PALS - Website Usability Study
PALS - Website Usability Study
Project Overview
The Prince George’s County Planning Department is partnering with a research team from the University of Maryland to conduct user experience research on our website. The goal is to improve how residents access information and resources that affect their communities.
We want to understand what works, what doesn’t, and how we can make the site easier to use. If you take part in a session, we’re interested in your experience with the website, not how well you perform.
Our project goals are to:
- Make it more useful for your community
- Learn how residents look for information
- Find what’s confusing or hard to find
- Make the website easier to navigate
Get Involved
Take a Brief, 5-Minute Survey:
Have you recently visited the Prince George’s County Planning Department website? We want to hear from you. Your anonymous feedback will help us identify what is working well and what needs improvement.
- Time to complete: Approximately 5 minutes
- Eligibility: Anyone who has recently visited the planning department website.
- Languages available: English, Spanish (Español), and Chinese (中文)
Click here to take the survey.
If you want to participate in an Observation Session, Usability Testing Session, Interviews or Focus Groups, click the link below to the survey to see which study you would like to participate in.
Project Timeline
| Date/Timeframe | Research Activity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Now | Survey Open | Complete the online survey to share your feedback. |
| November 1–13 | Research Sessions | Selected participants will be contacted by UMD researchers to schedule sessions |
| November 2–13 | Observation Sessions | In-person sessions will take place at the Prince George’s County Planning Department. |
| After the sessions | Researchers share recommendations for improving website |
|
| November 1–14 | Interviews | Remote interviews will be scheduled based on participant availability following completion of consent forms. |
Team Information
The Survey Team focuses on quantitative research to evaluate user satisfaction, information architecture, task success, and digital accessibility. Our team will analyze patterns in how residents, developers, business owners, and local professionals interact with the website to identify key areas for enhancement.
The Observation Team focuses on in-person testing of UI interfaces with the goal of finding common user behaviors and other problem areas. Our team, through eye-tracking and keylogging, will carefully observe how users interact with the website and create a more efficient navigation experience.
The Usability Testing Team focuses on observing how people use the Planning Department website in real time. Participants complete a series of tasks while researchers watch how they navigate, where they hesitate, and what is hard to find. Our team will analyze these sessions to identify where the site works well, where it gets in the way, and which changes would make information easier for residents to find and use.
The Interview and Focus Groups Team focuses on understanding residents’ experiences, thoughts, and feedback about the Planning Department website through remote, 30-minute interviews. Participants will share their experiences using the website, including what works well, what challenges they face, and what information they find difficult to access. Our team will analyze these conversations to better understand users’ needs, identify areas for improvement, and inform recommendations for making the website more accessible and user-friendly.
Contact Information
Survey Research Inquiries
For questions about the community survey, accessibility accommodations, or how survey data will be utilized, please contact Lamyea Diyea at ldiyea@umd.edu.
Observation Research Inquiries
For questions regarding the in-person observation research, accommodations, or how the observation process will be conducted, please contact Amogh Patki at apatki@umd.edu.
Usability Testing Inquiries
For questions regarding the usability testing research, accommodations, or how the testing sessions will be conducted, please contact Kristin Agwale at kagwale@umd.edu
Interviews and Focus Group Inquiries
For questions regarding the remote interviews, accommodations, or how the sessions will be conducted, please contact Suraksha Vinodkeerthi at svinodke@umd.edu
