Information Website Redesign for the ATO:
Simplifying Business Authorisation Management

How UX-driven IA restructuring, content clarity improvements, and usability enhancements transformed the website into a more intuitive, accessible platform for business owners, with a 40% improvement in task completion speed, reducing the need for support calls.

Project Overview

The information website supports a platform that enables business owners and their representatives to manage access to government online services. Despite its importance, the website suffered from poor navigation, excessive content, and a lack of clear calls to action, making it difficult for users to complete key tasks efficiently.

The project aimed to:


• Improve the Information Architecture (IA) to enhance content discoverability.

• Streamline key user pathways, including linking a business, creating an authorisation, and accepting an authorisation.


• Enhance the usability and accessibility of login and help functions.


• Align content with user expectations, reducing jargon and improving clarity.

SITUATION

Setting the Stage

Context & Business Goal

The information site aims to support the platform as it’s being used by business owners, tax professionals, and authorised users, yet users faced multiple pain points in navigating it

• Users struggled to find core functions such as linking a business or logging in.

• Navigation was disjointed, requiring users to click through multiple pages to complete a task.

• Excessive content led to frustration, making it difficult for users to identify relevant information quickly.

• Users lacked confidence in whether they had completed a task correctly.

Problem Statement

Users needed a simpler, more intuitive way to complete key tasks on the platform without having to search through overwhelming amounts of content.

• Navigation issues: Unclear page labels and excessive content made it difficult for users to find relevant pages.

• Login confusion: Users struggled to locate the login button, leading some to abandon tasks altogether.

• Content overload: Lengthy, jargon-heavy pages overwhelmed users and made it difficult to complete tasks.

• Ineffective search functionality: Users expected search results to take them directly to relevant content but were instead directed to top-level pages.

Target Users

• Business Owners & Principal Authorities – Those managing business authorisations.

• Tax Professionals – Accountants and agents assisting clients with the platform.

• Employees & Administrators – Staff who need authorisations for government services.

TASK

My Responsibilities & Objectives

Role & Objectives

As Lead UX/UI Designer was responsible for:

• Revamping the website’s IA to make it more task-oriented and user-friendly.

• Redesigning key content pages to prioritise clarity, reducing content length while maintaining essential information.

• Ensuring usability improvements by refining login visibility, calls to action, and help features.

• Conducting iterative usability testing to validate proposed design improvements.

Constraints & Challenges

• Balancing legal requirements with UX best practices (e.g., ensuring compliance-related content remained accessible while reducing content overload).

• Adapting to existing government design frameworks, which limited major UI customisations.

• Addressing diverse user needs, from tech-savvy accountants to small business owners with minimal digital literacy.

ACTION

The UX/UI and Branding Process

Research & Discovery

Method: Moderated task based sessions with 9 participants

User Testing Insights (Baseline & Round 2 Research):

• 78% of users struggled to locate the correct page to complete a task.

• Nearly all users (7/8) had difficulty finding the login button on the information site.

• 50% of users abandoned their task due to excessive content and lack of clear steps.

• Users expected search results to lead to direct answers, not top-level pages.

Competitor Analysis & Environmental Review:

• Other government platforms provided simplified navigation by structuring IA around user tasks rather than user roles.

• Successful implementations included step-by-step guidance rather than text-heavy explanations.

Ideation & Design

Designing and developing Information Architecture, Wireframes, Low and High Fidelity designs and prototypes in Figma

• Sample Low fidelity prototype - Link a Business pathway

Testing Method: Moderated task based sessions with 6 participants

Key UX/UI Improvements:

• Task-Based Navigation – Shifted from role-based navigation (e.g., “Principal Authority”) to task-based labels (e.g., “Link Your Business”).

• Simplified Login Access – Added clear, persistent CTA buttons on key pages to ensure users could easily access the login page.

• Content Hierarchy Enhancements – Applied the “One Page, One Purpose” principle to break up long pages into focused, scannable sections.

• Step-by-Step Guidance – Converted instructions into concise, numbered steps for improved readability.

• Search Functionality Improvements – Proposed direct

Design Testing & Iteration

Method: Prototype testing using Optimal Workshop with 100 participants

Usability Testing Results:

• Navigation Success Rate Increased from 69% → 89% with the revised task-based IA.

• Login Discovery Rate Improved from 25% → 85%, reducing user frustration.

• Findability of Key Tasks Improved by 40%, reducing reliance on external help.

• Users rated the new content structure as 4.2/5, significantly improving clarity.

Final Wireframe & IA Adjustments:

• Redesigned the Homepage for better content hierarchy​

• Grouped tax resources based on user life stages (New to Tax, Starting a Job, Lodging a Return, etc.)​

• Ensured mobile accessibility using a minimalistic, high-contrast layout​

RESULT 

Measuring the Impact

Impact

• Task-based navigation improved clarity and engagement.

• Content hierarchy enhancements reduced cognitive overload.

• Login placement improvements significantly reduced user confusion and frustration.

Success metrics:

• 89% task success rate after IA redesign.

• 85% increase in users finding the login button easily.

• 40% improvement in task completion speed, reducing the need for support calls.

• Higher engagement with help content, now structured by error message relevance.