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UX Case Study: Expat Tax Online 2021 Questionnaire
TIMELINE
3-week Sprint
January 3-21 2022
TOOLS USED
Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Maze, Notion, Optimal Workshop: Optimal Sort and Zoom
METHODS USED
User interviews, card sorting, moderated and unmoderated usability testing
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Manager / UX/UI Designer // User Research, Sketches, Wireframes,
Validation Testing
Teammates // Yuri Shin, Brittny Fisher, Rachael Reed
INTRODUCTION
Overview
Expat Tax Online helps expats to file their taxes with IRS-licensed tax professionals using an online tax questionnaire. Their customers fill out a lengthy tax questionnaire that engages users to upload tax documentation and report other important tax-related information such as income, rental expenses, U.S. bank accounts, and much more.
Users and Audience
Expat Tax Onlines’ audience is between the ages of 28-65+, and are U.S. citizens who live abroad either temporarily (2-5 years), permanently, or by what they call “accidental American.” An accidental American means they were born abroad by two U.S. citizens.
INTRODUCTION
Problem Statement
Expat Tax Online was looking to improve the overall user experience on their 2021 Questionnaire and make it feel less daunting to complete. There questionnaire currently has 150+ questions depending on the users’ tax requirements. The client was not happy with the current design of the questionnaire and we were also tasked to update the look and feel of its current state.
Goals:
Decrease the amount of time it takes to complete the survey
Redesign the look and feel
Current 2021 Questionnaire
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Research
We were unable to interview actual users of this current questionnaire. The 2021 Questionnaire had not been released to the public yet, so each person on our team completed the current questionnaire pretending we were an expat. We then met as a team to discuss what worked well when filling out the current form, pain points, and opportunities.
Each person on the team expressed the length of the form is the biggest pain point. Our hypothesis is that if we shorten or combine sections in order to shorten the form it will increase the number of expats that complete the form.
Needing a better grasp on the information architecture, we ran an unmoderated card sort using the tool Optimal Workshops Optimal Sort. We needed to see if there were sections we could restructure for the side navigation.
Conducting User Interviews
The team conducted three interviews using actual customers of Expat Tax Online. To synthesize the qualitative data we used an affinity map to gather helpful insights about needs, any frustrations and pain points our users experienced doing their taxes online.
DESIGN PROCESS
User Persona
From the insights we collected, we were able to create a data-driven user persona. Meet Pat.
HOW MIGHT WE
How might we make the questionnaire shorter so it takes less time to complete
DESIGN PROCESS
Pat’s User Flow
We needed a way to map out Pat’s path to success, and how he would enter and leave the questionnaire. Using a user flow allowed us to do that.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Lo-Fidelity Wireframing
To better understand what we were going to design, the team and I ran sketching sessions called crazy 8’s to put any and all ideas on paper rapidly. After a few short rounds, we landed on a direction to start the low-fidelity wireframing process.
The low-fidelity stage gave us an opportunity to get some user feedback on the designs for each of the main screen sections. We struggled with how to handle the pre-screening section and how to show 18 questions but managed a solution in the mid-fidelity stage.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
Mid-Fidelity Wireframing
DESIGN PROCESS
Mobile Responsive
I made the desktop screens responsive and the mobile screens were presented to the client, but due to time constraints, the team was unable to test or prototype them out. These screens will be added to our next steps to-do list.
DESIGN PROCESS
Usability Testing
To validate the new design we ran three moderated and one unmoderated usability test. We used the software tools Maze and Zoom to gain qualitative and quantitative information. Maze was a helpful tool which provided heat maps and insights such as drop-off rates and satisfaction surveys.
After testing was completed I ran an accessibility test on the colors and found the primary orange and white text failed. I then switch all the primary CTA’s to primary orange and black text, which gave me a AAA rating for accessibility.
All of our users missed the CTA Star Questionaire button, so we updated the button to the orange primary color CTA.
Users wanted to click on the form name (1099-B) on the documents page which wasn’t actionable. The text was then made clickable and received much better results.
DESIGN PROCESS
Prototype
View the interactive prototype of the Questionnaire in Figma.
CONCLUSION
Next Steps and Learnings
Next steps
A designer’s work is never done. These are the next steps to take in the next sprint:
Prototype and test the mobile responsive screens
More usability testing on the desktop site and validate the timing for the new questionnaire
Touch base with compliance for copy changes and possible additions and subtractions
Build out a profile page where your uploaded files can be accessed
Include a document reader feature for pulling document data and pre-filling form fields
Learnings
We struggled to find really good candidates for our user interviews other than the ones that were provided to us by our client. For the next time, I would do a few more surveys in more international markets other than my own and my teammate’s social and personal networks.
One of the biggest takeaways personally was how to manage a large project at such a rapid pace. I am not one to lead but wanted to take this opportunity to get experience with it. I also used this project to stretch my user interaction (UI) skillset and learn how to use variant components. Another new concept for me was learning all about best practices for form design using the materials guide as a benchmark.