree testing, A/B testing, and usability testing to understand pain points.
Analyzed large-scale government documentation systems to identify best practices in information architecture.
Developed a See | Do map to align design with user behaviors and streamline actions.
Defining Metrics That Scoped Out the Exact Problem:
Users took an average of 8 clicks to find relevant help resources.
System updates caused 2-3 hours of reorientation due to unclear task flows.
Users lacked notifications and contextual guidance, slowing their workflows.
Execution and Key Enhancements:
Structured Data Organization → Archival data categorized by timeline for easier retrieval.
Improved Navigation & Hierarchy → Clear menu labels, categorized content, and dropdown menus.
Search Optimization → Enhanced keyword relevance and filtering for faster results.
Interactive Elements → Expandable sections (accordions, dropdowns) for better scanning and engagement.
Trade-Offs:
Balancing Simplicity & Depth → Reducing cognitive overload while maintaining essential documentation.
Scope Limitation → Focused on high-impact improvements, ensuring immediate usability without overwhelming users.
Scalability: Prioritized core user needs while designing a flexible system for future expansion.
Simplicity vs. Depth: Balanced reducing cognitive overload with maintaining detailed, necessary documentation.
Accessibility & Compliance: Ensured WCAG standards for usability and readability.
Considerations:
Scalability → Designed a flexible system that can be extended to other users in future iterations.
User Adaptability → Balanced modernization with familiarity to minimize disruptions to existing workflows.
Accessibility & Compliance → Ensured WCAG standards for usability, readability, and navigation.
**Please note: Due to data sensitivity, specific user tasks and new feature information have been modified for the purposes of this mock-up and case study presentation.
Key User Research Methods Used:
Conducted ethnographic research, tree testing, A/B testing, and usability testing to understand pain points.
Analyzed large-scale government documentation systems to identify best practices in information architecture.
Developed a See | Do map to align design with user behaviors and streamline actions.
Defining Metrics That Scoped Out the Exact Problem:
Users took an average of 8 clicks to find relevant help resources.
System updates caused 2-3 hours of reorientation due to unclear task flows.
Users lacked notifications and contextual guidance, slowing their workflows.
Execution and Key Enhancements:
Structured Data Organization → Archival data categorized by timeline for easier retrieval.
Improved Navigation & Hierarchy → Clear menu labels, categorized content, and dropdown menus.
Search Optimization → Enhanced keyword relevance and filtering for faster results.
Interactive Elements → Expandable sections (accordions, dropdowns) for better scanning and engagement.
Trade-Offs:
Balancing Simplicity & Depth → Reducing cognitive overload while maintaining essential documentation.
Scope Limitation → Focused on high-impact improvements, ensuring immediate usability without overwhelming users.
Scalability: Prioritized core user needs while designing a flexible system for future expansion.
Simplicity vs. Depth: Balanced reducing cognitive overload with maintaining detailed, necessary documentation.
Accessibility & Compliance: Ensured WCAG standards for usability and readability.
Considerations:
Scalability → Designed a flexible system that can be extended to other users in future iterations.
User Adaptability → Balanced modernization with familiarity to minimize disruptions to existing workflows.
Accessibility & Compliance → Ensured WCAG standards for usability, readability, and navigation.
**Please note: Due to data sensitivity, specific user tasks and new feature information have been modified for the purposes of this mock-up and case study presentation.
Conclusion
The biggest challenge was transforming an overwhelming volume of unstructured information into a streamlined and accessible system without compromising depth and accuracy. By prioritizing a structured information hierarchy, intuitive navigation, and iterative testing, we successfully improved efficiency and usability while maintaining compliance with accessibility standards. These enhancements significantly reduced user frustration and task completion time, reinforcing the impact of a well-organized help desk. Moving forward, expanding customization options and integrating AI-driven recommendations could further optimize information discovery and user support, ensuring the system continues to evolve with user needs.