COVID 19 CAMPAIGN
Valencian Government
January 2024
Timeline
UX/UI Designer
Role
Valencian Citizens
Audience
'What's so wrong about the current page?'
By the end of 2020, we realized that the infamous COVID-19 was here to stay. At least for a little longer than expected.
With that in mind, Governments were aware of the increasing demand from citizens to improve funding & support, not just financially but also emotionally.
Ok - but people still use it, right?
Yes, that doesn't mean they might not heavily struggle finding resources or give up going through the process.
Why are they upset then?
One of the first impressions when immersing myself in this topic was noticing how similar people’s answers were when it came to receiving help from the Valencian Government (GVA).
"I applied a couple months ago, but I'm not sure if I got it".
"I haven't been able to find any help online".
"I wasn't aware there was help for people like me".
Competitive Analysis
The most effective way to analyse trends and user behaviour was through a competitive analysis of 5 Government websites yielding these results:
Clear search in homepage
4/5
Offer mental health support
1/5
Research
Participants
8 Valencian citizens from a variety of etchnic backgrounds, ages and professional industries to understand each perspective clearly.
The structure of the interviews was a mix of open-ended questions and 2 exercises where they would complete tasks in the GVA website and a competitor website (Comunidad de Madrid).
Provide COVID dedicated info
3/5
When I realized how much I had to search and read to understand how to apply for a scheme, I got overwhemed and left it for the day.
Pivoting into reality
Capturing the realities of research
I realized I had to change the direction of research when users corroborated they sometimes weren't even going on the website.
This meant it didn't matter how wonderful and user friendly the COVID 19 page was designed if users didn't even step foot online.
Findings & what happened after the crisis
Focusing on the homepage and smart notifications to alert users of what mattered to them was the way to go. with that in mind, these were the main findings:
Search Options
Most users would often go straight to the search bar instead of exploring further
Identities
Language and Identity are a complex topic for Valencian citizens
Governmental Ghosting
8 out of the 10 users that applied to schemes never got a response
Extensive Research
It can take up to 3 hours to find the information users are tring to find and even then, links are broken, pages aren't working or the info is outdated
Visual System
Colour Palette
Typeface
INTER
Open Sans - Jorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Etiam eu turpis molestie, dictum est a, mattis tellus. Sed dignissim, metus nec fringilla accumsan.
Redesign
Iconography: Outlined
Buttons
Textures
Before
Job search homepage
After
IMPLEMENTATIONS
From testing prototypes to researching different avenues with participants, here are some of the biggest changes adhered to the new GVA website:
Unsure, lost and new users
As mentioned during the observation phase, many participants did not know how to navigate the website or felt overwhelmed trying so. A short survey that guided users through tailored content was implemented to alleviate such struggles.
Accesible menu
Research showed how imperative it was to have a visible, accesible menu at all times. Therefore, both desktop & mobile have sticky menus hovering at all times with clear tags.
Search navigation
4/5 participants decided to use the head search bar or make a quick search from the menu at least once in the observation phase. This meant having a search option always available for those who felt like searching instead of exploring through the page.
Specialized COVID-19 page
Initial research highlighted how topics such as emotional support, financial struggles & seeking help studying or working from home were in demand during the pandemic. Providing a COVID-19 page that answered and attended those requests was happily welcomed during final testing.
Featuring commonly searched items
Although original designs included a "cloud" with the most common searches. It did not seem that useful for participants through initial testing. Alternatively, a reel showing common searches with images and descriptions instead of only words was deemed more favourable for users.
Mobile and desktop friendly
To familiarize and maintain continuity for users on mobile & desktop, most of the scrolling actions, spacing and overall feel of the website was purposely similar to avoid constant exploration and making the users feel rewarded on their return.
If I was to do it again, I would:
Test Notifications
Testing how succesful tailored notifications have been or if they are needed by the users at all
Help & Support
Would it actually be worth adding a chat support for users struggling with the website?
Improve News Feed
Adapting Tweets original to the homepage without being too distracting whilst still informative
All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of GVA.