Can people find and understand the service?
Test information, eligibility, responsibilities, evidence requirements and next steps.
Government & Public Sector
Research public services so people can understand, access and complete what they need to do.
- SERVICE
- PEOPLE
- EXPERIENCE
- JOURNEY
- SPACE
- PRODUCT
- THINKING
- DIGITAL
- RESEARCH
- IMPACT
- SERVICE
- PEOPLE
- EXPERIENCE
- JOURNEY
- SPACE
- PRODUCT
- THINKING
- DIGITAL
- RESEARCH
- IMPACT
People often use public services because they must, sometimes during urgent, unfamiliar or difficult situations. A journey may cross policy information, eligibility, identity, forms, documents, payments, appointments, casework, status updates and appeals.
UX Pacific studies these connected experiences across digital, phone, in-person and assisted channels. We help public organisations understand where people and staff encounter barriers, what causes them and which service decisions the evidence supports.
Decisions our research supports
Can people complete the process?
Find barriers in identity, forms, documents, appointments, payments and submissions.
Where do channels and agencies disconnect?
Study handoffs across portals, calls, offices, caseworkers, partners and departments.
Who is being excluded or overburdened?
Identify barriers related to disability, language, literacy, devices, connectivity and life context.
Service areas we study
- Information, eligibility, applications, forms and evidence requirements
- Identity, accounts, documents, appointments, payments and submissions
- Status, notifications, decisions, complaints, appeals and recovery
- Assisted service, frontline tools, casework and cross-agency handoffs
People and contexts we include
- Residents, citizens, businesses, representatives and service applicants
- Frontline staff, caseworkers, contact centres, administrators and partners
- Disabled people, language groups and people with limited digital access
- Websites, portals, phones, offices, field settings and assisted journeys
How we design the research
Define the public decision
Clarify the service, policy context, audiences, delivery constraints and decision the evidence must support.
Map the service system
Connect public information, channels, staff, systems, partners, casework and decision points.
Recruit for inclusion
Include relevant service users, access needs, languages, digital confidence and frontline roles.
Study realistic tasks
Use credible journeys, documents, devices and channels without exposing participants to unnecessary risk.
Identify systemic causes
Trace barriers to language, interface, policy, evidence requirements, operations or technology.
Prioritize feasible action
Separate service improvements, operational dependencies, policy questions and further validation needs.
Methods matched to public-service context
Studies may combine interviews, contextual inquiry, journey mapping, service blueprinting, usability and comprehension testing, accessibility research, field observation, diary studies, surveys, analytics review and complaint or support-data analysis.
We choose the method mix around the public decision, service maturity, participant context and delivery constraints.
Research beyond the digital channel
A portal may be usable while the overall service still fails through unclear evidence rules, inaccessible assistance, long waits or disconnected casework.
We connect what people experience with the frontline and backstage conditions that shape the outcome, while distinguishing research evidence from policy decisions.
What your team receives
- Public evidence: behaviours, needs, barriers, comprehension, workarounds and context.
- Service-system view: touchpoints, handoffs, staff workflows, dependencies and breakdowns.
- Prioritized findings: affected groups, evidence, impact, cause, reach and confidence.
- Decision guidance: recommendations for content, channels, forms, support and service operations.
- Stakeholder readout: clear implications for delivery, digital, policy and leadership teams.
Responsible research for public services
Public-service research may involve vulnerable situations, sensitive personal information and people with limited choice about using the service. We plan recruitment, informed consent, privacy, safeguarding, accessibility, data minimization and appropriate referral boundaries around the study.
UX research examines understanding, behaviour and service experience. It does not determine eligibility, make policy, provide legal advice, certify accessibility or compliance, or replace security, equality-impact and statutory review where those are required. Reports state methods and limitations clearly.
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Need to understand where a public service creates barriers?
Let’s connect the people, channels and system.
Share the service, audiences, channels and decision. We will help shape the research.