Intuitive Solutions for the BC Natural Resource Ministry
Designing for a seamless data workflow integration and an enhanced User Experience.
expertise
Custom Platform
UX/UI Design
Information Architecture
Service Design
Project Management
Challenges
Before enlisting Convergence's services, the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands & Natural Resources faced challenges with their Reference Data Service - an outdated application designed to aid data architects in managing forestry data across multiple internal applications. Stakeholders encountered difficulties in utilizing and updating this critical data, leading to deployment slowdowns, synchronization issues, manual fixes, and reliance on outdated tools for updates.
Screenshots of the original Reference Data application built with Microsoft Access.
How we helped
Our team adopted a user-centric approach by conducting extensive user interviews, collecting diverse user scenarios, and facilitating co-creation sessions. Our skilled UX researchers and designers worked closely with the BC NRM team to craft an efficient application process that catered to a wide spectrum of user preferences.
Based on our deep understanding of user needs, we created interactive Figma prototypes for each user type. The prototypes could then be tested remotely to gather valuable feedback and insights, allowing us to refine and tailor the user experience to better meet their specific requirements and preferences. This iterative process ensured that our final product aligned seamlessly with the diverse needs and expectations of our users, resulting in a more intuitive and engaging design.
Key elements in this new solution included leveraging API Keys for dependency tracking, implementing a user-friendly UI, and developing a secure web service to update, search, and validate highly controlled forestry data.
Convergence's high-fidelity web-based solution mockup sample.
Data Architects
Can approve or reject developer requests to use data in their applications.
Reference Data Service Admin
Can create, update data sets and manage users.
Data Architects
Can approve or reject developer requests to use data in their applications.
Reference Data Service Admin
Can create, update data sets and manage users.
Developers
Developers search for and utilize data from a data catalog. For highly controlled datasets, they request access and acquire the endpoint URL for their project.
Developers
Developers search for and utilize data from a data catalog. For highly controlled datasets, they request access and acquire the endpoint URL for their project.
User flows (as seen above) were among the numerous deliverables provided. These user flows established a shared visual language that significantly enhanced communication between the project team and NRM stakeholders. This common framework facilitated detailed discussions on interactions, sequences, and functionalities, fostering a collaborative environment crucial for refining the solution.
User interviews served as a means to validate assumptions made during the project planning phase. Direct feedback from users helped revise initial hypotheses, ensuring the solution closely aligned with actual user expectations. We conducted 12 user interviews remotely, each lasting from 30 minutes to an hour.
The results
Our prototyped solution proved highly effective by substantially reducing the workload for Data Architects. It streamlined data-related processes, guaranteeing the availability of reference data across various NRM applications while effectively preventing data duplication.
“
They understood our needs, turned it into a practical design and described how and why they made it that way.
Cody Crocker
Senior Data Architect, Government of British Columbia
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