Health Canada

Project Context

Role: UI/UX Designer & Accessibility Advocate
Duration: February 2023 - July 2023
Organization: Health Canada - Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA)
Challenge: Transform legacy forms into user-friendly digital experiences that reduce support burden while maintaining strict compliance standards.

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Impact & Results

• Reduced task complexity for end users navigating complex form submissions.
• Decreased support burden on product teams through improved form usability.
• Achieved WCAG 2.0 AA compliance across modernized web applications.
• Accelerated design delivery by developing reusable Figma component library.
• Enabled seamless developer handoff through functional HTML/CSS/JavaScript prototypes.
• Facilitated presentations to groups of 15-20 stakeholders during research and discovery sessions.

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Technical Implementation

Accessibility-First Design

• Modernized and simplified legacy HTML and PDF forms to meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
• Transformed complex Java applications into modern web interfaces.
• Integrated Government of Canada Web Experience Toolkit (WET) requirements.
• Created accessible forms with clear feedback and error handling.

Complex Prototype Development

• Built interactive Figma prototypes with up to 20+ screens to demonstrate, test, and validate complex user flows.
• Created functional HTML/CSS/JavaScript code for developer implementation.

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Strategic Approach

Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

• Facilitated alignment across directors, product managers, developers, and accessibility reviewers.
• Conducted regular stakeholder presentations using Figma prototypes during meetings.
• Gathered comprehensive requirements from product managers with deep policy expertise.
• Translated complex regulatory needs into accessible user interface patterns.

Design System Innovation

• Pioneered Figma adoption within government environment lacking design system maturity.
• Developed reusable component library to accelerate future design iterations.
• Created design-to-development bridge by providing functional code prototypes.
• Established accessible design patterns for complex government forms.

Process Innovation & Problem-Solving

• Identified stakeholder and developer pain points through active listening and observation.
• Adapted design process and deliverables to meet organizational needs beyond standard scope.
• Overcame resistance through evidence-based design decisions and prototype demonstrations.
• Provided logical, well-researched explanations when stakeholder suggestions conflicted with WCAG/WET requirements.
• Advanced Figma utilization to bridge design-development gaps and improve team efficiency.

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Tools & Technologies

• Figma (Prototyping, stakeholder presentations, design system and component library development)
• WCAG 2.0 AA (Accessibility compliance and testing)
• Government of Canada WET Framework (Design system integration)
• HTML5/CSS3/JavaScript (Functional prototype development)

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Key Learnings & Outcomes

For the Organization:

• Reduced end-user frustration with complex regulatory form submission processes.
• Decreased support team workload through improved form usability.
• Established accessible design standards for future government applications.
• Created sustainable design-to-development workflow for complex projects.

Personal Growth:

• Developed expertise in accessibility-first design for critical public services.
• Mastered navigation of complex government regulatory requirements.
• Strengthened skills in diplomatic stakeholder management and evidence-based persuasion.
• Refined ability to adapt processes based on organizational needs and constraints.