Seamless synergy with Service Victoria: Crafting a Digital Ecosystem for Elevated Citizen Engagement and Efficiency

About Service Victoria

Service Victoria, as the dedicated customer service agency of the state government, is unwaveringly committed to enhancing the citizen experience through modernising government services.
Founded in 2018 to make it easier for Victorians to access government services online, Service Victoria is the one place to go for a comprehensive suite of services, including paying vehicle registration fees, checking due dates, obtaining fishing licences, applying for Working with Children Checks, Solar Homes rebates, Ambulance Victoria memberships, and much more. Having served millions of satisfied customers over the past two years, Service Victoria has gained invaluable insights into the expectations of government services, leading to ongoing refinements. Notably, citizen satisfaction rates stand at an impressive 95%, showcasing the dedication to serving the people of Victoria.

You can skip the background stories and dive into this portfolio’s design process and outcome.

The Challenge

In 2018, Service Victoria was initially focused on digitising government services. Still, with the arrival of Covid, their responsibilities expanded to creating check-in facilities, leading to a surge in interest and growth from a small team to over 300 members. However, Service Victoria faces challenges as other government agencies desire to maintain digital experiences alongside Service Victoria.

At the executive level, the organisation’s leadership reports to the Department of Government Services, which recently underwent a restructuring. Key roles include those responsible for PR, marketing, client service, product, design, data, and technology. Disagreements at this level impact the project. The product team operates with a tribe model, with divisions such as digital channels, user experience, citizen services, and business/regulations.

The primary focus areas were a service design strategy, UX/UI work, and animation/haptic design to improve the design system. Service Victoria’s overarching goal is to be the primary source for government services, but there’s an ongoing debate with other agencies wanting to retain their own digital experiences.

 

The Process

Role and Contributions

My transition from a Senior UX/UI designer to a Senior Product Design role brought challenges and enriching experiences. This role marked a thrilling journey filled with significant milestones, each offering profound lessons and growth opportunities.

Stepping into this senior product design role introduced unique challenges, necessitating the expansion of my skill set and broadening my perspective. While my previous expertise lay in UX/UI design, this new role demanded a holistic outlook encompassing the entire product lifecycle – from inception to delivery and the user’s interaction. This perspective contained user interface and experience, overarching product strategy, business objectives, and the intricate interplay of product components.

This shift in focus allowed me to see the bigger picture and understand the product’s role in addressing the needs of Victoria’s citizens and the organisation’s objectives. I collaborated with diverse teams, including product managers, developers, marketers, and data analysts, learning to align our efforts towards a shared vision. The interdepartmental dynamics, especially in a complex environment like Service Victoria, taught me the importance of effective communication, negotiation, and finding common ground among stakeholders.

Navigating these challenges was incredibly rewarding, as it enabled me to make a meaningful impact on the project’s success. The thrill of witnessing our collective efforts come to fruition, whether through enhanced user experiences, streamlined processes, or improved citizen satisfaction rates, was incredibly satisfying. Each milestone felt like a significant achievement, reminding me of the importance of continuous learning and adaptability in the ever-evolving design field.

Collaboration and Impact

With a deep understanding of the daily tasks that can lead to burnout due to frequent meetings with both internal and external squads, tribes, cross-functional delivery teams (features/services), stakeholders, and customers. Coordinating with other government agencies and multiple team activities like stand-ups, retrospectives, sprint planning, mid-sprint catchups, and showcases. Not to mention the enjoyable aspects of prototyping, design, and user/customer testing – it’s evident that an extensive collaborative effort is essential to achieve preparedness for progress. Therefore, we are embracing the Triple Diamond technique/process, derived from service design thinking, which outlines a customer-centric innovation approach, spanning phases from Problem Discovery through Solution Discovery, culminating in Development, and each phase focusing on a specific aspect of problem-solving: Discover, Define, and Develop.

The symbolism of the three diamonds goes beyond conceptual ideas; it embodies a paradigm shift, challenging established norms and diverging from the conventional practices prevalent in typical organisations. The active involvement of leaders becomes pivotal in embracing this novel approach, given its profound influence on their mindset and behaviours.

My approach to product design entails treating each concept as an initial blueprint. Refinement and enrichment occur with each sprint as insights are gathered and synthesised. This iterative process spans from enhancing Accessible Design to advancing User Education, aiming to Reduce Disparities and amplify Positive Social Impact. Throughout this phase, engineers delve into the intricacies of the technical landscape while designers concurrently develop prototypes and execute rigorous usability tests. The synergy of research and design activities remains integral throughout the cycle.

As the journey unfolds, uncertainty dissipates, enabling teams to hone in on optimal solutions. Continuous refinement leads to insights into user responses, facilitating iterative improvements.

Moreover, change is a fundamental principle guiding our approach across the entire process. It’s essential to acknowledge that the degree of flexibility for change naturally diminishes as more code is committed. Larger-scale adjustments find their place during the project’s early stages, whereas the later phases focus on meticulous 5% optimisations. Setting clear expectations from the outset significantly contributes to a smoother trajectory in the software development process.

The collaborative endeavour to enhance digital inclusion epitomises the profound impact of the Service Victoria project. It transcends the confines of merely offering convenient online services; it’s about ensuring the accessibility and benefits of these services extend to every citizen, thereby forging a more equitable society while aligning seamlessly with the organisation’s overarching mission of enhancing the citizen experience.

Overcoming Challenges

As a Senior Product Designer, navigating challenges encompassed aligning the desires of other government agencies with Service Victoria’s digital ecosystem and balancing disparate objectives presented conflicts, as each agency had distinct goals and priorities.

My solution revolved around fostering stakeholder alignment and a shared vision:

• Facilitating open dialogue
  I orchestrated high-level meetings encouraging open discussions among the agencies. This platform allowed each agency to voice its unique needs and concerns, fostering a deeper understanding of their perspectives and paving the way to identify common ground.
• Highlighting shared benefits
  I emphasised the advantages of a unified approach, such as reducing duplicated efforts, enhancing user experiences, and fortifying the overall government service offering. This narrative was integral in shifting the focus from competition to a collaborative perspective.
• Encouraging collaborative design
  Involving representatives from the other agencies in the design process was an essential step. Their input was carefully considered, ensuring their specific requirements were accommodated without compromising the overarching vision of Service Victoria.
• Leveraging data-driven insights
  I presented compelling data and user feedback that demonstrated the positive impact of a cohesive digital experience on citizen satisfaction. This evidence was instrumental in garnering support for the shared vision, highlighting the tangible benefits of our approach.

Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future. – Robert L. Peters

The project successfully navigated the challenge of coordinating with other government agencies by prioritising collaboration, shared goals, and a unified digital experience. This strategy resolved conflicts and fostered a more synergistic environment where various agencies collaboratively enhanced citizen services, aligning seamlessly with the overarching goal of Service Victoria.

 

The outcome

Results and Future Outlook

Out of all the above backgrounds, my core contributions to Service Victoria are intricately woven into THREE distinct domains:

1. Single service/token transaction design
2. Elevating the mobile App designs and features
3. Consultation and operational refinement

1. Single service/token transaction design

My involvement encompasses a comprehensive and strategic design process, spanning from Pain Point Identification and Prioritisation through Ideation and Concept Development, progressing to creating Wireframes and interactive Prototypes for rigorous testing of diverse token design concepts and user flows.

 

 

I delve further into the intricacies, meticulously crafting Visual Elements seamlessly integrating with Service Victoria’s brand identity. This entails close collaboration with the delivery teams and the design system team to ensure a cohesive and visually appealing interface reflecting the essence of our brand.

The process doesn’t stop there; it’s a journey of continuous refinement and iteration. I engage intimately with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, focusing intently on grasping the intricate subtleties of requirements, gathering invaluable feedback, and meticulously ensuring alignment throughout the design process. This commitment extends across various government services, including the Victorian Building Authority, Victoria Veterans, Ambulance Victoria, Working with Children Check Victoria, and Driving Licence Victoria.

This commitment involves diligently addressing user feedback, conducting robust usability testing, and staying firmly aligned with the overarching business objectives of these vital services. It’s an intricate dance where the dynamic interplay of inputs ensures that our design solutions organically evolve, harmonising seamlessly with our users’ ever-evolving needs and aspirations.

2. Elevating the Mobile App Designs and Features

As we learn and improve our skills with experiences, memories and everything in between. Design and build out all the single service/token transactions were just a foot in the door to the Service Victoria mobile App. It’s making things look pretty and making progress to solve existing problems.

Design is in everything we make, but it’s also between those things. It’s a mix of craft, science, storytelling, propaganda, and philosophy.— Erik Edigard

In parallel with working with multiple cross-functional teams on the single service/token transactions, I was also taking responsibility for improving the user experience on the upcoming Wallet 2.0 features, which are summaries in:

• Streamlined Navigation
  Reimagining the app’s navigation structure ensures a more intuitive and user-friendly flow. This might include a simplified menu, strategic placement of critical features, and clear pathways to essential functionalities.
• Seamless Integration
  Improved and delivered a seamless multi-channel experience. Designing consistent interactions and visual elements that maintain continuity and provide a unified experience.
• Design System
  Support the design system team to ensure a consistent user experience and brand identity, providing reusable components and design guidelines, promoting knowledge sharing, and empowering designers and developers.
• User Feedback Integration
  Creating a feedback loop within the app allows users to provide input on their experience, report issues, and suggest improvements. Regularly integrating this feedback into design updates ensures the app evolves based on real user needs.
• Accessibility improvement
  Ensuring the app is accessible to many users, including those with disabilities. This could involve features such as voice commands, high-contrast modes, and compatibility with screen readers.
• Enhanced security
  It strengthens the app’s security measures to protect user data and privacy. This could involve implementing biometric authentication, improving data encryption, and providing precise privacy settings.

 

 

3. Consultation and Operational Refinement

This was the most critical touch point throughout the project engagement with Service Victoria. My understanding of the entire product lifecycle as the product designer led me to embrace Consultation and Operational Refinement. This aligns with my user-centric mindset, practical communication skills, and drive to enhance the project’s efficiency while fostering a collaborative team environment.

While dedicating significant effort to the meticulous design of individual services and tokens, in close collaboration with multiple delivery teams spanning Desktop and Mobile, I proactively established a Foundational Component Template(via Figma) for the entire token design process, from initial shaping to detailed elaboration. This initiative has yielded substantial benefits, including the maintenance of design consistency, element reusability, scalability, accelerated iteration cycles, heightened collaboration, an elevated user experience, strengthened brand identity, and streamlined maintenance processes. Notably, this approach enables independent work by the desktop, mobile, content, and service design teams while ensuring a seamless synchronisation of updates through a simple one-click commit, culminating in a single, authoritative, and up-to-date combined design file.

Indeed, relying solely on automation (AI being the new frontier) for our design teams isn’t the complete answer, especially considering my current role as a Senior Product Designer 😎.

During our collaboration with delivery teams and stakeholders, it became evident that developers and other stakeholders faced challenges when navigating extensive design files. These challenges were compounded by designers working with slightly varied processes and naming conventions. Additionally, the issue of overloaded design files, scope expansion, and last-minute changes impacting ongoing sprints was a significant concern.

In response, we devised a comprehensive solution: an approach focused on the creation of a development-ready “Spec File” This file not only encompasses designs for specific delivery sprints but also features version history, serving as a vital tool for design approval, sign-off, and enhancing the efficacy of stakeholder presentations and showcases.

Acknowledgments and Reference

• Service Victoria Government website
• Service Victoria Mobile App
• The Zebdesk Triple Dimaond design process
• Better design to development handoff