Established Government Employee
Needs efficient access to policies, administrative tools, local contacts, and current information.
UX Case Study: HHS Intranet Redesign
Design Evaluations with User Testing
Client: HHSGoals
- Create an intranet that HHS staff willingly return to as a trusted source of information.
- Reduce the number of HHS staff-related emails by 50%.
- Create an environment where HHS staff are excited to be part of the agency.
Process
The team followed an iterative human-centered design process, moving from research and analysis into design and testing, then repeating the cycle as findings emerged.
- ResearchCompetitive analysis, user interviews, stakeholder interviews, and surveys
- AnalysisSynthesize needs, behaviors, content patterns, and pain points
- DesignInformation architecture, navigation concepts, and prototypes
- TestTask-based usability testing, observation, and feedback analysis
Proposed Beta Solution
- Redesign the homepage around the latest and most frequently used content.
- Make quick tasks easy to identify and access.
- Redesign primary navigation so available information is accessible in a single click.
- Redesign the Human Resources landing page.
Personas
Research findings were consolidated into representative employee personas spanning established staff, new HHS users, and administrative employees. The personas documented platform usage, organizational goals, information needs, intranet frequency, and common frustrations such as complicated navigation, outdated information, and difficulty locating forms or policies.
New User to HHS
Needs onboarding materials, benefits information, organizational context, forms, and clear routes to essential resources.
Staff / DIV Employee
Needs administrative tools, programs, training, policy information, retirement resources, and straightforward search.
Content and Information Architecture
Information architecture remained central throughout the project. The team used collaborative navigation-sorting exercises to expose naming inconsistencies, understand user expectations, and group agency content into meaningful categories.
- Prioritized quick links and frequently used destinations.
- Compared navigation terminology with employees’ mental models.
- Identified content that should surface directly on the homepage.
- Reduced duplication and clarified ownership across content areas.
Designs for A/B Testing
Multiple homepage and navigation concepts were prepared to compare horizontal and vertical navigation patterns, quick-task placement, content discoverability, and social-media integration.
A/B Testing Goals
- Determine whether users can locate and use quick tasks on the homepage.
- Understand how users react to a hamburger menu.
- Evaluate users’ reaction to social-media integration on the homepage.
User Testing
Moderated testing sessions followed a repeatable workflow designed to keep each session consistent and make feedback easier to compare.
- Greeting Script
- Task List
- Office Supplies
- Testing
- Record Feedback
- Analyze Feedback
Results
of users successfully located quick tasks when they appeared within the content block rather than the menu.
of users preferred the vertical menu, though many recommended adding a visible “Menu” label above the icon.
of users liked the social-media integration on the homepage.