Understand Users

Controls to ensure services are informed by real user needs and behaviors.

UU-1: Understand user needs

Group: Understand Users

Control Statement

Understand and document Public Users' needs and context when creating a new digital service, redesigning existing services or introducing major features.

Control Recommendations

Take steps to understand end user context, needs, and problems before deciding on a solution.

This includes activities such as:

a) conducting user research (e.g. surveys, interviews, ethnographic studies)

b) analysing end user feedback

c) using web analytics and other relevant data.

Rationale

Understanding end user context, goals, behaviour and mindsets allows you to design solutions that truly meet their needs. Better-aligned digital services effective meet user needs from the start, improving user satisfaction, and reducing costly rework.

UU-2: Test with users

Group: Understand Users

Control Statement

Conduct and document usability testing with representative Public Users when creating a new digital service, redesigning existing services or introducing major features. Remediate or risk accept findings within [ insert: param, uu-2_prm_1 ] day(s).

Control Recommendations

Conduct usability testing at key milestones such as prior to public release. Identify key end user tasks based on real scenarios and create prototypes to test them.

Document findings in a structured report, prioritising issues based on severity.

While structured usability testing is recommended, lightweight methods—such as guerrilla testing with a small number of users—are acceptable if they still yield actionable insights.

Usability testing is not user acceptance testing.

Rationale

Testing with end users allows early identification of usability issues at various points in the design and development process. This ensures the product is intuitive and usable, and reduces the risk of costly fixes later.

Parameters