The Challenge
FedStats helps citizens find statistics from more than 100 agency Web
sites. But because FedStats is a gateway, it is more complicated functionally
than most Web sites; and the site provides access to an enormous amount
of data. The interagency team that runs FedStats was therefore especially
concerned that the site design and architecture be as intuitive as possible.
The team felt it was time to take advantage of the latest advances
in Web design principles. "The first-generation design of FedStats
has been successful, but there was room for improvement," said John
Weiner of the Energy Information Administration, and a member of the FedStats
team.
The Approach
HFI began the project by conducting user testing. Through this research,
HFI identified design and placement issues that could be corrected to
improve the site's usability.
The Outcome
"HFI made recommendations that resulted in a cleaner site, through
which people will be able to find what they need more quickly and easily,"
said Weiner.
"HFI is very good at working with users, quickly identifying areas
needing improvement and adjusting test scenarios on the fly to isolate
and probe further issues," he added. "They were very professional
and effective in working with managers as well, and quickly guided discussions
to a consensus that produced actionable results. |
