PRA Navigator:

An informational hub that helps federal teams get legal clearance for UX research.

Problem

In order to build a digital government that truly serves the American public, federal teams need to conduct UX research with the people who use its products and services. Unfortunately, a well-intentioned yet outdated law known as PRA (Paperwork Reduction Act), often poses a barrier. Getting legal clearance through the PRA process can be confusing, preventing teams from conducting critical UX research.

Approach

I explored ways to make navigating the PRA process easier and more efficient so teams can spend more of their time and energy connecting with the public. Informed by my own user research, I designed a centralized, informational hub that helps teams determine when they need PRA clearance and how to get it.

Impact

The hub I designed is expected to reduce the time and labor burden associated with the PRA process by 100+ hours per project for 600+ employees, increasing both organizational efficiency and federal product teams’ capacity to do more user research with the public, more often.

Role

Product Designer

Timeline

6 months

Team

Product Manager ● Strategist ● Engineer

Client

General Services Administration

Federal product teams waste hundreds of hours trying to get legal clearance instead of doing actual UX research. So...

How might we make navigating the PRA process easier and more efficient?

Designs

Incorporating U.S. Web Design System components

Researchers perceive PRA as something that is risky to get wrong and want to ensure that the information they are following is trustworthy. I used common U.S. Web Design System components to achieve the dependable look and feel of a modern government website and streamline development.

Different entry points to meet researchers where they’re at

Many researchers shared that they didn't know where to get started with PRA. The homepage not only gives them a place to start but also meets them where they’re at in terms of their current phase of the research process and their desired action.

Interactive tools to build confidence

My research indicated that on of the most confusing parts of the PRA process is determining if clearance is needed at all. I designed interactive questionnaires so researchers can determine whether they need clearance or not by answering a series of questions about their research plans.

Guided form builder to ease process logistics

Researchers who do need PRA clearance for their research found filling out a poorly designed PDF form to be cumbersome and confusing. I designed an automated form builder that sets expectations with a progress indicator and provides helper text along the way.