Sorry! It’s confidential.
Due to the sensitive nature of government project, I am unable to publically share the insights and findings of ODS projects. Instead, I’m happy to share a summary of my time with the ODS and reflect on the digital projects I contributed to.
O V E R V I E W
Problem
To modernize provincial digital products and services across the Ontario Public Service to be ‘simpler, faster, and better’, conduct usability testing, facilitate user research and systemically improve the digital landscape of government websites across Ontario.
P R O J E C T
Building Digital Government with the Ontario Digital Service
Team
Shannah Segal, Senior Manager
Michael Fagan, Senior Business Consultant
Danna Patton, Senior Service Designer
Mira, Senior Design Manager
John Hurst, Senior Business Consultant
My Role
Audrey Keim, UX Designer and Researcher
Timeline
9 months
O P P O R T U N I T Y
How might we design and modernize Ontario’s provincial platforms and services to utilize emerging technology while better serving the citizens of Ontario and inspiring a new opportunity for digital government?
Outcomes
Primary Research
Empathy Maps
Persona Matrix
User Interviews
Job Shadows
Secondary Research
User Journey Mapping
Usability Testing
Executive Readouts
Design Workshops
Insight Development
Blog Writing
Personas
B A C K G R O U N D
What is the Ontario Digital Service (ODS)?
The Ontario Digital Service is an extension of the Ontario Government with offices in Toronto, ON and Waterloo, ON. The ODS is responsible for building, iterating and assisting in any digital government tools, services, or applications. In the Ontario Digital Service there are various chapters that collaborate to generate modern solutions to provincial sites and services.
During my time at the ODS, I worked as a UX Designer and Researcher inside the Experience Design Chapter and helped to conduct user research, discovery research, usability testing and analysis on behalf of any Ontario Public Service (OPS) teams that are modernizing or creating new government platforms and services.
The goal of the ODS is to ensure all provincial platforms and services are simpler, faster, and better. This goal is made possible by ODS’ efforts to test government sites, iterate their content and UI, and educate fellow OPS teams on the importance of User Research, iterative design, and collaboration.
P R O J E C T B R E A K D O W N
What did I do at the Ontario Digital Service?
While at the ODS, I contributed to the following provincial platforms, services, and research projects:
Death Registration Discovery Research with Funeral Directors Presentation with Stakeholders
Ontario Builds Website Data and Analytics Collection
Design Systems Usability Testing
COVID-19 Research Discovery
Procurement and PPE Website Usability Testing
Contact+ Manual Contact Tracing Tool
Contact+ Usability Testing
Working Remotely Blog Post on ODS Medium profile, written with my colleague, Uneeba Mubashsher
COVID-19 Service Integration Research partnered with Dana Patton
COVID-19 Digital Products Workshop, done in collaboration with all COVID-19 Product teams in order to build an ideal future state flow of all COVID-19 related products
Service Integration Visual Presentation for stakeholder presentation to be held in upcoming weeks, sketching and designing visual illustrations to support future state vision of COVID-19 Services
S U M M A R Y
The Lasting Impression of the Ontario Digital Service
During my 8 months at the ODS, I had the privilege of getting to see two sides of their digital movement. The first, being the amazing in office experience to see how all the developers, designers, project managers, etc. work hand in hand on a day to day basis to create a convenient and helpful digital experience for all Ontarians. The second, was being able to witness and be apart of the transition of the ODS to working remotely due to COVID-19.
The transition and change brought on by COVID-19 has impacted everyone around the world not just within their careers, but personally. Being able to witness the community the ODS provided me navigate these somber times with grace and humility was immensely appreciated, and they provided a glimmer of hope due to their resiliency to adjust in troubling times.
This change in direction, allowed the ODS to shine because of the needs COVID-19 created for clear digital communication. Along with the need for tools that directly assist in creating unified experiences for users interacting with government COVID-19 services.