Streamlining Marriage Registration Through Online Processes Department of Registration, Goa

introduction

This case study delves into an online platform established by the government of Goa, India, aimed at enhancing and expediting the marriage registration process for its residents. The website serves as a comprehensive hub offering a range of services and information, all geared towards simplifying the procedure for couples seeking to register their marriages. By providing a user-friendly interface, essential handbooks, forms, and instructions, the platform enables couples to seamlessly submit their marriage registration applications from the comfort of their homes, eliminating the need for in-person visits to government offices. In the following sections, we will explore the key features, benefits, and outcomes of this innovative digital initiative.

Objective

The primary goal of the online platform is to provide a comprehensive, user-friendly interface that facilitates the marriage registration process. By offering essential handbooks, forms, and instructions online, the government aims to eliminate the need for couples to physically visit government offices, making the process efficient, accessible, and convenient

Target Audience

The target Audience for the Goa Government Marriage Registration Website-

Couples Seeking Marriage Registration: This includes couples planning to marry or recently married in Goa, who require a simplified and convenient online platform to register their marriage without visiting government offices in person.
Goa Residents Requiring Various Registrations: Individuals and businesses from diverse sectors, such as tourism, industries, societies, and more, who are based in Goa and need registration services for different purposes.
Tech-Savvy Users: Individuals and organizations comfortable with utilizing technology for efficient online registration, seeking convenient and hassle-free solutions for their registration needs.
Streamlined Process Seekers: Goa-based citizens who prioritize efficiency and are looking for a streamlined process to fulfill their registration requirements, including marriage registration and other government services.
Internet-Connected Users: Users with internet access who are familiar with online platforms and are inclined to leverage them for completing various registration procedures.
Centralized Information Seekers: Residents of Goa in search of a centralized hub where they can easily access relevant information, handbooks, and forms for different registration purposes, contributing to a more organized and informed registration process.
Digital Literacy Varied Users: Individuals with different levels of digital literacy, emphasizing the importance of creating a user-friendly and accessible website interface to cater to a wide range of users, ensuring inclusivity and ease of use.

By targeting these specific audience segments, the Goa government's marriage registration website aims to provide an efficient, accessible, and user-friendly online platform to facilitate seamless marriage registration and other related services for the residents of Goa, India.

UX/UI Observations and pointers

Website Version

Below are several UX/UI insights and recommendations for enhancing the Website’s user experience, all derived from its visual design.

Homepage

The logo displayed on the homepage or application does not conform to the Government of India Web Handbooks (GIGW), potentially leading to inconsistencies in branding and design.
Across the banner carousel, the placement of text is consistently off-center, which can result in a lack of visual balance and detract from the overall aesthetic appeal.
Several banners within the carousel appear to be stretched out of their original proportions, causing distortion in images and potentially diminishing the impact of the displayed content.
Certain banners within the carousel are noticeably pixelated, likely due to the use of low-resolution images. This can create a negative initial impression and reduce the overall visual quality of the website.
The current favicon representing the website fails to effectively convey the identity of the department. Additionally, the text "goa" within the favicon is not legible when displayed at a small size.
The combination of black and grey text on a purple background does not adhere to the recommended 4:1 contrast ratio, potentially causing accessibility issues for users with visual impairments.
The names of the Chief Minister and Minister, which could be important for establishing credibility and authority, are conspicuously absent from the homepage.
The use of the color purple on the homepage does not align with the department's official color (blue), possibly leading to confusion or a lack of consistent branding across different communication channels.

Contact Us

Icon and Text Size Ratio: The balance between icons and text size needs adjustment for better uniformity. Ensuring a consistent visual harmony between these elements would enhance the overall user experience.
Mediums of Contact: Instead of presenting the contact information as a mere list, consider providing comprehensive details for each contact medium.

Help

The pages on the website lack visual uniformity and require enhanced consistency to maintain a cohesive appearance. With the exception of the Home and Contact pages, the majority of the pages are PDFs that have been linked to the website.

FAQs

The website's pages currently exhibit a lack of visual consistency, necessitating an improvement in order to uphold a cohesive and harmonious appearance. It's important to note that, apart from the Home and Contact pages, most of the website's content consists of linked PDFs.

Applicant Registration Process Challenges

Service Buttons Placement and Importance- The Services buttons should be prominently positioned on the homepage, with each button's layout reflecting the relative importance of the corresponding service.
Text Size and Associability Issues- The text size for registration handbooks is smaller than the rest of the website, and associability options are lacking throughout the registration process.
Captcha and OTP Steps Complexity- Users encounter complexity during the sign-up process, needing to input their phone number, name, and captcha before receiving an OTP. Additionally, captchas need to be re-entered multiple times, adding unnecessary steps.
Left Panel Navigation and Limitation- The first four registration steps are visible in the left panel, allowing access throughout the process, but this panel accommodates no more than these four entries along with the home button.
Form Field Accessibility and Dropdown Issues- Some form fields lack accessibility, and dropdowns don't display relevant options. Users may need to reload or submit the form to access desired inputs.
Document Upload Ambiguity- Users are faced with unclear document upload requirements, as only a PDF icon is provided without specific handbooks.
Document Deletion Errors- Attempts to delete documents result in either being redirected to the homepage or encountering a pop-up error, causing frustration.
Loading Loop Interruption-The registration process is susceptible to a loading loop, where the system repeatedly loads without progress, forcing users to restart the entire registration procedure multiple times. The loading loop presents a significant obstacle, necessitating repetitive actions and redundant efforts from users. This situation not only wastes time but also causes frustration as users are compelled to refresh the page and repeatedly input their registration information until they successfully overcome the loading loop and advance to subsequent steps.

Mobile web version

Presented here are a range of UX/UI insights and recommendations that stem from the visual design of the mobile web version. These suggestions aim to elevate the user experience and overall quality of the mobile website.

Usability Flaws-

The unresponsive button at the top wastes screen space and confuses users.
Misaligned and overlapping buttons create visual inconsistencies and accidental clicks.
Important buttons like applicant registration are inconveniently placed at the bottom, risking user drop-offs.
Design lacks adherence to user-centered principles, requiring intuitive button placement and consistent alignment.

Mobile Responsiveness Issues-

Dialog boxes, including OTP screen, extend beyond mobile screen boundaries.
Poor mobile responsiveness hampers user interaction and text readability.
The applicant registration process also suffers from lack of mobile responsiveness.
Urgent need for appropriately sized elements and text within mobile screen limits.

These stark deficiencies glaringly underscore the pressing necessity for developers to accord top priority to crafting a mobile-friendly design. It is imperative that every website element, including dialog boxes and textual content, be meticulously sized and rendered to fit within the confines of a mobile screen. By diligently tackling these glaring inadequacies, the website has the potential to salvage a coherent and visually comprehensible user experience, ultimately elevating user satisfaction and fostering meaningful engagement.

Light House Report (Desktop Mode and Mobile responsive version)

Here are the website scores for the desktop mode and mobile responsive-

The website's overall performance score is 54, which indicates there is significant room for improvement. While the Total Blocking Time is favorable at 0 milliseconds, the First Contentful Paint takes 2.6 seconds, and the Largest Contentful Paint takes 3.5 seconds. These metrics are lagging the average, demanding enhancements in content loading speed. Additionally, the Cumulative Layout Shift at 0.243 suggests potential for a more stable user experience. The Speed Index is 2.6 seconds.

Urgent attention is needed to address these performance issues and improve the overall user experience of the website. Improving the content loading speed, particularly for the First and Largest Contentful Paint, will contribute to a more seamless and enjoyable browsing experience for your users. Consider optimizing images, reducing unnecessary scripts, and implementing caching strategies to help achieve these improvements.

Synthesizing Phase

User Personas User Persona 1: Tech-Savvy Tina Background:

Tina is a 28-year-old professional working as a software engineer in Panaji, Goa. She is well-versed in technology and is always on the lookout for efficient digital solutions to simplify her tasks. She recently got engaged and is planning to get married in a few months.

Goals and Needs

Tina wants a hassle-free and convenient way to register her marriage without the need to visit government offices. She values her time and prefers online solutions. She is looking for a user-friendly platform that provides clear handbooks and forms for marriage registration. Tina also wants to ensure that the process is secure and legally compliant.

Challenges-

Tina might face challenges in finding a reliable and official online platform for marriage registration. She needs assurance that her personal information will be handled confidentially. She also wants to ensure that the platform is easy to navigate and doesn't require extensive technical knowledge.

User Persona 2: User Persona 2: Organized Omar Background:

Omar is a 35-year-old event manager living in Margao, Goa. He runs his own event planning business and often needs to deal with various government registrations for his events. He is known for his organizational skills and efficiency in handling administrative tasks.

Goals and Needs:

Omar is planning a grand wedding event for a client and needs to register the marriage as part of the process. He wants a streamlined and centralized source of information and forms to quickly complete the registration. Omar is willing to adopt online solutions if they save him time and effort.

Challenges-

Omar might face challenges in navigating through complex government procedures. He needs a platform that presents information in a clear and concise manner. He also wants assurance that the online registration process will be accepted by the government and won't lead to any legal complications.

Problem Statement

For Tech-Savvy Tina, the challenge is to find a reliable and user-friendly online platform for marriage registration in Goa that meets her technical expectations while ensuring the security and legality of the process. For Organized Omar, the challenge is to efficiently navigate through the bureaucratic process of marriage registration in Goa and find a convenient online solution that aligns with his organized and time-sensitive approach, ensuring a seamless and legally compliant registration for his event planning business.

Mapping User Journeys and Extracting Insights

Explain how user journeys were mapped to identify pain points, opportunities, and moments of delight.

Crafting User Stories Problem Statement for Tina

As a tech-savvy professional in Goa who is about to get married, I want to find a reliable and user-friendly online platform for marriage registration that ensures the security of my personal information and provides clear instructions, so that I can conveniently complete the registration process without the need to visit government offices and ensure that my marriage is legally recognized.

Solution for Tina:

To address the needs of tech-savvy Tina, the marriage registration website should be designed with a user-centric approach that prioritizes simplicity, security, and accessibility. The platform should offer a clear and intuitive user interface, guiding Tina through each step of the registration process. A comprehensive FAQ section and video tutorials could be provided to assist users who may have varying levels of digital literacy. To ensure security, robust encryption protocols should be implemented to protect users' personal information. The website should prominently display its official government affiliation and compliance with data protection laws, instilling trust in users like Tina. Additionally, a dedicated customer support channel, accessible through chat or email, could address any queries Tina might have during the registration process.

Problem Statement for Omar

As an organized event manager in Goa responsible for registering marriages for event planning, I want to efficiently navigate the marriage registration process through a streamlined and informative online platform, so that I can save time, meet my client's requirements, and ensure a legally sound and hassle-free registration process for the events I organize.

Solution for Omar:

For organized Omar, the website should focus on delivering a seamless and efficient user experience that aligns with his time-sensitive approach. The platform should feature a centralized dashboard where users like Omar can access a range of registration services, including marriage registration, in one place. Clear and concise handbooks should be provided, breaking down the process into manageable steps. An intelligent form-filling system that remembers previously entered information could expedite the process for users who frequently register events. To ensure legal compliance, the website should display official government accreditation and provide downloadable certificates upon successful registration. Additionally, a dedicated business user section could offer bulk registration options and tailored support for users like Omar who handle multiple registrations, reaffirming the website's commitment to efficiency.

In the upcoming sections, we embark on a creative journey to transform our findings into tangible design solutions. Through engaging ideation exercises, collaborative discussions, and insightful meetings with our client, we will breathe life into our insights.