The Government of Jersey (States of Jersey) Web Services Team were preparing to redesign their website www.gov.je, and felt it was important to run observational user-testing in order to fully understand the current user experience. 4insight conducted individual, in-depth qualitative UX eye-tracking tests with respondents who were a range of ages, social demographics, and confidence levels.

The first phase of the research was an audit on the existing site, gathering an understanding of user expectations, insights on the user journey and general opinions of the site. The results of this phase enabled us to give feedback on the re-direction for the new site, including what aspects were really good and what needed improving. It also allowed them to apply some quick wins to the current site.

The second phase of the research was on the beta site. We ran in depth website user-testing with eye-tracking on the laptop, tablet and smartphone versions of the site. Overall the new site was felt to be a well-designed website, making it easier for the public to quickly find the information they needed. The smartphone version of the site tested especially well for ease of browsing.  Some recommendations relating to layout, labelling and navigation came out of the research. All of which the web team were able to implement before the site launch. Through this multi-phase user-centred approach, the  web team were able to ensure that their new site was clear, simple and accessible before launch, so all members of the population could use its resources with ease.