Baltimore City Website Redesign Usability Testing

How can we rebuild residential trust by redesigning the current Baltimore City website? By going straight to the community.

Baltimore City is working towards redesigning its current website. The City wanted the voice of the design and usability to be human-centered. By breaking up city residents into specific groups (General Population, Business Leaders, City Workers, and and Accessibility) I provided a multifaceted vision of how we can build a Baltimore, starting with its main website. Research sessions allowed me to recruit with specialized organizations to reach our exact demographics. Because we wanted to reach out to marginalized populations, our approach was to let them know that we were there to listen to them. We wanted to know what items they needed fast access to, how we could write more approachable content, and how to design for a population as colorful as Baltimore City.

Study Description and Methodology

Alongside recruiting and interviewing, I tracked and maintained a log of incentive rewards given to participants after their interviews. My proudest moment was having the opportunity to test with an accessibility group from the National Federation of the Blind. My ability to easily work alongside other teams of Designers and Developers is making sure the next Baltimore City site is not only improved but enhanced to provide an accessible experience for all.

After every usability study, I presented my findings to a team of City Stakeholders alongside clear action items. These action items were used to work towards the continued improvement and development of the future website.

A goal of mine for 2023 was not only to present information in a way that is clear but to also present it in a way that captures the audience’s attention. While I do complete written reports, I like to present information that tells a complete story.

I interviewed workers who upload content onto the website. I wanted to capture not only their frustrations but also listen to how changes would impact teams across the City.

One fast way to build empathy is by allowing your audience to hear the voices of the research participants. Here, I asked City Workers what concerned them about the upcoming redesign to make the transition to the new site smoother.

Here, I presented my findings from interviews with Small Business owners. I captured not only their frustrations, but also an avenue to a solution.

One of the best attributes I bring to every user research study is empathy. Interviews with the public provided clear and direct critisim. I wanted to make sure their voices and needs were heard.

During interviews with the General Public I asked residents to complete tasks typical of city living. Doing so allowed us to find solutions to widely heard frustrations.