Week 1

Digital Public Services Challenge

Improving digital public service delivery in Botswana

UI/UX DesignUser ResearchPrototypingGovernment Services
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Overview

During Week 1 of my weekly hackathon series, I participated in a design challenge focused on improving digital public service delivery in Botswana. The goal was to design a user-centered solution that simplifies how citizens interact with essential government services online.

This challenge launched my "Weekly Design Challenge" initiative, where I tackle real-world UX/UI problems to continuously sharpen my skills and build a top-tier portfolio.

The Problem

Citizens face a fragmented digital experience when accessing government services. Different platforms have inconsistent layouts, confusing navigation, and lack clear feedback or status tracking.

✗Difficulty finding the right service
✗Unclear application progress
✗Poor mobile usability
✗Low digital adoption

The challenge required a solution that is accessible, consistent, and easy to use across all digital service touchpoints.

My Role

UI/UX Designer & Frontend Developer (Solo)
User research and persona creation
Information architecture & user flows
Wireframes and high-fidelity UI design
Prototyping and interaction design
Final presentation and documentation

Research & Insights

View Primary Users DocView Research Findings
🌾
Rural Citizens
Limited connectivity, need simple and mobile-friendly experiences
🎓
Students & Youth
Digital-first but frustrated by inconsistent government platforms
💼
Business Owners
Want faster, more reliable service applications (licenses, certificates)
Key Insights
Users want Clarity → "Where do I start?"
Users want Feedback → "What's happening with my application?"
Users want Consistency → "Why do services look and work differently?"
Users want Speed → "I shouldn't need to visit an office for digital services."

Solution: Unified Government Services Portal

For Week 1, I designed a concept for a centralized government services platform with:

One dashboard for all services
Clear categories (Health, Education, Business, Transport, etc.)
Mobile-first service application flows
Step-by-step guided forms
Real-time application tracking
Notifications & updates
Consistent UI components and typography

This unified experience removes the confusion of navigating multiple websites and brings everything into one intuitive platform.

Information Architecture

Main Sections
  • •Dashboard
  • •Service Categories
  • •Active Applications (Tracking)
  • •Support & Help Center
  • •Profile & Settings
Service Examples
  • •Driver's License Renewal
  • •Business Registration
  • •Scholarship Application
  • •Land Lease Inquiry

Design Process

Wireframes

Low-fidelity wireframes focusing on clarity, simplicity, and flow:

  • •Simple dashboard with quick actions
  • •Card-based service tiles
  • •Multi-step application form
  • •Application tracking screen
  • •Clean, structured mobile layout
UI Design

High-fidelity UI design elements:

  • •Botswana-inspired color palette (blues, neutrals, minimal accent tones)
  • •Modern, accessible typography
  • •Clean spacing and consistent components
  • •Iconography to support quick recognition
  • •Mobile-first responsive grid

Mobile Mockups

High-fidelity mobile screens showcasing the user interface and key flows:

Home Screen
Click to enlarge
Service Categories
Click to enlarge
Application Form
Click to enlarge
Form Details
Click to enlarge
Application Status
Click to enlarge

Interactive Prototype

I built an interactive prototype demonstrating:

Navigation between categories
Applying for a service
Submitting a form
Viewing application status

This prototype was optimized for both desktop and mobile layouts.

Outcome

The final solution successfully:

Reduced cognitive load
Improved task completion flow
Increased usability and accessibility
Presented a unified, scalable government service design system
Set a strong foundation for Week 2's challenge

What I Learned

Week 1 helped me refine:

How to simplify government processes for everyday users
How to create scalable design systems
How to design for low digital literacy environments
How to pitch UX solutions clearly and visually

This case study kicked off my weekly design initiative and will evolve as I continue designing smarter public service experiences.

Continue Exploring

Check out more weekly challenges from the SmartBots series

View All Challenges