GeologyOntario

Modernizing the discovery and access of geoscience data for clients served by the Ministry of Mines.

Time
September 2022 -March 2023
Role
UX Design Co-op Student
Project Type
UX Design

Project Overview

The GeologyOntario project was developed with the objective to create a new internet data discovery site for the Mines and Minerals Division (MMD) to allow clients to search, discover and access MMD geoscience information. At the time of the project, the existing website to access geoscience data had maintained its interface as designed in the early 2000s.
Search result page on the old GeologyOntario website.
An opened search result page on the previous GeologyOntario website.

Problem

Users encountered frequent issues when attempting to locate data on the website, such as trouble navigating through the search form and difficulty interpreting search results.

Objective

How might we create an accessible and efficient platform for geoscience data users to find the information they need?

The Process

The design process for this project followed the Government of Ontario’s iterative service design lifecycle as seen below.

Discovery

Conducting user research
to understand people’s needs

Alpha

Developing and testing
our hypotheses with users

Beta

Developing a minimum
viable service and making it available to the public

Live

Continuing to improve based
on user feedback
The majority of the discovery phase was conducted prior to the start of my work term. Going over user research data and speaking with members of the project team enabled me to highlight key findings from this phase that helped guide my work throughout the rest of the design lifecycle.

Discovery

Key Findings from Discovery

  • Poor visual appearance – branding was inconsistent with other Ministry pages and consisted of overwhelming text for most users at first glance.
  • Mismatch between system and users – Terminology on the search result page was confusing; most users were unsure what “hits” meant and why results were sorted according to them.
  • Accessibility concerns - The website was not  fully accessible according to WCAG
Default View of the old GeologyOntario search page

Existing Journey

In response to existing user research data, I developed a customer journey map that outlined the existing user journey for users of the old GeologyOntario website.
User journey map developed for the previous GeologyOntario Text Search website.

Alpha

Equipped with a better understanding of common pain points that users were encountering on the GeologyOntario website, I set out to develop and test my hypotheses with my team.

Developing Mockups

I set out to create mockups for a new version of GeologyOntario that met users needs for quick and relevant data, while also aligning with the Ontario Design System to ensure consistent branding appearance.

Mockups were developed through co-creation sessions and ideation meetings with the business area.
Mockup of an opened result page on GeologyOntario.

Collecting Feedback

We showed users various designs for the website and asked for feedback, prompting discussion on their needs and wants. Alongside a member from the business team, I helped plan, draft and execute these interviews over the course of several weeks.

Identifying Insights

We found that some features were more effective than others; for example, users preferred accordion layouts to view information as opposed to having all data displayed at once on an opened result page.

Iterating

Based off key insights, we pivoted our approach to the website and pursued designs that enabled users to find content they were searching for.

Usability Testing

After making changes according to feedback testing, business requirement adjustment and team ideation, we conducted usability testing and asked users to complete a series of tasks with a refined prototype of the GeologyOntario website. User research insights from this round of testing inspired us to tweak certain areas in the platform, such as the filters section, which I created custom components for.
The filter component broken down step-by-step for documentation purposes.

Beta

After refining various areas of the GeologyOntario website prototype in response to user feedback, it was time for our team to begin development. During this phase, my responsibilities involved frequent collaboration with project team members including:

Collaborating with the Development Team on Design Artifacts

I frequently collaborated with the development team to ensure that colors and components met Ontario Design System requirements, as well as provided feedback to ensure the page met accessibility requirements.

Completing UAT with the Business Area

I conducted User Acceptance Testing (UAT) alongside members of the business area to ensure all areas of the website were functional.

Live

The new GeologyOntario portal launched publicly at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada conference on March 7th. An official release statement was issued on March 14th by the Ministry of Mines. Presently, the website can be accessed at https://www.geologyontario.mines.gov.on.ca/.
The search page of the new GeologyOntario displaying results for “Gold”.

Reflection

This project taught me how to work in an agile environment on a product with a diverse user population. Looking back, there are some things I would have liked to have done to improve the design process.

Increase Collaborative Ideation

I recognize the importance of spending time in ideation during the design process. If I were to do this project again, I would be curious about how we could explore potential solutions in a more collaborative manner that creates opportunities for co-creation with users.

Consistently Emphasize Accessibility

Rather than looking at WCAG and accessibility requirements during the prototyping stage, I would like to explore opportunities to introduce accessibility from the start of the project to ensure it is integrated at every stage of the design lifecycle.