City of Africa
Year
2023 - 24
Region
Africa
Overview
Designed a user-friendly app and admin panel to enhance civic engagement and streamline city services. Users can report issues, access emergency help, book metro buses, and connect with ward councilors, improving accessibility and convenience. NDA compliance required generalizing project details and design systems.
My Role
UX Designer
Conducted user research, created wireframes and prototypes, and oversaw usability testing. Supporting UI designers.
Project Goals
To improve citizen engagement and access to government services.
Target Audience
Citizens of Africa
Challenges
Integrating complex government data into a user-friendly interface, ensuring accessibility for diverse users.
Research
User Persona 1
David, Resident
Age : 35
About : A retail Store Manager who actively follows city updates, uses social media for municipal news, and is concerned about local governance.
Pain Points
- Struggles to report and track city service issues efficiently.
- Unaware of ward councilors and lacks direct communication channels.
- Frequent power outages and water shortages disrupt daily life.
Goals
- Wants faster resolution of municipal complaints with better transparency.
- Needs real-time load-shedding and water crisis alerts to plan ahead.
- Seeks a user-friendly app to engage with city officials and track service requests.
User Persona 2
Aisha, Business Professional
Age : 28
About : Office Administrator who relies on public transport and city infrastructure, needs predictable schedules to manage daily activities.
Pain Points
- Metro bus services are unreliable, with no real-time tracking or easy booking options.
- Load shedding disrupts both personal and business activities.
- Hard to find centralized information on city services and emergency alerts.
Goals
- Wants an app-based bus booking system with live tracking to reduce uncertainty.
- Needs accurate, real-time notifications about power outages and city disruptions.
- Prefers seamless service requests and automated updates instead of manual inquiries.
Key User Insights to App Features
Load shedding, a common occurrence in Africa due to power constraints, significantly impacts residents and businesses. Providing accurate and timely information about load shedding schedules is crucial for mitigating its effects.
Given the severe water crisis Africa is currently facing, a water shortage alert feature is essential for residents to stay informed about water availability plan accordingly, and contribute to water conservation efforts.
Empowering citizens within the app can foster a strong sense of community ownership. By enabling residents to report issues, track their resolutions, and interact with city officials, it strengthens the democratic process. This platform transforms citizens from passive recipients of services to active participants in shaping their city's future.
Streamline daily tasks with bill payments, metro bus booking and live tracking system, service requests, and Councilors directory with direct messaging options.
Major Sitemaps
Mapping the site map and user flow offered a clear overview of how users interact with the App. It helped in simplifying workflows, reducing friction, and enhancing efficiency, ensuring that services such as issue reporting, metro bus booking, and emergency notifications are easily accessible. This approach allows for a simple, quick, and user-friendly experience.
Wireframes
Prior to getting into UI design, I was able to visualize and refine important interactions using wireframes. It assisted in validating functionality, improving accessibility, and streamlining the app flow and align the admin panel for more efficient service management. This process guaranteed a clear, scalable, and user-centric experience from the start.
Design
As a UX Designer, I collaborated directly with UI designers, leading the design process as well as contributing to certain design elements myself. I was in direct contact with clients and users, I ensured that the final design reflected the user needs, company goals, and overall UX vision.
By collaborating on critical design decisions and improving components as needed, that closed the gap between research insights and the final design, ensuring that the product was not only visually appealing but also highly functional and intuitive.
Outcome
Considering the City of Africa app is still in development, we obtained initial feedback through internal user testing and client reviews. These observations will inform the subsequent iterations before the App release.
Takeaway
Impact
Internal testing and client review helped understand the app's effectiveness for emergency reporting, metro bus bookings, and real-time alerts. The admin panel was favorable due to its systematic approach.
What We Learnt
- Designing for civic engagement requires balancing information flow.
- Scalable administrative systems improve UX efficiency.
- Prioritizing diversity helps address varying digital literacy levels.
Next Steps
Conduct more usability testing before the App release.