Maricopa County Online Permit UX/UI Design

Hui Chen | MVCD

Approach and Methods

(Methods: interviews, observation and participation) 

We interviewed 8 interviewees from 3 different departments (Planning & Development, Air Quality, and Environmental Services). Interviewees were asked about their own experience with permits online application and feedback they got from users. Questions also focused on their challenges and visions for the department’s online experience. We also analyzed the survey results they did in 2018. Meanwhile, we did a secret shopper process and got the first-hand user experience. 

Main Findings

Maricopa.gov website offers new users or frequent users to apply for permits online. After all the interviews we conducted, there are few issues I want to focus on and offer solutions to improve the user experience.Firstly the instructions are too complicated for first-time users to understand, the learning curve is too high. And the current website offers too many permits options (buckets) for users to choose, and if they pick the wrong permit at the beginning, they have to go through the whole process all over again.Secondly, file requirements can be difficult for many users. They need the assistant to help them prepare the files.Last, not the least, the lack of communication between different departments could lead to confusion for users.

Solutions

Smart Check List + Online Shopping + The Special Shopping Assistants

Design a clear system to help the user get a checklist. This checklist will help them figure out what kind of permit or permits they need and file requirements. This step will prevent users picking wrong permits which save both Maricopa Government officers and user’ time and allow users to clarify which department or departments they need to apply, and the clean timeline of the whole permit application process.

Then they can prepare all the files which match the check list, then they can submit online. The online system will convert all the files they submit into PDF files. 

Create a special Shopping Assistants team hotline for permit application and use SEO strategy to make this hotline become the first information users will get when they search ‘Permit’. People who answer these phone calls are from this special team. The team members are from all different departments, and they train each other so that all the team members in this special team have fully understood all the permit kinds, therefore they are able to give users a right list with all the permit information such as: permits types, timeline, file requirements and fees. 

UX/UI Design 

By using stories boards to figure out how users interact with the website, and I combined the two solutions together. 

From the home page, the user creates a new account or login their existing account. This will lead the user to his/her My Account Dashboard. From there, the user can easily navigate to all the services they need. I used nudges to guide users behavior, for example: I use ‘Most Clicked’ and ‘New Feature’ to make people can easily find Apply New Permit and Meet the Permit Special Team buttons. 

I simplify the apply new permit process, the user can see clear steps and times they need, which will make them more confident about this process and well prepared. And the page for the Permit Special Team, I add hotline and live chat options so that people can communicate with teams members easily.