20121112 ma veterans portal design process class

BYO consulting uses design + technology to help our clients make the world a better place

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I’m Yasmin. I founded and run BYO.

Areas of ExpertiseGeneral Government and Public Policy; Veterans Services; Education; Libraries; Technology + Governance; Press and Politics; Community Building and

Organizing; Civic Engagement

Capabilities Research and Strategy Development; User Analysis; Conceptual Product Design; Social Innovation + Entrepreneurship; Business Development; Process

Improvement; Services Design

EducationMPP, Harvard Kennedy School of GovernmentB.A in Government, Cornell University

Prepared by BYO consulting LLC 2011

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We solve public problems through digital innovation. BYO was chosen to lead this project because of our strong background in government technology and our focus on solving public problems through human-centered digital strategy and design.

We focus on the user. Working across the government and non-profit sectors, we help our clients leverage social technology for the greater good by understanding their audiences and crafting impactful digital strategies, products and services that meet their needs.

We understand government and social change. We have deep expertise in government and social sectors, and our clients span a variety of sectors; from arts administration to aerospace, the media to the military, and architectural design to education reform – we speak our clients language. We understand their motivations. We feel their challenges. And we take great delight in crafting innovative solutions that solve their problems in meaningful and engaging ways.


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We design strategies and products…• Digital Technology Product Requirements • Public Services • Social Media Engagement• Training and Curriculum• Web Development • Graphic Design

…using human-centered research and design techniques: • Interviews • Field Observations• Focus Groups • Surveys • Design Charrettes • Ideation Sessions and Workshops • Desktop Studies • Literature Reviews• Quantitative // Qualitative Data Analysis


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We have some awesome clients and partners:


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MA Veteran and Family PortalHuman-Centered Digital Service DesignBYO consulting Case Study


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Project Goal: design the requirements for a portal that improves the online lives of veterans and their families.

Project Sponsors: Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI), MA Department of Veteran’s Services, and the Homebase Program

Design Timeline: January – August 2011

Website Launch: May 2012


We use a human-centered model to design our strategies

People

Products

Organizations

Eco-System

What do your stakeholders care

about? What are their motivations? How can

we innovate while meeting their needs?

How can we ensure that the project meets

our intended organizational goals while engaging our

audience?

How can we leverage the expertise and

resources from the organization to support

this project? What are our funding

and sustainability constraints?

What are the political, policy, managerial and legal contexts in which our efforts take place?

What is the context within which we are

operating?

We believe that the most effective products and services are those that tap into the needs, desires, behaviors, and motivations of their intended audience.

However, in the government / social sector, the funding, policy and political ecosystem, organizational constraints, and project capacities are all important factors to include in the analysis.

Project Kick-off

Discovery

Design Sign-off

Refinement

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Our design process started with participatory ideation and ended with focused user input

HOW IT WORKS - We start by collecting data and running ideation sessions with stakeholders to develop a large solution set. Then we test those potential solutions with our core users through

design charrettes, site visits, and focus groups to refine and select the most meaningful solution.

Discovery: desktop studies, user surveys, and expert interviews

Refinement: design charrettes, site visits, focus groups

Most meaningful solution


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Project Kick-off Discovery Design Sign-offRefinement

Jan April

JuneFeb March May July2011

VA Portal Design Tasks and Timeline: 1. Project Kick-off (Jan)

1.1. Project Management Structure

1.2. Confirm Methodology

1.3. Organizational/Stakeholder Analysis

2. Discovery (Feb – March)

2.1. Inventory of Veterans Websites

2.2. Desktop Study

2.3. Expert Interviews (veteran’s community + gov/tech community)

2.4 User Surveys

3. Refinement (March – June)

3.1. Design Charrette

3.2. Needs Assessment (focus group)

4. Design Sign-off (June – July)

4.1. Development of Final Requirements


11Prepared by BYO consulting LLC 2011

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There are many resources and supports available for veterans:

Food, Women’s Issues, Legal Service, Healthcare + Mental Healthcare, Recreation, Housing, Financial and Tax Services,

Educational Credits, Employment, Transportation, Faith, MA Dept of Veterans Services, Veterans Administration, Department of Health

and Human Services, VA Hospitals, etc...

However, the eligibility and application process can be prohibitively complicated.


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“Tell us what we need to know; don’t make us look through complicated information that doesn’t apply to us.”


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Furthermore, veterans and their family members use the web, and are used to

the clarity of commercial websites.

They want to be able to get everything done easily online.


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“Zappos knows what I want…why don’t you?


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While we can give veterans more clarity, we are unable to build a transactional system as an external organization.


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STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS1. Presence Simple posting of information

2. Interaction (i.e. “2.0”) Turning words into data

3. Transaction (aspirational goal) Authority over dispensing benefits

Our organizational analysis showed us that we were limited to working at the 1st and 2nd stages of development:


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Even though younger users reported that their primary method of obtaining

information about resources is through other veterans…


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“We helped each other in combat, and we help each other at home.”


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…the majority of veterans in Massachusetts are elderly.


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20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 900

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

Age of Veteran

Num

ber o

f Vet

eran

sThere are 400k+ veterans in Massachusetts, the majority of

whom are >50


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The portal will untangle the benefits and services process for veterans, creating a “TurboTax” for veterans benefits and services, giving them easy access to the critical information they need and deserve.



FROM:

empty jargona generic experience based in static text

from pamphlets and websites

point of entry = info about the benefit/service

TO:

plain englisha personalized online experience that responds to the unique needs of individuals

point of entry = information about the veteran or family member

quantity even though a veteran might only be

eligible for a small number of benefits and services, they still have to comb through the

1000s that exist

reliance veterans often rely on others to recommend

services because the benefits research process is exhausting

uncertaintyveterans are unsure if they are eligible for

the benefits they are interested in

qualityveterans will only be presented with specific benefits and services that are relevant to them and for which they are eligible

independenceveterans will be able to quickly and simply navigate a site and help others do the same

confidenceveterans will feel confident that the recommendations they receive are targeted and robust

How accessing information about benefits and services online will change:

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Input Information:

1

Unlike traditional search functions that utilize category or keyword searches, the Portal will guide users through a diagnostic process. By asking questions in simple language about their current condition, the Portal will map to all relevant benefits and services for which they are eligible, leaving out those which are irrelevant for the user.

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The features.

The Portal be based on a new database of Federal and Massachusetts veterans’ programs and benefits, communicated through a simple and intuitive user interface, effortlessly guiding veterans to the specific information they need and deserve.

Receive Recommendations:

Rate Quality:

As the veteran // family member completes the diagnostic questionnaire, the user will be presented with recommended services along with concrete steps to take to access those benefits. Finally, the user will be able to save, print or email the list and associated documentation.

Although veterans expressed an interest in working together, they already use a number of popular social networking sites. Accordingly, on our site veterans will be able to: 1) leave comments on services and benefits 2) “like” a benefit or service. These ratings will be visible to all users of the site, giving them the opportunity to help their peers without developing yet another social networking site.

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Input Information:

1


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The features.



Rate Quality:



2 3


Input Information:

1


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The features.



Rate Quality:



2 3


Input Information:

1


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The features.



Rate Quality:



2 3

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What we got rid of.

• Include social elements, including but not limited to photo and video sharing, social networking, commenting, rating, tagging, forums, etc.

• Calendar functions.

• Community announcements.

• Connect with external social networking sites (facebook, twitter, etc).

20121112 ma veterans portal design process class

Documents

byo consulting llc

design process

design techniques

design charrette3

human services

project sponsors

project capacities

project goal