User experience guidelines

• User-centered: Designed with a clear understanding of users, their goals, tasks, environments, and context of use, using user-centered design methods.
• Usable: Interfaces will be easy to use, enabling users to find the information they need and complete tasks successfully.
• Accessible: Digital products will be inclusive, ensuring usability for everyone, regardless of physical or cognitive ability.
• Trustworthy: Experiences will feel familiar and recognizable as a Government of Alberta product, ensuring users' security and privacy.
• Modern: Digital experiences will meet present-day user expectations and preferences for aesthetics and interaction.

For more details on the process of assessing compliance to each guideline, refer to our User Experience Guidelines and User Experience Worksheet.

Usability testing

Usability testing is our preferred method to understand user needs as they relate to each guideline.

Suitable usability testing includes:

• Diverse user group: Real users from different demographic, behavioural backgrounds, and geographical regions within Alberta that will experience the problem or benefit of the product.
• Inclusive testing: Users with various physical and/or cognitive abilities, literacy levels, and tech savviness.
• Device variety: A diverse range of devices that reflect users' preferred choice when interacting with government services.
• Tasks: Activities that cover tasks and service process from end-to-end.

Frequent usability testing should be conducted to maintain product usability, effectiveness and alignment to the user needs as they evolve over time.

For guidance on the process of usability testing, refer to our usability field guide.