MTO Internship
Improving UX for Ontario's Digital Services
I worked here on six projects as a User Experience Designer under the Ministry Engagement and Advisory Board (MEAB)
Skills
User research Affinity Mapping Usability Testing
Team
Project Managers Developers Product Owners UX Designers
Date
Sep 2023 - Dec 2023
WRATH
Overview
Project Summary
The current system for managing tickets was convoluted and full of usability issues. Furthermore, it was a legacy system because it could only function properly on Internet Explorer. Our solution to this problem was to create an improved system that addresses the pain points of the legacy system while functioning on a variety of modern browsers
My Role
My responsibilities for this project were to conduct usability testing, workshops, produce support documentation, and work closely with developers
I started working on this project during its Beta phase. This meant conducting usability testing. I worked on this project for 4 months, from September to December
The Problem
The biggest problem was having to use an outdated browser, Internet Explorer, to use the legacy ticketing system. Other smaller problems included the crowded interface, useless fields, and the lack of documentation
Goals
There were 3 major goals uncovered from the personas we gathered: create work requests quickly, manage work requests, and provide accurate timelines for work requests
Design Process
To empathize with the user, I created 3 personas. These personas helped the team to understand the users' goals
Then, I created a research plan for usability testing to pinpoint usability issues the users have encountered. I conducted 3 usability tests. Moreover, I took notes for 3 other usability tests that my colleagues conducted
I then conducted affinity mapping and found a few minor usability issues. Since we didn't find any major flaws, the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was ready to launch. That said, we took notes of these pain points moving forward in the Live stage of the product
Results
We launched at the perfect time: right before Internet Explorer discontinued. As such, our 200+ users were actively using this system with little to no issues. Furthermore, we got an average of 80% NPS!
Product Owner Guide
Overview
Project Summary
New product owners need guidance on what responsibilities they need to take on. Even experienced product owners need something to refer to for each phase of the Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live (DABL) methodology. To remedy this problem, my team and I set out to create the product owner guide
My Role
My responsibilities were primarily UX research. I joined during the Live phase of the project. I, along with my colleagues, conducted usability testing, affinity mapping while also making sure that the guide was AODA compliant
I worked on this project for 2 months during September to October
The Problem
Users struggled with overwhelm. There were many resources with the information about their roles and responsibilities. However, they were scattered throughout various pages in the internal Sharepoint site. The company also had trouble because new product owners took a long time to adapt to their roles
Goals
Ultimately, users wanted to have an easy, digestible resource to allow them to understand their roles and responsibilities while being able to refer to it whenever they were confused or needed a refresher
Design Process
We first needed to find pain points from the users. We interviewed extreme users (new and experienced product owners) to make sure our research was thorough. Then, we conducted usability testing and then affinity mapping to distill and prioritize insights
From those insights, we sketched ideas that addressed those pain points (such as confusing navigation, overuse of jargon, and visual clutter for the landing page)
However, before investing more time, we needed to make sure that the product owner for this project was on board with our design decisions. Using the evidence we gathered by affinity mapping and synthesis, we presented our design decisions. As a result, the product owner gave us the green light, and we continued to higher fidelity mockups on Figma
To meet the AA standards, we created a PDF version of the document
Results
From the 9 usability tests we conducted, every user wanted access to the guide for their own use. After launch, this guide became the number one resource both new and experienced product owners used
Other Projects
LMIS
Policymakers, managers, and other people need access to data for trades and apprenticeships to make informed decisions. This website provided that information in a digestible format
My responsibilities for this project were to take notes for the usability testing and conduct affinity mapping
I started working on this project during its Live phase to conduct research regarding the current users' pain points. I worked on this project for a week during November
The Information Architecture (IA) and the content of the redesigned website was convoluted
All users' utmost goals were to find the right information quickly
To understand the pain points faced by the users, I took notes from usability testing sessions. To extract insights, I conducted affinity mapping. Finally, I collaborated with other UX designers to prioritize insights
STADS
Due to the meteoric rise of Generative AI, the government needs to create laws and regulations. Moving fast and talking to the right people is key
My responsibilities for this project were to lead and facilitate workshops alongside a Sr. UX Designer with a director and three managers. Moreover, create the presentation, surveys, and meetings
At the end of work here, we facilitated a successful presentation where managers engaged with each other and started to talk about Generative AI and why it is important to implement safeguards
WSPB
At any workplace, there are safety hazards. Businesses need a place to fill out all potential hazards and outline ways to deal with them as per the Hierarchy of Controls
My responsibilities for this project were to design the landing page and create a modal after registering for hazards
At the end of my work here, we revamped the landing page with improved information hierarchy
TSOA
Trucks, buses, and other commercial vehicles require a valid CVOR certificate. This website walks the user through to do register and apply for a CVOR certificate
My responsibilities for this project were to prototype. I had to juggle the user and business needs
At the end of my work here, I created a responsive complaint portal following the Ontario Design System (ODS)
Insights
Designing for users doesn’t mean only designing based on users, you have to consider other real-world constraints, like the product owners, time, and resources
The ability to take constructive feedback from others is imperative in becoming a good designer. Otherwise, you will never change or improve
Articulating your design decisions with evidence (and not just intuition) helps ground the project in reality. Otherwise, you will end up creating a product no one uses
This internship was an immensely valuable learning experience. I learned UX research, worked through various parts of the Design process, collaborated closely with different types of cross-functional teams, and most of all, provided value to my team and users
Check out my other projects
