City of Saint Paul

Overview

The City of Saint Paul is dedicated to integrating equity and inclusion into every aspect of their work. Their vision is to build an equitable and inclusive city by transforming city processes and policies, eliminating structural inequities, and ensuring timely, relevant access to services, resources, support, and opportunities for every resident of Saint Paul.

The current webpages within the City of Saint Paul's Planning and Economic Development Department lack accessible, self-service information, making it difficult for users to navigate and find relevant resources across the Housing and Planning divisions.

Research

As part of multiple projects with the Planning and Economic Development (PED) department, I identified a need to improve the user experience for city managers, project leads, and employees accessing the City of Saint Paul's website. Programs such as the Neighborhood and Cultural STAR program and Business Assistance Funds/Tools were specifically under review, as they lacked user-friendly navigation and easy access to key information.

To better understand the issues, I led directed storytelling sessions with stakeholders to uncover pain points, gain points, key themes, and user flows. I collaborated with current city managers to track website update results, utilizing the Siteimprove tool to monitor progress and outcomes.

Based on findings from the directed storytelling sessions users expressed frustration with the website’s search functionality, and navigation challenges, particularly for those who are not tech-savvy. There is also a strong desire for a website design that feels more dynamic and less linear, as users feel the current layout does not fully meet their needs or expectations for ease of use and engagement.

Design

After compiling the data from directed storytelling sessions, site content audit, and competitive audit. I created a site map redesign, card sort, and survey mockups. I then presented a comprehensive Findings and Recommendations report to city directors, managers, and employees. The report outlined research goals, identified key areas for improvement, and proposed actionable changes to enhance user navigation and accessibility. These insights were used to refine the website and ensure it better served the needs of city employees and the public.

Some Key Focus Areas were:

Continued standard page templates across your site
Maintain and upkeep information on pages regularly to ensure information is not outdated for users
Adding visual aids such as roadmaps, images and videos outlining Programs

Findings and Recommendations Reports

City of SP_PED Findings and Recommendations Report.pdf

City of SP_PED Planning Division Findings and Recommendations Report.pdf

Site Map Redesign

Outcome/Next Steps

Based on the findings from the competitive audit, site inventory, content audit, and directed storytelling sessions, the following next steps are recommended to enhance the user experience on the PED website:

Card Sort with Target Users
- Conduct a card sorting using the tool I developed, focusing on business owners and developers who regularly access the PED website. This will help identify optimal information architecture and user-friendly design practices tailored to this audience.
User Survey
- Distribute a survey designed to capture valuable insights about user demographics, overall user experience, website satisfaction, and feature feedback. This data will provide a deeper understanding of user needs and expectations.
Implementation of Findings and Site Map Redesign
- Utilize the research and insights gathered from the findings and recommendations document to inform the implementation of design changes, including the Site Map Redesign. These improvements will aim to streamline navigation, enhance accessibility, and better align the website with user needs.

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