First successful R*STARS modernization project in the US
Team
Timeline
My Role
2 UX Designers
1 Project Manager
6 Front-End Developers
4 Back-End Developers
8 Months
UX Designer - User Interviews, Insight Generation, Ideation, User Flows, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Rapid Prototyping
Overview
A U.S. state government agency sought to upgrade their legacy accounting application (R*STARS) from an outdated UI built in 1993 to a modern, intuitive interface
I directed the UX overhaul of the system through an optimized navigation system and a comprehensible page structure
The resultant design reduced new employee training duration by 80% (from 20 days to 4 days) and led Deloitte to standardize it across all R*STARS modernization projects in the U.S.
The Problem
Problem Scenario
US State Agencies still use an accounting application (R*STARS) built in 1993
Problem Scenario
It's archaic interface reduces productivity and increases training time for new employees
User Pain Point
R*STARS is a keyboard-only application. Lack of mouse interactions shouldn't be a concern for state accountants in 2023
Key UX Considerations
For successful V1 redesign of a legacy software, the modernized UI should be intuitive while aligning with core back-end functionality
Design Scope
An optimized navigation system and a comprehensible page layout were prioritized to satisfy user needs and simplify deployment
The Solution
Solution Impact
This is the first successful R*STARS modernization in the US that reduced new employee training duration by 80%
UX Process
Creation of a comprehensive IA enabled the team to clearly demarcate different menu levels and hierarchies
Feedback from the State Comptroller (Senior Financial Officer)
"The intuitive redesign has made training new accountants a breeze for us"
Constructing the Interface Part 1 of 3
Optimized Navigation System
Benefit 1
Accountants can now access all menu items from a unified interface, avoiding navigation across multiple screens
Benefit 2
Browsing hundreds of profiles is 3x faster with a paginated list view, eliminating unnecessary keystrokes on the keyboard
Constructing the Interface Part 2 of 3
Comprehensible Page Layout
Benefit 3
A three-column grid allows accountants to easily identify an information field and avoid visual fatigue
Benefit 4
Information fields are organized by relevance and purpose, allowing accountants to quickly locate profile pages and transaction codes
Constructing the Interface Part 3 of 3
Component Design and Enhancements
Benefit 5
New UI components were designed to replicate legacy functionality and were integrated into the Design System
Project Scale
387 high-fidelity wireframes were handed off for V1 through close collaboration with SMEs and state accountants
Next Steps
Project Status
V1 was deployed in March 2024, but V2 design updates were scaled back due to post state election budget amendments
Future Scoping
Future updates will evolve the landing page into a transaction dashboard, providing instant access to key metrics and improving efficiency
Networking Message
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