Hackney Council
As a UX Designer & Researcher, I collaborated with a team to redesign the Hackney Council website, focusing on improving information architecture, delivering a more user-friendly experience for residents accessing essential services.
Project Overview
The project aimed to redesign the Hackney Council website to improve how residents access council services such as council tax, waste collection, and local information. The focus was on creating a mobile-first, fully responsive website that caters to the diverse needs of Hackney's residents.
The Challenge
Problem Statement:
Residents found the existing website difficult to navigate, with outdated design and overwhelming information. Users struggled to quickly find essential services, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Key User Pain Points:
30% of users reported issues with information architecture.
60% of frustrations were design-related, citing cluttered layouts and outdated visuals.
89% used the site for council tax and waste collection, but found processes cumbersome.
63% preferred desktop for completing tasks but wanted mobile support for quick information checks.
Research & Discovery
Methods Used:
User Interviews (8 participants)
Online Survey (48 respondents)
Competitive Analysis (local councils & private sector platforms)
Affinity Mapping to identify trends and themes from user feedback
Key Findings:
Users desired faster access to core services like tax payments and waste collection.
Participants found the website cluttered, with important information buried under excessive content.
48% of users spoke English as a second language, highlighting the need for translation services.
Users expressed interest in features like payment reminders, a live chat function, and local service information.
Define Phase
Primary Problem Statement:
"Busy Hackney residents need a modern, intuitive website that allows quick access to essential council services without unnecessary friction."
Persona Developed:
Simon, a 25-year-old resident, represented the typical user—tech-savvy but frustrated with the cumbersome process of accessing services like council tax and waste collection.
See below for reference.
Design & Prototyping
Concept Development:
The team explored five key concepts to address user needs:
My Dashboard: A personalized hub for quick access to services.
Live Chat: Combining AI and human support for immediate assistance.
Email/Text Reminders: Alerts for payment deadlines and waste collection days.
End-of-Page Suggestions: Related links to reduce user navigation efforts.
What’s Around Me: Location-based service finder for local facilities.
Prototyping & Testing:
Created low to mid-fidelity wireframes, merging the best ideas from individual concepts.
Developed a clickable prototype using Figma for both desktop and mobile platforms.
Conducted usability tests with 5 users to validate designs and iterate based on feedback.
Design Solutions
Reimagined Information Architecture: Reduced content overload and improved the hierarchy for faster information retrieval.
Personal Dashboard: Enabled users to manage council services (e.g., tax, waste collection) from a single access point.
Live Chat Integration: Added visual prominence to the chat feature, making it easily accessible throughout the site.
Reminders & Notifications: Provided users with automated alerts to stay on top of important dates.
Improved Accessibility: Recommended the introduction of translation services and clearer navigational elements.
Location-Based Services: Implemented a map feature helping users discover local services based on their postcode.
Results & Impact
🌟 Improved Usability: Usability tests showed a clear improvement in navigation, with users completing key tasks faster and more efficiently.
🌟 Positive User Feedback: Participants appreciated the simpler design and easy-to-use interface, particularly the dashboard and live chat features.
🌟 Enhanced Accessibility: Focus on diverse language needs led to considerations for future translation support.
🌟 Higher Engagement Potential: Features like "What’s Around Me" and end-of-page suggestions increased user engagement with local services.
🌟 Actionable Client Recommendations: Provided future guidance on improving the dashboard’s placement and refining location-based services.