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9. Future Steps

  • Resolve search function so that results are not file embedded in folders (lead to exact page) and search uses “exact words” instead of “similar words”

  • Improve the Wire navigation system so that users can switch between articles (suggestions below):

    • Accessible in one scroll page

    • Next buttons feature to switch articles

    • Get rid of the “byline” template text

  • Create easy access to adjunctive templates, templates for onboarding, regulated documents and recent OEB Publications

  • Add and improve the OEB Directory to see projects staff are working on, who reports to who and are responsible for

  • Consider conducting user surveys with the same number of participants to compare results accurately (preferably a higher number of participants)

Current_Intranet_Screenshot-transformed.png

Ontario Energy Board Intranet Redesign Project - UX Research

Evaluated current state intranet to inform the redesign, which led to enhancing user experience by 10%, increasing engaging content by 30%, and increasing overall usefulness/relevance to work by 18%.

Usefulness of intranet 2023 vs 2025 1.png

Overall, I find The Grid useful to my work.

Figure 1.0 A comparison of the 2023 vs. 2025 total agreement, indifference and total disagreement for usefulness.

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Overall usefulness/relevance to work increased by +18%

1 - Grid - Homepage.png
2 - Grid - Wire Weekly.png
3 - Grid - Division pages - Strategic Policy.png
4 - Grid - Events - BBQ.png

7. Final Look of the New Intranet

Usability Testing Quotes

When asked whether anything frustrated them the most about the intranet, here is what participants said:

“Make full use of the entire page, meaning add a left navigation and incorporate information from the top to reduce it being so overwhelming and top heavy. The right navigation needs to have the same look and feel as the left navigation. The site is not balanced with only one navigation. It is not pleasing to the eye, which needs to be on top of the list when creating the new site, people enjoy images.” - PU09

“It wasn’t clear to me where I would find the corporate scorecard and so I would refer to the webpage search function on the top right of the homepage of the intranet thinking that would tell me where I could find it as opposed to me trying to determine whether it belongs under the About the OEB tab or is it Work Resources. And not being able to at least quickly find it under the webpage search engine function was a little frustrating.” - PU01

Survey 2023

1. Survey Planning

I surveyed 96 OEB staff members to understand their experiences with the current intranet.

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The following survey questions were asked:

  1. On average, how often do you visit the OEB intranet?

  2. Please rate the following about your use of the intranet:

    1. Overall, I find the current intranet useful to my work.

    2. I have a good understanding of what information and resources are available.

    3. I can easily find the information I’m looking for.

    4. The main navigation menu helps me find the information I need.

    5. The search function helps me find the information I need.

    6. Content on the intranet is relevant to my work.

    7. Content is engaging and helps connect me to the OEB’s strategic priorities.

    8. The intranet’s design is aesthetically appealing and reflects the OEB’s culture.

  3. Rank the qualities (1 = most important, 10 = least important) that are most important to you on an intranet.

    1. Simple navigation

    2. Looks good

    3. Solves a particular problem

    4. Information about co-workers is easy to find

    5. Ability to personalize/customize my view/content

    6. Information about events

    7. Centralized access to OEB documents

    8. Relevant search results

    9. Integration with other IT applications (e.g., MS Office, Teams, etc.)

    10. Information about corporate milestones and news

  4. What things are working well on the intranet (open-ended)?

  5. What could be improved? Is there any content you think is missing (open-ended)?

  6. Have you used an intranet in another job? If so, what features did you find useful (open-ended)?

  7. Do you have any additional comments or ideas about the intranet (open-ended)? 

2. Survey Results

Key Findings:

  • Respondents prioritize simple navigation, centralized access to OEB documents, and relevant search results.

  • While many find current pages easy to access, improvements are needed in search functionality, overall UI, integration with other systems, and the reintroduction of the staff directory.

  • Customizability is suggested by some participants.

  • Common issues reported include poor findability and usability.

  • Regarding useful features from previous jobs, participants value ease of navigation, updated content, useful tools, and personalized content.

Project Overview

The current intranet was static and outdated. As a static site, there were no integrations with other applications or collaboration tools, so each experience was independent and disparate. There was no automation or content management system. SharePoint was increasingly being used by departments/divisions to promote their services and to create corporate repositories. For example, all OEB Corporate policies moved to SharePoint in 2022. This was creating an inconsistency in experience and findability of content for employees. The intranet also had no social engagement capabilities or personalization.

Timeline

May - Sep 2023 (ux research activities), Feb 2025 (updated survey results)

Tools

Excel, SurveyMonkey, Google Analytics

Role

Primary Research Lead

Team

Helen Chan (me), Carol Steski, Robert Stephen, Ashraf Ali, Lara Pocock

Methodology

Survey, user interviews, moderated usability testing in-person

Research Goals

To inform the redesign of OEB’s intranet with the goals of making it more modern, user-friendly, and streamlined, and turn it into a centralized hub of information, resources, and social engagement for staff members.

Process

  1. Survey Planning

  2. Survey Results

  3. User Interview Planning

  4. User Interview Results

  5. Usability Testing Planning

  6. Usability Testing Results

  7. Final Look of the New Intranet

  8. 2025 Survey Results

  9. 2023 vs. 2025 Survey Findings

  10. Future Steps

User Interviews

3. User Interview Planning

To gather an in-depth understanding of the participants' pain points, desires, and needs with using the intranet, I conducted user interviews with 7 staff members.

4. User Interview Results

Here are the actionable improvements based on what was said in the interviews:

  1. Address back-end issues to enhance the search function (3/7 participants found it problematic).

  2. Improve site accessibility by adjusting small text and reducing text-heavy content.

  3. Enhance user-friendly layout, particularly on the homepage, for a more engaging experience.

  4. Add more color, especially to Announcement pages, to improve the overall look and feel.

  5. Optimize navigation for Wire Weekly (OEB’s newsletter).

  6. Modernize the intranet to align with OEB’s evolving goals and values, adding depth and breadth.

  7. Organize the menu for better intuitiveness, aligning page names with menus.

  8. Reinstate the Employee Directory for easy staff member identification.

  9. Consider creating a dedicated events page for easier access than searching through Wire Weekly or Teams notices (nice to have).

Usability Testing

5. Usability Testing Planning

Finally, I led 9 moderated usability testing sessions for 6 tasks to test the usability of the current intranet. 

During the test, participants were given six tasks:

  1. Find the March 23, 2022 article on preparing for our hybrid return to office.

  2. Find Raj Pattani’s job title.

  3. Find the burgundy PowerPoint template.

  4. Find the corporate scorecard 2022 - 2023 Quarter 2 for Public Affairs.

  5. Find the OEB’s vision statement.

  6. Find out when yoga is happening.

6. Usability Testing Results

  • 6/9 failed the first task. This was the most difficult task to complete as participants took the longest time on task. ​

    • 2/6 participants gave up after looking in the correct section (the Wire) but not being able to find the article.

  • 3/9 participants failed the 4th task.

    • For those that failed, ⅔ participants tried to use the search function to look for the corporate scorecard.

“Sometimes the main navigation bar is a bit overwhelming (e.g., Work Resources). I suggest reducing the amount of tabs. I also suggest hovering your mouse over a tab and more tabs pop out. For example, If you hover over Case Management under Work Resources, instead of having the 3 tabs appear below it, the 3 tabs pop out.” - PU06

Survey 2025

8. Analysis of Survey Results 2025

Context:

  • The user survey was conducted with 48 participants in February 2025 to analyze the improvements and user experience of the redesigned Intranet.

9. 2023 vs. 2025 Survey Findings

From 2023 to 2025, there’s a steady rise in positive user experience and a low rate of dissatisfaction. The intranet’s content has improved in content relevance and has become more meaningful to employees and their work. Employees are able to find more services and are able to navigate the website with little issues.

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There is an increase in the intranet’s usefulness, content and user experience.

Content relevance of intranet 2023 vs 2025 2.png

Content on The Grid is engaging and helps connect me to the OEB’s strategic priorities.

Figure 2.0 A comparison of the 2023 vs. 2025 total agreement, indifference and total disagreement for content relevance.

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Engaging content increased by +30%

User experience of intranet 2023 vs 2025 3.png

I have a good understanding of what information and resources are available on The Grid.

Figure 3.0 A comparison of the 2023 vs. 2025 total agreement, indifference and total disagreement for user experience.

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User Experience increased by +10%

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