Confidential Government Platform Submission Experience Optimization
My Role: UX Designer
Timeframe: 4 weeks
Methods: User interviews, Support Ticket Review
Tools: Figma
Due to non-disclosure agreements, identifying details have been removed.
Summary:
Introduction:
I worked on improving the submission experience for a confidential government platform that led to a 70% reudction in support tickets.
The Problem & Objective:
The platform supports time-sensitive government workflows where successful submission is critical. After users clicked submit, the interface displayed only a generic loading spinner with the text:
However, the interface provided:
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No progress indication
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No status clarification
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No reassurance that the system was functioning
As a result:
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Users assumed the system had frozen
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Many refreshed the page
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Refreshing caused process restarts or system errors
What appeared to be a technical failure was largely a perception and communication problem.
My Process:
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Support Ticket Analysis: Reviewed the volume, language, and patterns in tickets. Users consistently described the loader as “broken,” “frozen,” or “not working” — even when the system was processing normally.
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User Interviews Conducted 4 interviews with frequent platform users. All 4 described high anxiety during the loading state. 3 of 4 admitted to refreshing within seconds. Key insight: users wanted confirmation, not speed.
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Competitive Analysis Examined loading patterns across similar government platforms. Found that the most trusted platforms used step-by-step status modals rather than generic spinners.
Recommendations:
Design a modal that provides explicit system status feedback and warns users not to refresh.
Solution:
I designed a loading modal that:
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Met WCAG accessibility standards
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Communicated that the system was actively processing
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Provided clear reassurance messaging
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Reduced uncertainty during wait times
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Encouraged users to remain on the page
