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Redesign of the LifeSG preschool search

UX research + UX writing + UX design

Project

The Government Technology Agency of Singapore conducted a closed 48-hour challenge to propose a set of wireframes and copy for the Preschool Search service in the LifeSG app that can better serve citizen needs.

The aim of the challenge was for participants to flex their UX research, design, and writing skills under high pressure, which culminated in a live presentation for the actual product team that worked on the LifeSG app.

Strategy

My first step was to break down the design brief into clear objectives:

  • Understand user needs and behavior when searching for preschools
  • Evaluate current user experience for in-app preschool search
  • Propose content and user flow redesign to improve usability
I. User research findings and journey map

Within this tight timeline, I surveyed 60 users in a local Facebook parenting group to profile Singaporean parents of young children and find out when and how they choose a preschool for their child.

Most parents found their child’s preschool through word-of-mouth (38%) or proximity to their home (24%). The three most important factors when choosing a preschool for their child were location, programs and activities, and the teacher/caretaker-to-child ratio.

When asked what other factors were important to them in choosing a preschool for their child, a common theme was the intangible element of quality and care of preschool teachers.

II. Evaluation of current user experience

With this information, I created a preschool search journey map based on a persona, Fiona, that captured the traits and characteristics of the parents I had surveyed.

III. Evaluation of current user experience

Lastly, I conducted a usability test with 5 parents to assess the existing preschool search experience in the LifeSG app. Some example findings include:

The user survey, journey map, and usability test yielded 4 key takeaways to improve the existing preschool search user experience:

  1. Fix usability design issues (e.g., sort function, result layout)
  2. Make content more clear, concise, consistent, and useful
  3. Surface the right content at the right time
  4. Add functionality that matches user needs and behavior

Outcome

Based on the user insights and key takeaways, I designed and proposed a new set of wireframes and copy for the preschool search service in the LifeSG app to better meet the needs of parents in their preschool search journey. Some example wireframes include:

 

I also proposed a series of next steps that could be further considered outside the scope of the challenge, to take the preschool search service to the next level in terms of functionality and user satisfaction.

  • Research and categorize preschool programs
  • Evaluate combination of infant/child care and kindergartens
  • Consider adding in-app functionality to schedule a visit
  • Consider using Google's Places API for review data
  • Look into ways to delight users without distracting them
    (e.g., micro-interactions)

The full presentation deck is available here, or can be viewed below: