Lead User Researcher

We are currently leading the User Research on the 'Apply for a Blue Badge' service for the Department for Transport. This would see us developing a digital service which would replace paper forms which users currently fill in to apply for a blue badge. 

The role involves working within a fast moving established Agile team for Department for Transport's 'Get a Blue Badge' service. This is an umbrella service which contains three other services, namely:
1. Apply for a Blue Badge
2. Manage Blue Badge Applications (Admin for Local Authorities to process applications directly)
3. API to Manage Blue Badge (where Local Authorities use the API we have built to manage the process through solutions they already have in place)

We are currently in Beta and our responsibilities was to take charge of the User Research for all three services that fall within a 'Get a Blue Badge'. 

We are currently involved in:

a. Undertaking a heuristic review: of the current service as well as a review of the research to date, whilst focusing on the following:
b. Understand the digital/online and offline journey: the happy path, unhappy path, any gaps, pain points.
c. Implement a 'Hypothesis Driven Design' approach to testing: to ensure testing is focused and effectively prioritised.
d. Mapping and prioritising personas (primary, secondary, supplementary, etc) against the user needs and identifying any gaps/ changes that have occurred to user needs over the development phases to date.
e. Conduct lab, remote and contextual testing/ research with users: to ensure rigorous testing in different environments and on different tech/ applications (e.g. pc, mobile and tablet).
f. Recruitment: with particular elements of the service focusing on service users that can be sometimes be classified as 'hard to reach', I have not only gone down the fall back option of using recruitment agencies but have developed links with disability charities, local authorities and more to ensure we have a steady stream of users lined up in advance for testing to ensure development isn't being bottle necked by recruitment.