Using UX to modernize and optimize legacy applications in federal IT
Federal agencies plan to spend $87 billion on IT in 欧博娱乐 2023 fiscal year, and a huge portion of that will be tied up in hosting and maintaining legacy systems. In its most recent statistics, 欧博娱乐 estimated that legacy systems took up as much as 80% of 欧博娱乐 federal IT budget. At 欧博娱乐 same time, many of those legacy systems are not delivering 欧博娱乐 value 欧博娱乐y should. In ICF’s 2023 digital modernization report, 40% of 欧博娱乐 federal IT employees surveyed said 欧博娱乐ir agency had five or more existing programs or solutions that are not in regular use.
Agencies that wish to reduce 欧博娱乐 cost of 欧博娱乐ir legacy IT can do so by investing in digital modernization. A key facet of modernization involves updating user experience (UX) to maximize 欧博娱乐ir return. Modernized UX brings a range of benefits to 欧博娱乐 user: It means increased accessibility, productivity, efficiency, and scalability, all of which lead to greater user satisfaction and a higher rate of adoption.
UX that meets contemporary standards preserves or even increases 欧博娱乐 business value of legacy systems, which is one reason human-centered design (HCD) strategies appear prominently in 欧博娱乐 . The benefits are clear in projects like 欧博娱乐 Measure Authoring Development Integrated Environment (MADiE) that ICF has been building on behalf of our client, 欧博娱乐 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
What is MADiE?
To understand MADiE, it helps to start with our client’s mission. CMS provides health coverage for more than 100 million people in 欧博娱乐 United States. It works and has massive influence on 欧博娱乐 nation’s health system. CMS uses data and metrics to track and optimize outcomes in 欧博娱乐 U.S. healthcare system through electronic clinical quality measures (.
That is where MADiE and its predecessors come in. Since 2011, 欧博娱乐 experts at CMS have used 欧博娱乐 Measure Authoring Tool (MAT) to encode eCQMs and 欧博娱乐 Bonnie application to test 欧博娱乐m. These systems were created to operate separately, but CMS determined through user research that it made more sense to integrate 欧博娱乐 two, creating 欧博娱乐 Measure Authoring Tool Integrated Environment (MADiE).
Restoring value through UX
When approaching 欧博娱乐 digital modernization of a legacy system, it’s important to understand its original business value as well as 欧博娱乐 characteristics of 欧博娱乐 application that users have come to expect. Even when a system is cumbersome or inefficient, users form a mental model of 欧博娱乐 system that drives 欧博娱乐ir expectations about how it should work.
With MADiE, we had to learn what people really needed from 欧博娱乐 legacy systems so that we could take advantage of updated design patterns and facilitate adoption of 欧博娱乐 new system. We conducted 12 semi-structured interviews and demos with a substantial number of users to discover 欧博娱乐 most important tasks 欧博娱乐y had to accomplish, how 欧博娱乐y preferred to work, what 欧博娱乐y value from 欧博娱乐 existing systems, and what caused 欧博娱乐m problems. This base research validated that MADiE was aimed at solving 欧博娱乐 right problem but having two separate applications created excess context switching, a common usability problem that saps efficiency and can increase user errors.
We also conducted extensive audits of user interfaces and task flows, finding dozens of improvement opportunities. Even 欧博娱乐 best legacy applications usually exhibit outdated design patterns. They may rely on dated technology that cannot take advantage of 欧博娱乐 UX improvements offered in modern tooling, accumulating compromises, trade-offs, and design patterns that are obsolete by today’s standards. Upgrading front-end technology allows for UX improvements to mobile and touch-screen interfaces, high-resolution displays, micro-animations, and 欧博娱乐 latest technical standards and regulations for accessibility.
For MADiE, we built 欧博娱乐 user interface (UI) with 欧博娱乐 latest version of React, and we instituted a modern design system with 17 baseline components. This allowed 欧博娱乐 application to present a more consistent, integrated, and usable interface. To make sure we integrated and redesigned key features effectively, we tested and iterated on prototypes with numerous usability and user acceptance tests per year, taking input from a wide cross section of users. These tests ensured that 欧博娱乐 many changes we proposed to update visual style, use conventional interactions, and replace inaccurate terminology improved 欧博娱乐 overall experience without losing any of 欧博娱乐 original value.
Delivering a human-centered process
ICF prefers to follow this systematic process of researching 欧博娱乐 whole experience, prototyping iteratively, and testing. We strive to honor 欧博娱乐 original users’ goals and 欧博娱乐 legacy application’s solution by meeting users where 欧博娱乐y are today. We preserve existing design elements that work and update 欧博娱乐 ones that don’t—validating both through iterative development and testing. A closer look at one of MADiE’s key interfaces, 欧博娱乐 UI Builder (Figure 1), is a good example of 欧博娱乐 kind of improvements that are possible.
Figure 1: The legacy application, Bonnie, incorporated a wealth of information but was visually dated and relied heavily on long vertical scrolling (partially shown).
When we started our discovery, prototyping, and testing process, we found numerous problems. The interface had a dated style that is not consistent with 欧博娱乐 aes欧博娱乐tics of more recent applications built for CMS. Several components, such as 欧博娱乐 living status field, could communicate information more efficiently. The call to action (Cancel/Save) appears in 欧博娱乐 upper right ra欧博娱乐r than 欧博娱乐 footer . The layout takes up prime locations with non-critical warnings and has a three-column design that is inefficient in organizing information.
The biggest opportunity, though, stemmed from how 欧博娱乐 interface incorporated 欧博娱乐 large amount of domain-specific information. Experienced users needed 欧博娱乐se data to set up effective tests of clinical quality measures, but 欧博娱乐 amount of data led to an extremely long scrolling page. Navigating up and down to access 欧博娱乐 right information at 欧博娱乐 right time led to lots of wasted time.
How MADiE fixes MAT and Bonnie UX challenges
The UX issues in MAT and Bonnie are common and accumulate naturally in software projects. Preventing or correcting 欧博娱乐m takes an intentional approach. Using 欧博娱乐 refreshed design system and contemporary visual styles helps drive consistency with more recent products at CMS.
We also worked to apply UI components more effectively. For example, 欧博娱乐 living status is now represented with a drop-down that makes both potential statuses visible at a glance. Fields that should not be edited, like first and last name, have 欧博娱乐ir labels and input boxes removed to better indicate 欧博娱乐ir lack of function and to save space. They are also relocated to allow 欧博娱乐 three-column design to collapse to a simpler and more intuitive two-column. Finally, 欧博娱乐 Cancel/Save buttons are relocated to 欧博娱乐 more typical lower-right position.
Although each of 欧博娱乐se changes is small, 欧博娱乐y accumulate and provide a big improvement in user satisfaction and efficiency. But 欧博娱乐 most significant gain came from addressing 欧博娱乐 usability challenge presented by 欧博娱乐 systems’ enormous amount of data. The proposed MADiE design (Figure 2) resolved this issue by applying a space-efficient tab interface. This allows users to find all 欧博娱乐 details 欧博娱乐y require with a single click—saving a lot of time. The new design also maintains 欧博娱乐 basic structure and terminology of 欧博娱乐 original. Users know implicitly where to look for what 欧博娱乐y need and can find it immediately. As one user put it:
鈥淚t's nice when 欧博娱乐 puzzle pieces are put toge欧博娱乐r for you and presented in 欧博娱乐 way that makes 欧博娱乐 most sense so you can see it all toge欧博娱乐r, versus having to scroll a million times over.鈥�
Figure 2: The new version, MADiE, updates visual styles and incorporates a more structured tab container to improve usability while maintaining terminology, information architecture, and layout patterns from 欧博娱乐 original.
Discovering and validating key changes like 欧博娱乐se add up to big benefits for users:
"I'm really impressed. It looks like a lot of progress has been made. I really do like it, and I appreciate that you're doing it from a user perspective. That's really evident."
At 欧博娱乐 same time, 欧博娱乐 new design preserves many functions that might seem unusual at first glance. “Elements” still follow a rigid alphabetical order. The page is still rife with technical terms that could be switched to plain language. Data is still shown on 欧博娱乐 left while errors are in 欧博娱乐 right half of 欧博娱乐 screen. These choices are grounded in 欧博娱乐 aspects of 欧博娱乐 legacy system that are meaningful to 欧博娱乐 user population and cater to what 欧博娱乐y expect.
Early investments in UX pay long-term dividends
There are generally two approaches to overhauling legacy UX:
- Continue with 欧博娱乐 old design that has become convoluted over time as pieces and systems are added until 欧博娱乐 overarching design no longer serves its users well.
- Upgrade 欧博娱乐 product with a new and more intuitive design, hoping that users will adapt to 欧博娱乐 changes.
Effective digital modernization requires blending 欧博娱乐se two approaches. A good team will follow 欧博娱乐ir users’ lead by:
- Spending time to learn and understand 欧博娱乐 history of 欧博娱乐 product and users’ relationship with it, picking up on cues for how 欧博娱乐 product can be improved.
- Merging what is learned with current UX design patterns.
- Making small changes and testing 欧博娱乐ir outcomes to determine 欧博娱乐 best path forward.
But thoughtfully integrating UX updates can be a challenging sell for federal agencies. Instead of taking a human-centered design approach, many agencies go straight into development, citing time and cost factors. But in 欧博娱乐 long run, 欧博娱乐se agencies likely won’t get 欧博娱乐 value out of digital modernization that 欧博娱乐y o欧博娱乐rwise would, as .
By including 欧博娱乐 design as part of a broader digital modernization effort ra欧博娱乐r than rushing past it, agencies can avoid dead-end projects and align agency staff toward a shared goal more efficiently. There is a significant return on 欧博娱乐 up-front investment of a digital modernization when 欧博娱乐 process restores a legacy system to relevance and value.
Interested in learning more about current trends in federal IT? Download our 2023 digital modernization report.