viv.i.am
Improving Access to Digital Services for Citizens
Service
UX Consultancy
Client
MinTic, Colombian Government
Agency
Usaria, 2019
Agency
Usaria, 2019
Client
MinTic, Colombian Government
Service
UX Consultancy
The Colombian government manages over 42,000 public procedures, but at the time of the study, only a handful were available through the national digital platform Gov.Co. The Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTIC) had committed to scaling digital services and was developing a new platform that required in-depth evaluation—beyond usability—to better align with citizens’ expectations.
The Challenge
Evaluate the usability of the Gov.Co platform and understand the real needs and behaviors of Colombian citizens when trying to complete government procedures online. The goal was to design a citizen-centered experience and uncover barriers to civic engagement, service access, and institutional trust.
I supported the strategic leadership of the research project and led the national Research Operations stream. My responsibilities included:
Coordinating logistics across ten cities, including team assignments, local partnerships, and fieldwork planning.
Personally facilitating interviews and usability tests in three major cities, applying qualitative techniques to capture in-depth insights.
Leading the synthesis of findings across locations, contributing to the national-level analysis and preparing the final report presented to stakeholders.
Designing and facilitating a co-creation workshop with Ministry teams focused on aligning research insights with the information architecture of the new portal.
Advising on research methodology, tool selection, and overall citizen-centered strategy.
Timeline
The project was conducted in two phases:
→ Phase 1 (4 months): planning, pilot in Bogotá, fieldwork in five primary cities, and synthesis and delivery of preliminary findings.
→ Phase 2 (2 months): additional fieldwork in five more cities, final analysis, and presentation of consolidated results to key stakeholders.
Research statement and goals
To uncover how citizens interact with government services online and identify patterns of behavior, expectations, and pain points, beyond the interface layer, in order to inform the design of a more accessible and trustworthy platform.
Success criteria
Identify key structural barriers in digital service access.
Provide actionable insights for Gov.Co redesign.
Highlight behavioral patterns tied to digital adoption and civic engagement.
Research methodology
Heuristic evaluation of the Gov.Co portal.
In-depth interviews and usability tests with 180 citizens across 10 cities.
Contextual observation in public service offices.
Behavioral analysis and qualitative synthesis.
Co-creation workshop with government stakeholders.
Recruitment criteria and process
Participants were selected to reflect demographic diversity—age, gender, digital literacy—while focusing on groups with high service needs. Special attention was given to single mothers, who showed strong adoption of digital tools despite institutional barriers.
Sharing and activation
Findings were synthesized into a strategic report and shared with MinTIC’s design, tech, and policy teams. A prioritization framework guided implementation: actions were categorized by impact and feasibility, aligning institutional processes with user needs.
Approach
Outputs & deliverables
Heuristic evaluation report of the Gov.Co platform.
Persona profiles (e.g., “digital mother”, “uninformed user”).
A set of five strategic recommendations:
Centralize civic participation under Gov.Co to avoid fragmented tools.
Provide complete, transparent information on each procedure—cost, location, timelines.
Prioritize human interaction, not just automated or generic replies.
Streamline digital procedures to reduce steps and increase completion rates.
Train public officials to deliver empathetic, timely, and informed service.
A prioritization matrix aligned with short- and medium-term design actions.
O3
The interface wasn’t the main problem
The biggest issues came from bureaucratic inefficiencies: long, fragmented processes, poor in-person service, and disorganized state-level coordination
O2
Low civic engagement and poor visibility
Many citizens didn’t know how to participate in public matters or follow up on requests, complaints, or claims. Lack of process clarity was a major barrier.
O1
High digital adoption among vulnerable groups
Single mothers showed high use of digital tools for practicality and efficiency, but lacked institutional support or onboarding
Key findings
Business Value
Impact
This research gave the Colombian government critical insight into citizens’ digital behaviors and expectations.
The findings informed:
→ A redesign of the Gov.Co portal, based on real-world needs.
→ Policy and process improvements across service delivery.
→ Increased institutional efficiency, trust, and citizen satisfaction.
→ Stronger alignment between platform features and underlying service logic.
Reflections
Designing for the public sector means going beyond interfaces—it requires challenging legacy processes, decentralization, and institutional blind spots. This project reaffirmed that truly citizen-centered services start by listening to people who are most affected by the system. Only then can government design foster equity, transparency, and trust.