Taking New Form: Re-designing Alberta’s Legal Name Change Guide
Outline
Forms can be difficult and confusing to complete.
This can be due to issues under a variety of categories. Some might include information architecture, accessibility issues, information overload, and typographic hierarchy. These concepts will be explored through the case study of the Albertan Legal Name Change Application Guide.
What is currently working well?
Which aspects of the form are confusing?
What are some ways in which it may be bettered or simplified?
Procedure
Interview those who have changed their name
Identify user issues with the document
Create an alternative document that solves the current issues
Outcome
Redesigned Legal Name Change Application Guide
Why Names Matter
“A person's name is the greatest connection to their own identity and individuality”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/career-coach-the-power-of-using-a-name/2014/01/10/8ca03da0-787e-11e3-8963-b4b654bcc9b2_story.html
“They carry deep personal, cultural, familial, and historical connections. They also give us a sense of who we are, the communities in which we belong, and our place in the world.”
https://students.ubc.ca/sites/students.ubc.ca/files/Importance_of_Names_Guide_v2.pdf
Why Would Someone Want to Change Their Name?
Name changes are a transitional process. Someone may want to change their name so that it better represents their identity. Some examples of this include:
Someone identifies with a gender other than the one assigned at birth
Someone who has uncomfortable memories associated with their name
Someone who has always gone by a preferred name
Someone who would like to share a name with their partner
Speaking with Jason
Jason had spent three months preparing the necessary forms and documentation, but his application was rejected because he was missing fingerprints. This setback would have required him to start the process over again, causing additional delays and potentially incurring additional costs.
As a transgender person, Jason sees the difficulty of this process as another failure of the system toward transgender people. Transgender individuals often face discrimination and additional obstacles when navigating bureaucratic systems.
This story emphasizes the importance of empathy in the name change process.
Improvements he would like to see:
A cost breakdown
A final checklist
Speaking with Angela
As a newly declared citizen, Angela may have had to provide additional documentation to support her application, such as proof of citizenship.
The process of filling out the form itself may have been straightforward, but Angela encountered complications when applying for new documents such as a passport. Changing one's name can often result in a need to update other important documents, and the process of doing so can be confusing and time-consuming.
In Angela's case, she was unaware of Alberta's document surrender process, which allows Albertan residents to surrender their old documents and replace them with new ones free of charge. This process can be particularly helpful for individuals who have legally changed their name, as it allows them to update their identification documents without incurring additional costs.
Overall, Angela's experience highlights some of the challenges and confusion that can arise when legally changing one's name and updating important documents. It also underscores the importance of understanding the specific processes and requirements in one's jurisdiction and seeking out available resources and support.
Improvements she would like to see:
Clearer steps for the application process
More of an emphasis on additional information
Current Form with Annotations
I went through the entire document and annotated any questions or design concerns I had.
Some things I noted that were problematic:
Lack of title page and table of contents
The document hierarchy
Information that was relevant to everyone was hidden under very specific headers
Typos and Repetition
The document format (having the logo to the left and title to the right was confusing)
This is standardized as per Alberta’s Guidelines But it interferes with the user’s ability to identify the document
Re-designed Guide
Title Page
Applicant Information *Including Cost Breakdown
Table of Contents
Application Checklist
Mockups
Thank You
I wanted to thank the interviewees (who have gone by aliases for the purpose of this case study)
Your vulnerability helped inform by design, so that perhaps in the future others will not have the same challenges, for that, I am incredibly grateful.