Enabling citizens to manage unemployment benefits
Designing mobile workflows for end-to-end benefits application, caseworker appointments and work tracking
Project brief
The state provides unemployment benefits to its citizens, who had to make an online application, provide physical documents and get an appointment with the caseworker to discuss their situation. Based on the eligibility, they and their family received support from the state.
At the time, the initial benefit application system was available on the web portal, basic information in a read only format was available on a mobile app. But for all further actions, a citizen had to get a meeting with the caseworker in person and file paperwork. There was an opportunity to improve the overall process by adding relevant features to the mobile app, making it valuable to citizens and reducing the load on caseworkers.
Platform
Mobile application
Domain
Public sector
Year
2019
My role
As UX Designer, I collaborated with the lead designer and design manager across research and design phases, contributing to caseworker interviews and creating personas. I owned wireframing and information architecture, where I translated research findings into key workflows and screens. I also partially contributed to the final designs, working within the client's design guidelines alongside a visual designer.
Personas
Goal-based personas were developed from the research findings to represent the different citizen situations and needs. A user journey was mapped for each persona to understand how citizens would navigate the benefits process.
Site map
This is the first version of site map which further evolved based on feedback from stakeholder discussions.
Design principles
A UX audit of the existing web/mobile workflows and caseworker interviews along with user research insights surfaced key issues that informed the following design principles.
Mobile app features, MUST,
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be easy to understand for a citizen with third grade education
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have minimal workflow to reduce cognitive overload
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have simple interactions which are tap friendly
Mobile app features, SHOULD,
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provide a communication medium with case worker
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create awareness about all benefits to the citizens
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be compatible with low end devices including non touch devices
Whiteboarding
Elements within each flow were categorised based on user actions, such as read, sign, select, fill etc. to define design patterns. Multiple possibilities were explored before finalising an approach.
Wireframing
Wireframes were generated for all workflows to finalise and hand it over to the visual designer.
Designs
Based on the wireframes and state's visual guidelines, the visual designer created final designs in consultation with me, where I partially contributed to ensure that the experience and the workflow remains intact.
Impact
The app saw strong citizen adoption across various workflows, within few weeks.
Within the first week of launch,
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102 citizens reported changes in their existing benefits using the application
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69 citizens updated their recertification forms using the application
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27 citizens submitted fresh benefit applications using the application
Ease of access
As the app was compatible with low-end devices, it was accessible to all citizens. They could view their eligibility and submit applications directly from their phone.
Ease of use
The app relied on tap-based interactions, making it easy to use for all citizens. Workflows were tailored to specific citizen personas, reducing complexity for users.
Ease of communication and tracking
The new features provided mobile notifications and online appointment booking with the caseworker. Work and course tracking gave citizens an overview of their progress.
My learnings
This project was my first public sector project. It taught me the specific visual, language and design guidelines which public sector projects must follow.
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The personas and research helped me understand the different needs of citizens across age groups and backgrounds, teaching me to design for multiple complex use cases
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Designing for a non-native application requires understanding how the app will function on each operating system. I learnt various design patterns which will feel comfortable to use regardless of the operating system
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Tech constraints are not only from a development perspective but also from the user's device perspective. Considering parameters like simplicity of interaction, device sizes and font sizes ensured that the app worked seamlessly across devices