In a landmark project for the Queensland Government, LimeHub undertook the crucial task of designing and developing personas and user journeys as part of the Digital audit of the Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) Support Portal and in preparation for the development of The Coercive Control and Domestic and Family Violence Digital Strategy. This effort will be instrumental in enhancing the portal's usability and effectiveness, especially for victim-survivors and bystanders of DFV.
Background on Personas and User Journeys
Personas: These are fictional characters created based on research to represent different user types that might use a service, product, site, or brand similarly. Personas help in understanding users' needs, experiences, behaviours, and goals.
User Journeys: This is a visualisation of the process that a person goes through in order to accomplish a goal. It's used in design and marketing to guide product strategy and impact customer experiences positively.
Development Process
Ethical Consideration: The user interviews, forming the core of our research, were approved by a Human Ethics Committee, ensuring the highest standards of research ethics and participant safety.
Research and Data Collection: Using outcomes from research reports, competitor analysis, existing portal evaluation, user interviews, and other research methodologies, our team gathered extensive data on different user groups affected by DFV.
Creating Personas:
Victim-Survivors: A persona was developed to represent this group, focusing on their unique challenges, needs, and behaviours in identifying DFV and seeking support.
Bystanders: This persona represented individuals who witness DFV and seek ways to help.
Community Members: Aimed at representing the broader community's perspective and their role in DFV awareness and prevention.
Additionally, demographic cards were used to expand on each personas' background, adding depth and context.
Developing User Journeys:
Victim-Survivors Journey: This journey mapped the steps taken by victim-survivors from recognizing DFV, seeking information, to obtaining support.
Bystanders Journey: Focused on how bystanders recognize signs of DFV, their decision-making process, and the actions they take to provide support.
UX Methodologies Employed
Empathy Mapping: Understanding user feelings, thoughts, and environments.
Scenario Development: Creating specific situations in which personas would interact with the DFV portal.
Touchpoint Analysis: Identifying all possible interactions the personas have with the portal.
Importance of Personas and User Journeys
Enhancing User Experience: By understanding the specific needs and behaviours of each group help to provide a more intuitive and supportive experience.
Guiding Content Strategy: These tools help in developing relevant and targeted content, addressing specific concerns and questions of different user groups.
Driving Engagement: Through a deeper understanding of the user, products like the portal become more engaging, thereby increasing effectiveness.
The development of personas and user journeys by LimeHub for the DFV Support Portal marked a significant effort in making the portal not just a source of information, but a lifeline for those affected by DFV. By leveraging comprehensive research and robust UX methodologies, our team was able to create a user-centred design that resonates with the portal's diverse user base. This approach, once delivered, will not only improve the portal's usability but also play a crucial role in its mission to provide effective support resource to victim-survivors and bystanders of DFV.