AMS Digital Service Research Findings
Background
I previously sourced 16 participants who were currently using, or had used within the last 12 months, the AMS digital service, and conducted a system usability scale (SUS) survey. The result of which was a low score of 44.04.
I then recruited 5 of these participants to conduct individual, one-to-one interviews. I then also invited the same participants to a focus group, and a co-design workshop.
Key User Pain Points
The insights from all of these research methods resulted in the following conclusions regarding user pain points:
Usability issues
Users found the AMS interface confusing, with too much text and poor navigation. They needed help from others and were frustrated by unclear errors, and key documents hidden in hard to find messages.
eAMS System Outdated
Once registered with the AMS, many aspects of the service are managed and accessed via its digital interface - the ‘eAMS’. Users found it extremely outdated, and hard to use, with one user commenting that “Its like a website from the 1990’s”.
Language accessibility issues
Users depended on other people to help them understand AMS services. Users without assistance experienced problems using the service. Users who were not fluent in German also had to use 3rd party translation software, which didn’t always work due to technical issues with the eAMS.
Limited course options & inadequate job search
Users found job searches unhelpful due to poorly tagged or unspecialized ads, forcing them to use other sites. Those seeking training struggled to find relevant courses on time and lacked clarity about the application process.
Poor communication methods
Users were frustrated that all communication was sent via PDF’s attached to in-system messages. They would prefer simply using email. When issues occurred, they found communication via the eAMS system to be slow and cumbersome.
Mobile optimisation needs
Users found the eAMS service quite difficult to use on mobile devices, and see a need for improvement here as mobile usage overtakes ‘desktop’ globally, and not everyone has convenient access to a non-mobile device.
Overall it was clear from the conducted research that service users need a solution free from usability issues, with a simplified onboarding process, mobile support, improved content strategy and information architecture, that is available in multiple languages. Better communication capabilities are also needed for service users when communicating with their AMS supervisor, as well as improvements to the job searching function so that jobseekers can find relevant jobs with greater ease.
Big ideas workshop
With these same participants from my focus group, I then took inspiration from IBM's Design Thinking Toolkit and hosted a ‘Big Ideas’ co-design brainstorming workshop. The goal of this workshop was to ideate and explore possible solutions to the problems identified during previous research.
Participants were given a How-Might-We statement as a prompt: How might we help jobseekers find relevant jobs and training to support them securing employment in the Austrian labor market.
Participants were guided to brainstorm ideas, with each idea written on a sticky note which they stuck to an ‘ideas whiteboard’.
We discussed the feasibility and complexity of each of these topics, focusing on the positive benefits we believe there would be for all service users with each idea. We also considered the impact on migrant jobseekers and service users outside of jobseekers, such as those with refugee or asylum seeker status.
A Wow / How / Now matrix was then used to map and evaluate potential solutions.
Potential Solutions to Explore
It is clear from research so far that the AMS website & particularly the eAMS system need an update and redesign. I have grouped my recommendations for improvements below.
Low Effort, High Impact
- Improve communication systems
- Review of current site content, website tone and language
- Provide multi-lingual content / in-built translation options
High Effort, High Impact
- Prototype further improvements to eAMS website
- Redesign eAMS interface
- Improved user flow
- Mobile friendly / responsive design
- Review of site information architecture and navigation structure