My Account User Interface Redesign Study Usability Testing

Prepared for the:
Public Affairs Branch
Canada Revenue Agency
FINAL REPORT
June 2009
POR# 107-08
Contract #46558-104600/001/CY

Prepared by:
Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc.

Le rapport complet en français sera fourni sur demande.

To request a full copy of this report, please contact Library and Archives Canada at:
613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 or www.collectionscanada.ca

Media Enquiries:
Media Relations
Canada Revenue Agency
4th Floor 555 MacKenzie Avenue
Ottawa ON K1A 0L5
media.relations@cra-arc.gc.ca

Executive Summary

Phoenix SPI was commissioned by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to undertake qualitative research to assess the effectiveness of proposed changes to the My Account for Individuals service on the CRA Web site. The main objective was to test the proposed new page designs to assess how they perform in terms of usability practices and whether they are effective for users. Results from this research will be used to evaluate and validate the proposed redesign of the My Account user interface. The research was conducted using a mock-up of the My Account service that incorporated the new design elements.

Target Audience

The target audience for this study was individuals, divided into the following sub-categories: wage earners, seniors, benefit recipients, and students.

Methodology

In total, 40 usability testing interviews were conducted across three locations: Toronto, Montreal (French), and Vancouver, with 20 interviews completed in each official language. Fieldwork for the research took place May 27 to June 3, 2009.

This research was qualitative in nature, not quantitative. As such, the results provide an indication of participants’ views about the issues explored, but cannot be generalized to the full population of any of the groups included in this research.

Key Findings

Completion of Tasks and Navigation Tendencies

Nearly all participants successfully completed most or all of the exercises they attempted, and many often found more than one correct path to the information sought. Moreover, exercises were typically completed on the first attempt. Most of the exercises were described as ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to complete. Exercises that were not described as ‘easy’ were more likely to be described as ‘moderate' than ‘difficult’.

During the completion of the exercises, the most pervasive or routine tendency exhibited by participants was the tendency to ignore or quickly pass over the middle of the Welcome page. Related to this was the tendency to focus on both the menu on the left-hand side and the tab menu when looking for information.

Organization of Information

The organization or structure of the My Account service did not emerge as a major issue during the completion of tasks. To the extent that it did, participants most often drew attention to two issues: the way the display or presentation affects or could affect the visibility of links/labels, and the ability to access information through different categories. The organizational features most frequently identified as having a potentially adverse effect on the visibility of the links included using a single link to different types of information (e.g., the Canada Child Tax Benefit and GST/HST credit link) and the lack of prominence of the tab menu at the top of the Welcome page.

In terms of accessing information, while participants generally felt that the information is categorized appropriately, many felt that some information should be accessible through different categories so long as it is logical to do so (i.e. as long as it is reasonable to assume that a certain type of information could be accessible through different paths).

Clarity of Information

Lack of clarity in labelling was not a common problem that inhibited or frustrated participants during the completion of the exercises. To the extent that there was any lack of clarity it involved a limited number of specific labels. Links most likely to be described as vague, unclear, or imprecise included My Government Account, Accounts and payments, and View children in my care.

Impressions of Welcome Page

Participants’ overall impressions of the redesigned Welcome page of the My Account service were positive and tended to focus on the basic structure and organization of the page. It was routinely described as clean and uncluttered, well organized and well laid out, easy to take in the page at one glance, and easy to navigate. A number of participants also drew specific attention to the tab menu as one of the strengths of the Welcome page, and there was consensus that it is a useful feature. There was also widespread agreement that the various tabs and links are appropriately located, that the grouping of information under the various tabs and links is logical and complete, and that most of the labels on the Welcome page are clear and easy to understand. Finally, there was also widespread agreement that the inclusion of the ability to change text size and choose/highlight ‘favourites’ are useful features of the My Account Welcome page. That said, most did not think they would use these features (though many said they would).

Positive impressions of the redesigned Welcome page were underscored by the fact that nearly all participants expressed a definite preference for it over the current version of the Welcome page. When comparing the two models, there was a near consensus that the relocation of links (currently included in the middle of the page) under tabs across the top of the page facilitates ease of navigation and the ability to find information quickly. Participants who preferred the redesigned version also routinely described it as better organized and laid out, with a cleaner, less-cluttered look. In addition, when asked which of the two designs is better in terms of organizing information given that the My Account service will continue to grow and more links will be added, all but one participant identified the proposed version as the superior approach going forward.

Suggestions for Improvement

Participants collectively offered numerous suggestions for improving the proposed Welcome page for My Account, as well as other aspects of the service. That said, most were offered by no more than a few participants. Most suggestions were quite specific and focused primarily on making links more visible or information more easily accessible, and clarifying specific labels. These are identified in the last section of the report.

Conclusions and Implications

Results from this research validate the proposed redesign of the My Account user interface. The overall design and layout tested well, as did the use of tabs (instead of links on the main page) to navigate within the My Account service. Based on their own experience completing exercises, participants felt the service was easy to use and navigate and that the labelling/nomenclature is mainly clear, albeit with some exceptions. The proposed redesign of the Welcome Page was preferred by most to the current design and considered more effective, by almost everyone, in terms of organizing information in future given the need to add more content/service offerings to the My Account service.

Participants offered numerous suggestions for making it easier to find information on the My Account service, though many were made by no more than a few participants, and sometimes by a single participant. These suggestions were concrete and precise, but involve relatively small changes or adjustments. In other words, none of the suggestions involve major changes to the basic structure or approach of the redesigned service.

While all participant suggestions should be reviewed with a view to potential implementation, certain suggestions warrant particular attention because they relate directly the main objective of this study, which was to test the proposed new structure and page designs to assess their performance in terms of usability. Each of these suggestions emerged in the course of participants trying to find information, and therefore have a direct bearing on the ease of finding information on the redesigned My Account service. Key suggestions include the following:

• Make the tab menu more prominent or visible.
• Add drop-down menus to the tabs or a mouse-over function.
• Provide separate links for distinct types of information (i.e. no links on second-level pages that give access to more than one type of information).
• Make some of the information accessible through more than one link/tab (if it logically /intuitively fits in more than one category).
• Change ‘View Children in my care’ to a label that more clearly identifies the content accessed (and perhaps place it first on the list).
• Change the ‘Accounts and Payments’ tab to make it clear whether payments refer to payments due, payments received, or both.
• Clarify (or remove) the label ‘My Government Account’.
• Add a ‘back’ button to facilitate navigation within the My Account service.
• Consider adding a search engine to the service since this is the way that some people prefer to look for information.

Suggested improvements to the tab menu (i.e. making it more prominent and adding drop-down menus or a mouse-over function) deserve particular consideration as they involve enhancements to the key design feature of the redesigned service.

Date modified:

2009-12-08