2017 (2 months) / Strategic Design & Research Lead / Paper Giant
Tax incentives are appealing, but complex to interpret. SME businesses are missing out.
I led content re-design of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s (DIIS) overhaul of their ICT guidance for Research and Development (R&D) tax incentives.
Problems with comprehension and usability of the ICT guidance means small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) aren’t maximing use of the R&D incentive to innovative and grow their business, which also represents a loss to Australian technological innovation. In more serious cases some businesses are claiming the incentive but finding themselves in breach due to misintepretation of the guidance, then having to appear before the tribunal and pay back thousands of dollars.
Re-authoring, testing and practically implementing guidance change
I worked with tax and software development subject matter experts and an editor to rework the guidance content, logic and navigation.
I led contextual interviews and two rounds of content and prototype testing with 21 participants: SME business owners, and tax agents. From these participants five user types were identified, each with a different perspective on how they would engage with and apply the guidance. The content was iterated from participant feedback.
Final deliverables were:
Interactive, annotated prototype of the reworked guidance content and site navigation.
Content strategy aligned to five user contexts and needs, including how to distribute and promote the guidance to ensure awareness and use among these groups.
Reflections & learnings
Technical guidance authoring must have constant involvement of a subject matter expert.
Content testing differs from usability testing, requiring more time than a ‘standard’ usability test, and comprehension-focused tasks.