Phoenix.gov
Redesigning phoenix.gov to organize content around the needs of residents, improve accessibility, streamline access to city services, and enhance information discoverability.
Role
Backend Dev
Frontend Dev
UX Design
Client
PHX
Programs
AEM
Figma
IntelliJ
Time
1 Year
Top Level Categories
The first-click data in the tree test indicates that users can intuitively navigate the top-level categories in our new proposed sitemap.
Tree test conducted with 92 participants on Phoenix.gov
Residents
Task
Imagine you've just moved into a new home and need to set up your water service. Where on the site would you find that?
Correct First Click
Businesses
Task
You're an entrepreneur planning to open a new storefront and need to check the commercial zoning laws. Where on the site would you find this information?
Correct First Click
Transportation
Task
As a person with a disability, you require an accessible ride service within the City. Where on the site would you find information about the service?
Correct First Click
Discover Phoenix
Task
You're interested in playing golf this weekend. Where on the site would you find that to book a tee time?
Correct First Click
Government
Task
If you're looking to learn about the initiatives led by the mayor, where would you search on the City's website?
Correct First Click
Executive Summary
-
The new top-level categories are performing well overall.
-
Lower success and directness scores on several tasks indicate a need to adjust the sitemap to enhance clarity of some subcategory and page labels.
-
Users sometimes navigated to logical but incorrect sections, suggesting the benefit of incorporating cross-linking or a "Did You Mean?" feature on certain pages to guide users more effectively.
Task Analysis
Imagine you've just moved into a new home and need to set up your water service. Where would you find information to get this started?
- Home › Residents › Water & Sewer › Start, Stop, or Transfer Water Service
- Home › Government › All City Departments › Water Services
No change needed for this page.
You've noticed your garbage bin is cracked and needs replacing. Where would you go to request a new one?
- Home › Residents › Trash & Recycling › Request a Container
- Home › Government › All City Departments › Public Works
No change needed for this page.
Your grandmother is coming to live with you, and you want to look into local support services for her. Where would you look?
- Home › Residents › Benefits & Support › Senior Services
Consider relabeling Benefits & Support to something more understandable. This new section is intended to provide collection of resources for human services or underserved Phoenicians.
Note: A necessary amendment was made mid-way due to the identification of a labeling error. Once the error was corrected, of the 47 participants who completed the test, 29 successfully navigated to the correct destination. This correction improved the user success rate, bringing it to approximately 61.7% for the latter part of the test.
Strategic Objectives
To ensure that essential City services are highlighted and easily accessible, we leveraged analytics and search intent data to inform the new sitemap and information architecture.
By breaking down departmental silos, we aim to provide a less siloed user experience, while still retaining important resources and information for City departments.
The new sitemap is designed to equally serve both residents and visitors, providing a unified experience when accessing information on transportation, parks, recreation, events, arts, and culture.
Top Level Categories
The Residents section serves as a centralized hub for most essential services. It offers a streamlined experience for managing utility payments, reporting local issues, finding housing options, and accessing vital community resources such as police, fire, emergency preparedness, and support services.
The Businesses section is dedicated exclusively to City services and resources related to business operations. It streamlines access to permits, licensing, and a variety of services designed specifically to support Phoenix's business community.
This section maps the City's transit options, highlights street closures, lists public transportation choices, and provides pedestrian and cyclist resources. It's persona-agnostic, serving both visitors and residents equally.
User Story Discovery
By anchoring our design and content strategy in user stories, Reingold embraces a user-centric approach that ensures features are crafted around real user needs and narratives.
What We Did
Click each item to learn more