Website design and User testing

Description

Summary of the work Must include: -IA taxonomy -front-end design for up-to 20 page templates -wireframes, design taxonomy and html style guide -end-user engagement -co-design and iterations after user-testing. -open-ness to potential re-use of design templates from other councils -templates designed to be built in Drupal 8, though build will be a different project. Expected Contract Length 3 months Latest start date Friday 31 January 2020 Budget Range £50,000-70,000 Why the Work is Being Done The Westminster City Council website is the face of this diverse, fast-moving local authority in the heart of London. It is key to our digital offer, with in the region of 200,000 unique visitors per month learning more about local services, and carrying out transactions, including paying council tax and reporting issues such as fly tipping. However the site is long overdue a rethink and modernisation. There is a pressing need to provide residents, businesses and visitors with an intuitive, simplified and streamlined online experience that prioritises user needs and provides business efficiencies for the council. Following an in-depth discovery phase, from which we have clear insights and recommendations, we are now ready to enter the next stage of delivering our new website. The new site must prioritise understanding user needs through user research and analytics, utilising appropriate tools and systems, making sure users ‘succeed first time’ and encouraging maximum usage. The vision is to completely overhaul the current offer, turning it into a seamless site that puts the user first and ‘knows you like a friend’. Problem to Be Solved The Westminster site needs to be modernised. Residents, businesses and visitors need an intuitive, simplified and streamlined online experience that prioritises user needs and provides business efficiencies for the council. The site needs new front end design, UX, UI and IA, based on new recommendations from an already-completed discovery phase. The site will be migrated from Drupal 7 to Drupal 8, so designs should be suitable for Drupal 8. Who Are the Users As a resident, business or visitor I need to have an online experience that is simple and intuitive for me so that I can succeed in transacting first time. As a council web team I need to have front end design, UX and UI and IA which supports residents, works across a variety of devices and will work as part of a Drupal 8 build As a council, I need to have front end design, UX, UI and IA which is tested and iterated with end users Existing Team Head of Digital Communications Web Project Manager Customer Experience and Digital Programme Manager Digital Content Officer Web Business Analyst Digital Communications Officer UX lead Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Adopt user-centred and agile approaches, consistent with the Government Digital Service Standards • Evidence of building accessible websites to WCAG 2.1 AA standard • Understand how to meet the needs of a range of users undertaking a breadth of journeys, ensuring the user ‘gets it right first time’. • Experience of designing for the Drupal 8 CMS platform • Experience of redesigning/redeveloping large, information-rich websites • Experience of designing across a range of devices, highlighting responsive design • Experience designing visually engaging, standards compliant templates based on user research and evidence • Experience of testing designs with real users, and iterating them based on user feedback • Experience of delivering quickly to challenging timelines • Support those lacking digital skills and those with varied accessibility needs Nice to Haves • Demonstrate at least 2 years’ experience of knowledge and use of Government Design Standards and principles or similar • Demonstrate at least 2 years’ experience of working with a Local Authority on a high-profile digital transformational project Work Location Victoria Street, London with occasional off-site working. Working Arrangments The work will be site based (Victoria Street, London), suppliers will have the option of working from their own premises as the business dictates. Agile (scrum) working arrangement with the ceremonies regularly observed. Security Clearance BPSS No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Detail your user-centred approach surrounding the delivery of this requirement including but not limited to an in-depth plan including detailed and in dept timeline of all anticipated tasks. • Detail your Risk, Issue management and reporting approach including but not limited to anticipated risks to delivery and resolution methodology • Detail the proposed teams experience and skills and as to how this will relate to and add value to project (align this with your Work History to evidence) • Demonstrate as to how you will ensure WCAG2.1 AA Standards will be met throughout all stages of development work and delivery. • Detail and demonstrate your knowledge transfer and off boarding process and how this will ensure continuation of service by the organisation once the Contract ends. • Detail and demonstrate how you will build user-testing into your processes, and iterate/adjust design and development based on findings. Cultural Fit Criteria • Share knowledge and experience with other team members • Social Value and minimum wage employer • Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes • Can work with clients with low technical expertise • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 70% Cultural fit 5% Price 25% Questions from Suppliers 1. "Evidence of building accessible websites to WCAG 2.1 AA standard". Do you mean "Evidence of designing accessible websites to WCAG 2.1 AA standard" or are you actually looking for a company that builds sites? Yes, Evidence of designing accessible websites to WCAG 2.1 AA standard" 2. Details on Previous work done is missing? Discovery phase has just ended. We have data which should inform the design phase but no designs yet. 3. At what stage will we see the discovery phase insight material i.e. user stories? The discovery phase data will be shared once the tender is awarded. 4. We do a lot of work with Govt bodies, but don't currently have BPSS clearance for staff. We'd be happy to obtain it if successful on this bid would that be acceptable. I have another organisation who would sponsor us. Review at proposal stage 5. "open-ness to potential re-use of design templates from other councils" – what other councils do you have in mind and would we be able to get access to those templates? We are in preliminary discussions with a number of other signatories to the local government digital declaration. If the decision is made to progress this, we will have access to already existing templates. 6. Who will be involved in the "co-design" mentioned in your tender? Westminster residents and staff 7. What's the deadline for this project? March 2020 8. Will the site build be part of a separate tender or has it already been awarded (and in that case, is there a start date?) It will be part of a separate tender and has not been awarded yet. 9. The project discovery work was carried out by the discovery supplier – will you be sharing this at the tender stage? The discovery phase data will be shared once the tender is awarded. 10. From past experience what type of user-testing delivers an exemplar council site? This is up to the applicant to outline. 11. Do you have a user base for user-testing or will this need recruiting? The user base will need recruiting 12. Is there an incumbent supplier? Yes, a supplier has conducted a review of the current website. We require an independent supplier to design the website in readiness for WCC & RBKC to jointly procure the build, migrate and host separately.