The Challenge
DriveTest, a government agency responsible for driver examination services in Ontario, was facing multiple pain points with their website. Users found the website’s navigation confusing, with too many pages and excessive, wordy content. There was a lack of clear direction for users, making it difficult to find essential information about driver licensing. The goal was to redesign the website with a human-centered approach that would streamline the information architecture (IA) and enhance the user experience. The main challenge was to simplify the structure, improve navigation, and ensure that users could easily access the services they needed.
Our Approach
IA Review and Content Inventory
We started by reviewing the existing IA and creating a detailed sitemap and content inventory to understand the website’s structure. This helped us identify scattered and redundant information, which led to the merging of overlapping personas.
Focus Groups with Key Personas
After identifying six core personas (Teens, Seniors, Adults, Indigenous, Recent Immigrants, Disabled), we conducted focus groups to gain insights into their specific needs and pain points. This step allowed us to tailor the IA to the unique user journeys of each persona.
User Journey Mapping
We mapped out the user journeys for each persona, revealing common paths across groups. This helped us design a hybrid IA that would work for both persona-driven and journey-based structures, making it easier for users to find the information they needed based on their needs.
Refined IA Design
In the final phase, we applied the insights gained from user research to restructure the IA, resulting in improved navigation, clearer content categorization, and a simplified layout that aligned with the users’ needs.
The Outcome
Improved Taxonomy and Navigation
The restructured IA used clear categories, making it easier for users to find relevant information. The cascading navigation system grouped pages under intuitive categories, streamlining access to content.
Persona-Focused Approach
We created dedicated persona pages, which offered specific, relevant information for users based on their unique needs. This resulted in a 20% decrease in website searches, as users found the information they needed more quickly.
Streamlined Content
The restructuring of content led to shorter, more focused pages, with relevant information consolidated into single sections. This improved the readability and accessibility of key information.
Enhanced User Experience
By addressing pain points identified through focus groups and aligning the website’s structure with user journeys, we significantly improved the website’s usability, making it more intuitive and easier for users to navigate.
