Documenting strengths and frictions in the digital Commonwealth statutory declaration product
Client
Department of Finance
Timeframe
July 2024
Role
Principal
Engagement
In-depth interviews and observations of 18 Australians, heuristic evaluations by 5 experts
“I wish it could have been this way when I applied for my visa. Not having to go to the pharmacy or police station is a big deal for us in regional Australia.”
— Research participant
Objective
To list observations, strengths, and barriers in the UX of the statutory declaration MVP, in order to shape up actionable recommendations and propose a phased and prioritised action plan.
Methodology
Our approach combined expert evaluations and user research to understand the current state of the MVP and capture opportunities for improvement.
Phase 1: We conducted a tailored heuristic analysis of relevant websites, such as the MVP itself, myGov and the Attorney-General's Department, to document the product's discoverability, content clarity, and accessibility.
Phase 2: We conducted in-depth interviews and observations with 18 Australians. Participants tested the MVP while we documented their motivations, challenges, and preferences. We also assessed key content elements to see how well they set user expectations.
Phase 3: We synthesised findings into a final report and offered clear recommendations to enhance the usability, content, and accessibility of the MVP, MyGov, and MyID (formerly MyGovID). We proposed phased improvements to expand features and encourage user adoption.
Outcome
Our research showed that while many users found the online statutory declaration process straightforward, distinguishing between Commonwealth and state-based declarations was a common hurdle.
Content on myGov and the Attorney-General's Department often needed more context and wayfinding to avoid confusion, especially among those unfamiliar with statutory declarations or digital services. Search engines prioritising state-based results, technical issues like multiple logins, and unclear form guidance added to the challenges.
We developed 92 recommendations to improve the content clarity, accessibility, and intuitiveness of the MVP experience. Our suggestions included providing more explicit instructions, reducing login complexities, and enhancing the pathway to the digital statutory declaration service. We ranked each recommendation against importance and complexity ratings and supported the Department of Finance, Services Australia, and the Attorney-General's Department in establishing an improvement roadmap.
Ultimately, through our focus on user-centred design and inclusivity, we contributed to a digital statutory declaration process that is more accessible and user-friendly for all Australians.
