StapWijs,
Guiding Dutch low-literate migrants through local government procedures.
Content:
Client:
Disciplines:
UX & UI design, group project
Municipality of Rotterdam
Design Research & Visual Design
The Task
The introduction of an online chatbot "Gem" by the Municipality of Rotterdam improves the accessibility of information. The Municipality of Rotterdam has requested to make this even more accessible for a target audience with disabilities.
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Motivation & Goal
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For migrants, this access is crucial, given their involvement in essential matters such as passport applications and tax refunds. The lack of accessibility can lead to missed opportunities. Although migrants are often literate in their own mother tongue, they often experience low literacy in Dutch. Research shows that people with low literacy are often confronted with feelings of shame, which makes them reluctant to ask for help quickly.
As a result, we strive for a more inclusive approach, where everyone, regardless of their literacy level, can effectively use the services and information that the chatbot provides.
Our goal with our design is to provide support to
low-literate migrants in completing municipal tasks, learning the Dutch language and optimizing the Gem chatbot.
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After conducting thorough research to understand our target audience, we created an infographic to share the information with the client, as well as a user persona.
Create, Test, Tweak, Repeat.
To support the target group as effectively as possible with our end product, we have gone through several iterations to optimize the process.
Iteration 1 - First phase with a paper prototype for navigation testing and bias avoidance. Discoveries led to improvements in the next prototyping phase, focusing on visual design and screen coupling.
Iteration 2 - Second phase focused on design, with attention to minimal noise for low-literate people. AB testing helped determine a pleasant structure. Design elements were adjusted based on test insights.
Iteration 3 - Third phase focused on functionality and
self-reliance. Tests, like fly on the wall, confirmed smooth performance of tasks, with concerns such as simplification of language use. Insights are shared with the client for future optimization.
On the left, you can see our low-fidelity paper prototype, which focuses on navigation. On the right, we conducted A/B testing, concentrating on presentation and visualization.
The Result
An additional app for GEM that actively guides people with low literacy in understanding, responding to municipal matters and successfully completing the associated step-by-step plan, allowing them to navigate the municipal process effectively and independently.
Migrants with low literacy can make appointments, complete forms and receive them via the app. This is supported by a chatbot that generates information and instructions in understandable language.
The app would provide more accessibility, which also increases their self-reliance. This is beneficial for government officials, because the their workload is reduced. In addition, the government will save costs by doing this and improves customer satisfaction.
