GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Establishing Mixed Methods Baseline Research for Canada’s National Parks Site

UX Research
Accessibility
Developed the methodology and conducted mixed methods baseline research while emphasizing the significance of accessibility, and paving the way for future benchmarks.

Project Coming Soon!

This is project is in progress and will be published by October 2024.

Overview

I led a 4 month project where I was able to

1) Evaluate the content, layout, and IA of the Parks Canada website

2) Establish a mixed methods baseline frame to compare user success at completing top-tasks 

3) Identify general trends in user behaviour, opportunities for improvement, and critical issues related to the Parks Canada website

Project Challenge & Goals

Parks Canada updated its website to the new Canada.ca theme and design system in November 2022. In January 2023, Parks Canada engaged Jumping Elephants to conduct preliminary user testing on the new site, compare the user experience against previous benchmarks, and establish new benchmarks in order to assist Parks Canada in improving its overall website user experience.

About my role

As the project manager of this project, my role was to

  • Direct the team and delegate tasks according the team members’ strengths, interests and work load, which was done using a RACI chart.
  • Communicate with the client about progress, approvals and timelines.
  • Ensure deliverables were completed on time and done within the budget.
  • Empower the team to ask questions and seek help if necessary. Provide constructive feedback on the work completed.
  • Contribute to the completion of the deliverables.

Limitations

  • Using a new quantitative unmoderated usability testing tool that was still in its beta phase. This impacted timing.
  • Poor quality of unmoderated videos resulted in the need for more participants
  • Brining new value to a client who already has an internal UX team
  • Tight turn arounds in a time where the team had multiple competing priorities.

The Double Diamond Framework in Action

The double diamond design thinking framework is a process used to solve problems creatively. It includes the following steps: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.

I believe it is an effective process that encourages thorough exploration of the problem before jumping to solutions. Dividing it into distinct phases keeps teams focused and ensures they consider various possibilities before making decisions, using the concepts of divergence and convergence.

The project's work plan, developed using the double diamond method, incorporates methodologies tailored to the client's needs and Government of Canada requirements. I guided the team and assigned tasks for each phase of the double diamond, considering team members' strengths, interests, and workload, facilitated by a RACI model.

NOTE: We were asked to conduct research within the Discover and Define sections only. The remaining phases would be addressed by the internal UX team at Parks Canada.

The double diamond design process diagram

Discover

In the Discover phase, the team sought to further explore and deeply understand the problems that may exist on the new website. To gain a comprehensive understanding of this, we used various research methods that would help us understand the three voices involved in the project: the Voice of the Business, the Voice of the Market and the Voice of the User.

Understanding the Voice of the Business

Review of Background Materials

Before starting any evaluation, we reviewed the guidelines for Government of Canada websites, including the Canada.ca design system, as well as our recent evaluations of the previous Parks Canada website to ensure our design recommendations would be within scope.

Exploring the Voice of the Market

Heuristic Evaluation

Next, we conducted a heuristic evaluation of using a variation on Jakob Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design that we internally developed catered specifically for Government of Canada products and services.


The areas that needed the most review found below.

The website was updated based on the results from the heuristic evaluation before the usability testing phase.

Navigation
Consistency and Standards
Flexibility and Efficiency of Use

Discovering the Voice of the User

Recruitment
Task Development
Moderated Usability Testing
What did we find?
Unmoderated Usability Testing
Risk Mitigation

Develop

We provided overall and task-design recommendations to the client based on the findings from the moderated usability testing.

The internal UX team at Parks Canada and its stakeholders were responsible for prioritizing which changes would be implemented (based on their mandate) and the timeline for development.

Delivery

Results Analysis, Reporting and Presentation

The team presented a comprehensive report that outlined the findings, conclusions, and recommendations, which were then presented to the client and key stakeholders for their feedback.

Next Steps

The client used this research as a baseline for their future rounds of testing

The Jumping Elephants team was contracted again in late 2023 to conduct more research for the client. This exercise focused on moderated usability testing with individuals with visual impairments and was conducted in person in the participant's home (or location of choice) to accommodate for any accessibility needs.

Key Takeaways

  • How to quickly come up with solutions to unexpected problems
  • The protocol used to test and provide accommodations for participants with accessibility needs

The Double Diamond Framework in Action

The double diamond design thinking framework is a process used to solve problems creatively. It includes the following steps: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver.

I believe it is an effective process that encourages thorough exploration of the problem before jumping to solutions. Dividing it into distinct phases keeps teams focused and ensures they consider various possibilities before making decisions, using the concepts of divergence and convergence.

The project's work plan, developed using the double diamond method, incorporates methodologies tailored to the client's needs and Government of Canada requirements. I guided the team and assigned tasks for each phase of the double diamond, considering team members' strengths, interests, and workload, facilitated by a RACI model.

The double diamond design process diagram

Discover

The client had conducted preliminary research, formulated their concept, and built a prototype. Our role was to conduct a second round of validation in the iterative process.

In the Discover phase, the team sought to further explore and understand the problem deeply. To help us understand the need for the tool for the business and for the users as well as the issues, we used various research methods that would help us understand the three voices involved in the project: the Voice of the Business, the Voice of the Market and the Voice of the User.

Understanding the Voice of the Business

Review of Background Materials
Stakeholder Interviews

Exploring the Voice of the Market

Heuristic Evaluation
Competitive Analysis

Discovering the Voice of the User

Task Development
Usability Testing
Risk Mitigation
What did we find?
How could we have improved the research method?

What Makes a Boss vs. Leader?

In my opinion, effective leadership involves excellent delegation skills and empowering the team to accomplish tasks. However, there are occasions when despite the team's best efforts, they may face challenges in completing their work. A good leader doesn't simply transfer responsibility to someone else but instead, steps in to support the team and demonstrate unity in purpose.

During this Discover phase, due to competing internal priorities, some team members were not able to complete some of the reports. In response, I willingly stepped in to assist the team in order to meet end of fiscal year deadlines.

Define

Persona Research and Creation

Based on the findings and background documents, we developed 3 personas (e.g., adult, teen, child) to reflect the core users and their needs in a digestible single page artifact that could be shared with our client’s upper management.
Journey Maps

Building from the personas and the corresponding research, the team developed three journey maps to describe the specific triggers, actions, tasks, and gaps that reflect the personas' experience.

Develop

Wireframing & Prototyping

Using all that we learned from the research in the Discover and Define phases, we prioritized the design changes in a collaborative meeting with our in-house designer. They subsequently made an interactive prototype of the Food Guide content that were reflective of recommended changes based on the users’ journeys.

Note: We only made changes to the existing prototype, we did not create wireframes for new functionalities that we may have proposed, as we were unsure if the ideas would be within scope.

Delivery

Results Analysis, Reporting and Presentation

We presented a comprehensive report that outlined the findings, conclusions, and recommendations, which were then presented to the client and key stakeholders for their feedback.

Next Steps

The client had to review the research to validate their concept, its value to users and potential functionality before deciding to launch.

Key Takeaways

  • How to effectively manage and empower a team to meet deadlines without burnout (personal and team-wide).
  • How to track time against time against a budget and currently seeking out tools to streamline this process.
  • How to conduct testing with children and teens and the privacy measures required to protect their rights.

I. Discovery

Heuristic Evaluation

The team conducted an expert review of the current site to determine the site's key strengths and weaknesses. The review covered 7 categories of usability (e.g., navigation, findability, understandability, etc.)

What did we find?

  • The terminology is too technical and not likely to match the users’ expectations.
  • It takes several clicks to accomplish the main task (i.e., file a complaint)
  • The site is not intuitive for a first time user (i.e., federal government worker, inter-provincial truck driver). It takes a lot of trial and error to get to the desired page.

Comparative Analysis

The team identified 7 similar related approaches of other organizations to learn how other solutions solve users’ problems, especially workers who are in the vulnerable sector.

What did we find?

  • The process to file a complaint (i.e., the main task) should be clearly defined in simple steps
  • Content should be at a reading level of grade 8 or below
  • Task-oriented primary navigation works well
Preview of a Microsoft Power Point slide. On the slide, there is a screenshot of Civil Resolution Tribunal BC's website. There are arrows and text pointing out the strengths of the design.
Example of a slide in the comparative analysis 

User Interviews

In order to better understand the needs of workers in federally regulated industries, the team conducted 40 interviews with organizations as well as individuals who self-identified as having experienced either labour relations, health and safety, and minimal labour standards issues.  The interviews addressed the following questions:

  • Who are the most vulnerable workers in the federal jurisdiction industries?
  • How can the client's program better reach them?
  • What are the challenges and barriers for vulnerable workers in the course of their employment journey (from before they start a job to after they leave a job)?
  • How might the client's program better support vulnerable workers in resolving occupational health and safety (OHS), labour standard or industrial relations issues?
  • How might the client's program increase vulnerable workers’ engagement in OHS culture and practices?

All participants were interviewed remotely via telephone or online teleconference using WebEx.

Due to the sensitive nature of the subject, I did not interview the participants myself. However, I was able to listen to each interview and identify some preliminary patterns in the findings. It was also my responsibility to ensure these interviews were transcribed for the client.

II. Ideation

The team held a meeting to discuss the preliminary findings and the report structure. 

Brainstorming

During this meeting, we were able to redefine the scope of our problem (as it was larger than initially proposed by the client), discuss the main findings, and propose possible solutions. 


Evil 8's

Similar to the design activity, Crazy 8's, we completed Evil 8s's to help us brainstorm possible solutions. The purpose of the activity was to encourage the team to push the boundaries of their thinking by proposing anti-solutions to the problem. Each team member would write their anti-solution on the first square and passed the paper onto the next person. As the paper was passed along, the anti-solutions were expanded upon. 

Afterwards, we used the anti-solutions to help us to propose innovative and creative solutions to the problem.

A white board against an orange wall. There are solutions and diagrams written all over the white board.
Brainstorming of possible solutions

III. Delivery

I. Identity

Musical Direction

Before production on the single could begin, the team needed to determine the musical direction for the single (as well as Cerae's future songs).

Drawing inspiration from Cerae's musical influences (e.g., Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, the Bee Gees, the Winans, Michael Jackson, Jacob Collier), the team decided that a sound that could easily cross boundaries between the genres of R&B, neo soul, gospel and funk would be a good fit. Additionally, the team determined that this musical direction would appeal to the trends within the Toronto music scene while still remaining niche.

Artist Image

Based on the proposed musical direction, I curated 4 mood boards to demonstrate different artist images that Cerae could potentially emulate . Each artist image drew inspiration from current and past trends within the music industry. The purpose of selecting an artist image from the curated mood boards was merely to act as a point of reference, which would be further developed into a unique image, personalized to Cerae.

Each mood board contained the following:

  • Album cover art
  • Photoshoot and music video concepts
  • Colour palettes
  • Fonts
  • Outfits
  • Hairstyles

The musical direction and artist image initially established by the team acted as a guide for all future creative decisions.

A preview of 4 mood boards. The moods boards are entitled "90s Baby", "Retro Art H**", "Girl Next Door" and "Hypebae"
Mood boards for Cerae's potential artist image

II. Ideation

Once the writers had completed the lyrics, it was my responsibility to translate the sentiments of those lyrics into a visual narrative (which would be used for the promotion of the single). I worked concurrently with the production of the track. Thus, both the visuals and the music reciprocally influenced one another.

Finding Inspiration

I was sent a rough demo of the song to work with. My first goal was to establish a colour palette for the visuals, which would set the scene for the overcharging feel/mood. I asked myself and the team to think about what colour they envisioned when they listened to the demo. With the input from the team, I laid out a colour palette that also aligned with the proposed release date of the single (end of Summer/Fall).

The team looked to music videos and album covers of artists within the same genres as Cerae for inspiration. A preliminary mood board was created.

Eureka!

I stumbled upon the music video for Meet Me in Amsterdam by RINI. In the opening scene of the music video, RINI sings "Row this boat from dusk till dawn" while enacting the very lyrics he sings in the video. The literal nature of the lyrics gave me an idea. I immediately thought of Cerae's lyric, "Loving with you, a 9 to 5 of constant disputes." It was this specific lyric that inspired the concept of the workplace theme found throughout the promotional materials. The action of punching in and out of work on a punch clock (a prominent theme in many of the promotional materials) was used as a metaphor for the cyclical nature of turbulent relationships that is described in the song.

Curating a Mood Board

The vision for the shoot was heavily influenced by 70s fashion and mid century modern interior design. In order to appeal to a younger demographic, the team decided to take a modern twist on the era.

A preview of two colour palettes. The first palette contains the colours burgundy, peach, brown and 2 shades of dark green. The second palette contains the colours peach, yellow-orange, pink and red.
Colour palettes for the promotional materials
A preview of a pinterest board. There are many photos of 70s fashion and mid century modern interior design.
Preview of mood board

III. Plan

The team scouted a location and procured props and wardrobe for the shoot. A photographer/videographer was hired for the shoot. He assisted in blocking out scenes. In addition, a hairstylist and an actor (to play the love interest in the lyric video) were brought onto the team.

Hair, Makeup & Styling

In addition to the action of punching in and out of work on a punch clock, we wanted to further simulate the passing of time through changes in outfit, hair and makeup.

In total, the team styled 16 outfits, 4 hairstyles and 4 makeup looks for Cerae. Additionally, we styled 3 outfits for the actor in the role of the love interest.

Critical Path

The team had only 8 hours to complete the entire shoot on location. Due to the sheer volume of wardrobe changes, a detailed schedule, called the Critical Path, was set in place. The purpose of the Critical Path was to ensure that all preparations, shots, and clean up could be achieved within the 8 hour window.

A preview of the detailed schedule prepared for the shoot date.
Snapshot of the Critical Path

IV. Execute

Shoot Day

Up until the day of the shoot, all planning had been conducted virtually. On the day of the shoot, I collaborated with our photographer/videographer in providing artistic direction. The team was successful at capturing all the necessary shots within the 8 hours on location. 

Editing

The team edited the following promotional materials using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom:

  • Single cover art
  • Instagram single teasers (via feed)
  • Instagram ads (via feed and stories)
  • Promotional photos

I supervised all editing to ensure that all materials were aligned and consistent with the artistic vision. Additionally, I edited the lyric video for the single using Adobe Premiere Pro.

Marketing Strategy

While the production of the song entered its final stages, the team developed a multi-channeled marketing strategy that included the following:

  • Instagram ads
  • Influencer marketing (via Tik Tok)
  • Playlist placement submission (via Spotify, SubmitHub, RnB Radar)
  • Lyric channel submission
  • Word-of-mouth marketing
  • Leveraged existing connections within the music industry

Lyric video for Clocks (Loving With You)

V. Delivery

Cerae looking back over her shoulder while she punches in a card into a vintage punch clock. She is wearing a green jacket, black conductor hat and a brown skirt. There is yellow text over the image which lists the members of the production team and their roles.An orange chaise against a white wall and hard wood floor. There is yellow text over the image which lists the members of the production team and their roles.

Hand-off

Clocks (Loving With You) was released on November 12, 2020. It is available on all platforms. Since its release, the single has had several notable accomplishments (last updated in January 2021):

  • 9.8K streams on Spotify
  • 1.6 K views on the lyric video (via Youtube)
  • Youngest artist to place at #1 song on RnB Radar's 'On Our Radar' playlist from the week of November 20 - 27, 2020
  • Featured on the Dope Lyrics YouTube channel (12.1M subscribers)