Background

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) administers tax laws, delivers social and economic benefits, and ensures compliance for Canadian governments. It plays a crucial role in managing the country's financial infrastructure and serves both individuals and businesses.

The Problem

While CRA's role is crucial, its website has historically faced challenges that could hinder its efficacy. The primary issues identified were:‍

• Difficulties in navigation that led to user frustration, potentially causing non-compliance due to a lack of clarity.
• A need for a user interface redesign with intuitive categorization, clear labels, and improved user-path optimization.
• Refining the aesthetic appeal of the site to make it more user-friendly, approachable, and modernized.

‍User Research

To prepare for usability testing, I created a proto persona and user path analysis to define objectives for Guerrilla usability testing.

Five participants tested the login process and the navigation for downloading tax forms. Feedback revealed that while most could log in and find the T2125 form, website navigation was challenging, highlighting the need for a more user-friendly homepage and improved content organization.

Following the initial research phase, a heuristic evaluation was performed on five specific web pages of the CRA website. This assessment aimed to pinpoint and emphasize areas that necessitated immediate enhancements and rectification.

Moodboard

A moodboard is a curated collection of visuals, colors, and design elements that define a project's aesthetic. For the CRA website redesign, it established a cohesive visual direction and aligned design choices with the intended user experience and branding.

Information Architecture

During the Information Architecture stage, an in-depth navigation analysis was conducted to optimize the CRA website. Identifying inefficiencies, a card sorting exercise reorganized all pages into new primary and secondary categories, ensuring intuitive navigation. Insights from this exercise led to the development of a comprehensive sitemap.

Based on the refined sitemap, a prototype for the navigation and footer was then crafted.

Wireframing

Equipped with insights into the main issues and having solidified the user flow, the design phase commenced. My primary emphasis was on achieving aesthetics with a minimalist design, while ensuring flexibility and efficiency of use.

Usability Testing

After creating the first high-fidelity prototype for desktop and mobile, a Five-Second Usability Test was conducted to evaluate first impressions. Participants viewed the CRA prototype's homepage for five seconds and answered questions about brand recall and visual elements.

Test Results at a Glance:

Changes Based on Insights:

• Navigation Enhancement: Improved menu bar visibility, particularly on mobile devices.
• Visual Cues: Adjusted color schemes for hover actions and ensured consistent contrast, making buttons and links more noticeable.
• Content Layout: Prioritized the tax filing section while relegating less crucial sections like 'Most Requested Links' for better user flow.
• Mobile Adjustments: Resized content to reduce excessive scrolling and ensured the header doesn't overshadow important site content.
• Intuitive Ordering: Reorganized the secondary navigation based on user demand rather than alphabetically.

Style Guide

The style guide page is a comprehensive blueprint for consistent design, encapsulating the essence of the CRA's new brand. It meticulously outlines typography, color palettes, and design elements, ensuring uniformity across all platforms.

Final Thoughts on the Project

Redesigning the CRA website was a journey of challenges and insights. Here are the pivotal moments and decisions that guided the project: