Providing Ontario Residents Easy Access to Digital Renewal Services
- Project Teams
- UXD Team - Shahroz Zaman, Russell Christmas, Neetu Sajan, Negin Tabaei, Ting Bai
- Product Management Team
- Development & Operations Team
- Quality Assurance Team
- Technology UsedFigma, Sketch & Invision (Wireframes, Prototyping, User Testing), Figjam (Brainstorming), Adobe Creative Suite (Design), SurveyMonkey (Surveys), Asana (Task Organization), Jira (Agile Sprint Planning)
- DurationSeptember 2022 - May 2023
Overview
The Ontario Customer Experience Platform unifies key government services, letting residents renew licenses, update health cards, and manage documents through a single system. What started as our initiative became a large-scale project with developers, product managers, analysts, and stakeholders across Ontario’s government.
I led the development of its personalisation feature and personally synthesized insights from 35+ user interviews, shaping and informing our design process.
This collaboration created a seamless, user-focused digital experience. In its first three months, it has:
I led the development of its personalisation feature and personally synthesized insights from 35+ user interviews, shaping and informing our design process.
This collaboration created a seamless, user-focused digital experience. In its first three months, it has:
The Problem
Ontario’s digital government services are fragmented across multiple ministry websites, each with separate logins and overlapping jurisdictions. This disjointed system creates confusion, inefficiencies, and frustration for residents trying to access essential services.
Ontario’s digital government services are fragmented across multiple ministry websites, each with separate logins and overlapping jurisdictions. This disjointed system creates confusion, inefficiencies, and frustration for residents trying to access essential services.
Our Solution: The Customer Experience Platform
Our survey data highlighted the need for a centralized digital platform where Ontario residents could seamlessly access all government services in one place.
Through 35+ user interviews and walkthroughs, we crafted personas, journey maps, and prototypes, refining designs at each stage. As part of a cross-functional team including product managers, developers, and designers, I helped bring the concept
to life and drive it to an MVP through agile sprints.
Our survey data highlighted the need for a centralized digital platform where Ontario residents could seamlessly access all government services in one place.
Through 35+ user interviews and walkthroughs, we crafted personas, journey maps, and prototypes, refining designs at each stage. As part of a cross-functional team including product managers, developers, and designers, I helped bring the concept
to life and drive it to an MVP through agile sprints.
User Research
Above is a visualization of the extensive data we gathered from 30+ user interviews, conducted both in-person and online. The entire process of organizing and synthesizing this data was handled solely by me and one other designer. A more high fidelity version is visible here.
Low Fidelity Designs
To meet stakeholder expectations, we first adapted our UX approach, integrating low-fidelity prototypes into user testing to provide context. This refinement ensured meaningful feedback and ultimately shaped the rich data we gathered through 30+ user interviews.
To meet stakeholder expectations, we first adapted our UX approach, integrating low-fidelity prototypes into user testing to provide context. This refinement ensured meaningful feedback and ultimately shaped the rich data we gathered through 30+ user interviews.
User Research Findings
Confusing Scope
Users found the scope of the new platform confusing.
Demand for Centralization
Users strongly valued the idea of a centralized platform.
Value of Unified Tracking
Users found single-site transaction tracking innovative.
Barriers to Access
Users found government services difficult to access, citing confusing and tedious website navigation.
Seamless Services
Users valued the seamless experience of in-person transactions.
Trust in Govt. Sites
Users had a high level of trust in sharing information on government websites.
Info Overload
Users felt overwhelmed by excess information & lack of help features on government platforms.
Personas & Journey Maps
Another designer and I independently created six personas and four journey maps based on our captured data. We categorized user groups by tech literacy, journey complexity, and trust in government, ensuring they accurately reflected the diverse services we were integrating and the individuals we interviewed.
Medium Fidelity Designs
With our personas and journey maps aligned, we advanced to the next design stage. Using the Ontario Design System, we built the dashboard as the website’s hub, prioritizing quick access, search, action items, and status updates. A key innovation was tracking all transactions on a single page.
My "linking services" feature, highlighted below, let users customize their homepage by selecting visible services. First introduced in my draft, it became a core element in later prototypes and the final MVP.
User Walkthroughs & Prototype Iteration
Next, we conducted user walkthroughs, incorporating stakeholder expectations by including a sub-high-fidelity onboarding as a proof of concept. Users tested both this and the medium-fidelity prototype.
After testing 15 users, my teammate and I affinity mapped key themes and distilled the findings into the points below.
After testing 15 users, my teammate and I affinity mapped key themes and distilled the findings into the points below.
User Walkthrough Findings
Users valued customization and easy information saving.
Users valued our concise, simple, and intuitive UI.
Users criticized the lack of proactive help features.
Users perceived the platform as safe and trustworthy.
Users wanted additional features like third-party login and improved accessibility.
Users found features like digital wallet and selfie verification confusing.
Sprints & Independent Iteration
Our team executed agile sprints to develop a health card renewal MVP. I led user story creation, iterated designs, led workshops and collaborated with developers for feasibility.
For the personalized "My Products" feature and renewal reminders, I led ideation, refining concepts based on constraints and feedback. One key iteration was the "Renew Now" alert, which I streamlined into a clearer design aligned with Ontario’s standards.
This approach enabled swift development and strengthened my agile UX-development experience.
For the personalized "My Products" feature and renewal reminders, I led ideation, refining concepts based on constraints and feedback. One key iteration was the "Renew Now" alert, which I streamlined into a clearer design aligned with Ontario’s standards.
This approach enabled swift development and strengthened my agile UX-development experience.
Final High Fidelity Prototype
Evaluation
- Expanding UX ExpertiseThis project deepened my understanding of UX by involving me in every stage of product development. I gained hands-on experience translating user needs into intuitive designs and saw how UX directly impacts a product’s functionality and success.
- UX as a Strategic DriverThis project deepened my understanding of UX’s role in development. While I always knew its importance, I saw firsthand how it drives decision-making, shapes user interactions, and provides the framework for a seamless, user-centered product. It reaffirmed my belief in UX as a guiding force rather than just a supporting function.
- Building Leadership and AdaptabilityBeyond technical expertise, I strengthened my leadership, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. Balancing design iteration with stakeholder collaboration, I developed a holistic approach to UX that emphasizes both innovation and practicality.
