Silver Chain. Enhancing In-Home Services through User Research
Silver Chain, Australia’s leading provider of in-home care services, set out to transform its digital presence to create a seamless and user-centric experience for clients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. Supporting over 100,000 individuals annually across various care categories, including in-house hospital care and virtual monitoring, Silver Chain recognized the critical role of its website in delivering exceptional care. This case study explores the four-phase Information Architecture (IA) project undertaken by Silver Chain, demonstrating how a deep understanding of user needs led to a redesigned website that empowers individuals to navigate the complexities of in-home care with confidence and ease.
Phase 1: Understanding the Current Landscape
Unveiling User Behavior and Preferences: The project began with an in-depth analysis of Silver Chain’s existing digital presence, including website traffic patterns, content audits, and page performance evaluations. Insights from these analyses highlighted user behavior, preferences, and information-seeking patterns.
Gathering Direct User Feedback: To complement data insights, an in-page survey targeted various website visitors—current and potential clients, healthcare professionals, caregivers, and job seekers. The survey aimed to uncover their motivations, needs, and pain points.
Benchmarking and Identifying Areas for Improvement: Through competitor analysis and heuristic reviews, the team identified usability challenges and benchmarked the existing website against industry best practices. This step highlighted areas needing improvement, setting the stage for a comprehensive redesign.
Phase 2: From Proto-Personas to In-Depth Customer Research
Creating Proto-Personas to Guide Research: During stakeholder workshops, nine proto-personas were developed based on factors like household composition, cultural characteristics, and health needs. These proto-personas guided user interviews and ensured a diverse range of perspectives.
Embracing a Mixed-Methods Research Approach: A qualitative phase of user interviews provided rich, narrative-driven insights, uncovering motivations and experiences. A subsequent quantitative survey validated these findings and prioritized user needs with a statistically significant sample.
Unveiling Preferences Through MaxDiff Scaling
The survey used MaxDiff scaling to prioritize factors influencing decisions, offering a nuanced understanding of user preferences. Careful survey design minimized recall bias and enhanced the accuracy of insights.
“The brilliance of Maxdiff lies in its ability to overcome the limitations of traditional rating or ranking scales. Instead of simply asking participants to rank items in order of preference or rate them on a scale, Maxdiff forces respondents to make trade-offs between different items. By making these trade-offs, participants reveal their true preferences, and researchers can gain a deeper understanding of what truly matters to them.”
Phase 3: Crafting Customer Profiles and Journeys
Consolidating Insights into Actionable Recommendations: The research culminated in a report with actionable recommendations for web content, marketing, and strategy.
Mapping the Customer Journey: High-level journey maps visualized digital touchpoints across six stages, from health issue identification to care management. These maps highlighted users’ decision-making processes and emotional states.
Phase 4: Information Architecture (IA) Design and Validation
Mental Models and User-Centric Design: The IA design addressed diverse mental models by structuring content around “Services,” collections of “Capabilities” tailored to user needs.
Taxonomy and Site Map: A hierarchical taxonomy categorized capabilities into “Care & Support,” “Virtual Services,” and “Community Support,” offering clear navigation pathways.
Validating the IA with Treejack Testing: Treejack testing evaluated the effectiveness of the proposed IA, refining it for optimal usability.
Navigation Enhancements: A mega-menu navigation model improved accessibility, featuring key links like “Our Services,” “Where to Start,” and “Why Us.” This design simplified user journeys and built trust.
Prototype Testing in Maze: The website’s prototype underwent rigorous testing on the Maze platform to identify usability issues and refine design elements further.
Challenges and Overcoming Obstacles
The project’s scale required careful scope alignment and budget management. A data-driven approach, stakeholder engagement, and efficient validation sessions ensured the project remained on track while delivering a user-centered solution.
Conclusion
Silver Chain’s IA project highlights the transformative potential of user-centered design. By prioritizing user needs and preferences, Silver Chain created a website that empowers individuals to access information and support with ease and confidence.
Key Takeaways:
• User research is paramount: Deep insights into user needs and behaviors are crucial for designing user-centered solutions.
• Mixed-methods research yields comprehensive insights: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches enriches understanding.
• Collaboration drives success: Stakeholder engagement fosters alignment and shared goals.
• Storytelling enhances relatability: Narrative techniques bring the user experience to life.
