Simplified navigation, enhanced search, and provided users with a customizable dashboard experience.
Project Summary
Who
CSI Solutions
What
Online Community Portal and Content Management System
How
User Interviews, Surveys, Sketches, Wireframes, Prototypes, Usability Testing, Agile Project Management
Results
Built trust through a modernized user interface, enhanced search, and standardized page design. Improved and sped up navigation through a user-defined customizable home page so portal members can get their tasks done quickly and efficiently.
Project Overview
CSI Solutions operates an online community portal through a government contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The portal is used by thousands of healthcare consultants to connect with one another, share healthcare quality best practices, and find resources.
The users complained that the site was "outdated" and difficult to navigate. Finding things was not easy, either. Content was not organized in a logical way, and much of the site had accessibility issues, as well.
Project Goals
1. Modernize the current system to harness new technologies such as contextual help.
2. Improve and simplify the navigation of the site to speed up users' workflow.
3. Enhance the search capabilities and prioritize users' main goals for using the portal.
4. Adhere to Accessibility Guidelines
Snippet of a survey I conducted early in the project
Challenges
1. Fully-remote team: Overcame communication challenges through constant coaching and communication. This was pre-pandemic.
2. Analytics improvement: Introduced qualitative analytics to complement quantitative web analytics uncovering a richer source of data to help drive our project goals.
3. New to Agile: Provided regular training and coaching on Agile, Scrum, User-Centered Design, and Design Thinking methodologies to a project team that had not worked under any sort of project management methods.
4. Government restrictions: Conducted "discount usability testing" to gather valuable user feedback within limits to meet Paperwork Reduction Act mandates and keep costs low.
Current system screenshot showing duplicate navigation elements
Approach
I conducted user research through surveys and usability sessions to learn about how users currently interact with the portal.
I identified pain points, prioritized them, and translated them into user stories so that the product team could focus on delivering value to the customer.
I introduced Agile project management to keep the project on time and focused.
I created wireframes and prototypes for user testing and to speed up development and delivery.
Some notable customer feedback from survey
Concept Sketches
Concept sketches are cheap ways to visually communicate ideas.
I sketched quick ideas for new ways to think about navigating the site, which was one of the most common pain points that users mentioned.
Because the portal is meant to connect people of similar interests and groups, we decided that presenting users with a customized dashboard upon log-in allowed for easier navigation to the communities and topics of interest of each individual user. The communities, calendar events, announcements, etc. were all made into navigable components.
Users overwhelming responded positively to this new user-defined dashboard. It was intuitive and allowed community members to locate their favorite communities more quickly to get their tasks done efficiently.
My early sketch of a user-defined dashboard upon logging in
Results
Modernized and simplified the user interface.
Enhanced search capabilities.
Improved site navigation and made it more accessible for people with disabilities.
User-defined dashboard allowed registered users to complete their tasks more quickly and efficiently.
Reduced help-desk requests by 5% post launch.
Delivered the new portal experience on time and under budget.
A community landing page
Lessons Learned
1. The Value of User Research:
Spending time with individual portal users provided invaluable insights. One user we interviewed was blind and were able to observe their workflows using screen-reader technology. This experience uncovered insights that might otherwise have remained hidden.
Spending time with individual portal users provided invaluable insights. One user we interviewed was blind and were able to observe their workflows using screen-reader technology. This experience uncovered insights that might otherwise have remained hidden.
2. Bridging the Gap Between Users and Stakeholders:
Bringing the product team and stakeholders in to user research not only guided the design process but also created a shared understanding amongst us. This reinforced how crucial it is to bring diverse perspectives into focus, ensuring the team empathizes with users’ varied needs and challenges.
Bringing the product team and stakeholders in to user research not only guided the design process but also created a shared understanding amongst us. This reinforced how crucial it is to bring diverse perspectives into focus, ensuring the team empathizes with users’ varied needs and challenges.
3. Simplification Drives Success:
Streamlining complex user flows and interfaces had a tremendous impact on the user experience. I learned that simplifying navigation and focusing on user needs directly leads to more intuitive, effective designs.
Streamlining complex user flows and interfaces had a tremendous impact on the user experience. I learned that simplifying navigation and focusing on user needs directly leads to more intuitive, effective designs.
4. Collaboration is Key to Great Design:
Throughout the project, cross-functional collaboration was essential. Working closely with engineers, product managers, and end users reinforced that great design thrives in a team environment. Sharing insights, encouraging feedback, and maintaining open communication proved vital in delivering a successful product.
Throughout the project, cross-functional collaboration was essential. Working closely with engineers, product managers, and end users reinforced that great design thrives in a team environment. Sharing insights, encouraging feedback, and maintaining open communication proved vital in delivering a successful product.
5. Continuous Feedback is Crucial:
User and stakeholder feedback throughout the process confirmed the importance of continuous iteration. Incorporating feedback at every stage allowed us to address issues early, stay user-focused, and ensure the final product truly met the needs of our target users and the business.
User and stakeholder feedback throughout the process confirmed the importance of continuous iteration. Incorporating feedback at every stage allowed us to address issues early, stay user-focused, and ensure the final product truly met the needs of our target users and the business.