Version 3 - how it tested with users
Design and layout
Users felt the design was clear and recognisable as an NHS information website. One user felt it was ‘old fashioned’ compared to other NHS websites - relating to the tab format for the pillars. Some users felt that there was too much ‘blank space’ which could be filled better. A surprising number of users picked up on inconsistent format, alignment, capitalisation and naming conventions - these should be consistent throughout WGLL.
Overall, usability research suggested that the design could be improved - for example, the homepage should immediately orient users and avoid them having to scroll down.
It’s not immediately clear from the homepage that WGLL is about digital, for those unfamiliar with it
Some users expected a clearly labelled ‘home’ page - this is currently the main WGLL guidance index page. This reflected the need to orient users to WGLL’s purpose and current state of development, as well as expectations set by the current version of WGLL. This included a summary on each page of how and when it had changed.
Searching for blueprints
Many users were annoyed they had to sign in to FutureNHS to read blueprints. They wanted blueprints to open in a new tab, rather than taking them away from WGLL. Many weren’t clear if the blueprints were case studies or something different. Some users said the sort and filter options (under ‘Search blueprints’) weren’t the ones they would need - for example, there wasn’t a sort by ‘Newest first’ option. An A to Z sort was also suggested, but - as before - the titles of the blueprints do not make this a workable option.
In round 2, all users said they would expect a keyword search for blueprints. Two users said they would find a ‘scribe’ function useful to record their choices for the search tool. No-one wanted an Excel download option (the current index is held in Excel) although one user suggested a tabular index (listing key questions answered, cost and how successful the work was) would help them decide if they would read a blueprint.
Content pages - pillars
Users felt the format was clear and logical. However, some commented that they disliked having to click to ‘drill down’ to the level of information they wanted, and two participants said they would not click through from ‘pillar’ to success measure pages. Content below bullet points (eg tables) could be collapsed by default.
The current format of WGLL is long-form, so WGLL can and should support both approaches to reading content - for example, by having a ‘read the whole WGLL’ option.
Users valued the contextual links to relevant blueprints from each success measure, with some commenting they should be presented above success measures. Some felt other resources could be listed similarly, eg SE Regional Networks for Training.
Individual success measures (‘metrics table’)
All users liked the table presenting specific measures next to information about how they were measured. However, one user felt this shifted the focus of WGLL away from improvement:
If the purpose of WGLL is to grow organisations and people then should be more focused on providing guidance and resources on how to improve, rather than focusing on how orgs will be measured.
Another user said they would go to the DMA to see how they were being measured. Some stakeholders felt that improving digital maturity should be the main focus of WGLL and the current amount of information currently provided could be overwhelming and/or distract from this core purpose.
Accessibility
Some users wanted to make sure the site was fully accessible from the outset - for example, following NHS design patterns and using alt text on all images.