Chicago 311 Call Center Project Overview


Project Overview

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Project Overview
• Client: City of Chicago, Department of Innovation &
Technology & Philip Hampton, Director of the 311
Call Center

• Date: Fall 2008-Spring 2009

• Problem: Fix an overloaded call center and improve
interaction between the City and citizens

• Goals: Approach call center problem from a service
design methodology and present a portfolio of
solution concepts

• Methods Used: Design thinking, systems/ platform
strategy, user centered design research

• Advisor: Jeremy Alexis, Institute of Design at Illinois
Institute of Technology

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Team Members

Erica Yamada Yu-Hsin Chiu Shilpa Rao Nai-Hwa Chiang

• Project Lead • Researcher/Strategist • Researcher/Strategist • Strategist
• Researcher/Strategist • Interaction Designer • Spatial Designer • Mobile Designer
• Interaction Designer

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Client Project Environment & Objective
Solve for the following issues using Design
Thinking/Service Design Practices
• Decrease call center volume

• Improve relationships and communication between
the City and residents

• Create additional channels of communication with
residents

• Increase transparency in communication

• Make changes during massive budget cuts

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About The 311 Call Center
Considered the unofficial “face” of the City of
Chicago, the 311 call center operator process/provide:
• All non-emergency service requests from City Residents (e.g.
potholes, lighting outages)

• Service requests from other departments within the city

• Information about city services/departments

• Laws and processes needed to process city requests (e.g.
Childcare, Shelter, Domestic emergencies)

• Information & service requests for O’Hare airport (e.g.
disabilities, terminal info)

• Information about special events and local sports events

• Federal, State, City level departments and contact numbers,
addresses

• A plethora of calls/information to people who dial 311 confusing
it with 411 (Commercial information phone code in US)

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311’s Dilemma
• Started in 1999 to make the 911 call center more
efficient while improving communication between
Citizens and City Government

• The first such call center in the country

• Originally won several awards for innovation in
government

• Call volume increased 300% while operators
remained the same-causing 1/3 of calls to be
dropped

• Other city departments also rely on 311 to process
all service requests-further increasing call volume

• Service request process lack transparency causing
further increased calls

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Original Web Intake
An additional dilemma for the 311 department fell on the low usability of the original
website that could act as a place for Citizens to place service requests online

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Project Process
Over the course of 8 months, our team of 3, followed by one more member,
loosely followed the steps below in conducting our service design project.

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4
CONCEPTS:
RESEARCH: ANALYSIS: SYNTHESIS:
Create prototypes and
Identified Platform Conduct research and Identify themes and
wireframes for web &
of Players and Processes analysis of how all pressure points that
mobile platforms, along
Involved along with players and information build upon analysis and
with service design
industry best practices works together address areas of concern
solutions

Please note:
Our research process tended to overlap steps 2 & 3 as it expanded into usability
and we found ourselves needing more information as we went along.

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Delivered Goods
Through a series of four, hour long presentations (70+ Slides each) to
multiple parties within the Chicago government, we presented and offered
the following items:

RESEARCH: ANALYSIS: SYNTHESIS: CONCEPTS:

• User research • User Journeys, • Service design • Service design
• Operator research Points of Access themes concepts
• Video Recordings • Operator • User Personas/Use • Mobile wireframes
• Usability Studies workflows, Work Cases • Web intake
• Secondary Research experience • Operator stories/ wireframes
documentation • System Maps Use Cases
• Quantitative &

The work that we presented was eventually used as ammunition to get
approval from Mayor Daly to overhaul the city website. Additionally, the
director used our presentation package as grounds to improve
transparency and make improvements to the operations of his call center.

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Research

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Research Overview
Following a service design approach to solving the call’s center dilemma, our group
followed a multi-pronged research plan to comprehend the following players

CHICAGO CITY SERVICES PLATFORM
Players and participants in the requesting and processing of city service and information requests.

USERS OPERATORS: CITY DEPARTMENTS: OTHERS:
• Experiences of City • 311 Call center • City of Chicago • Understanding of
of Chicago Operators and their Service the Alderman’s
residents work experience departments who offices and other
and environment provide information non-profit/religious
documentation to operators and points of reference/
process service services.
requests

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Research Process
In order to understand our users and the system we
were researching, our process included the
following types of research.
• Primary
• Design research of System players

• Secondary
• Academic and industry research

• Usability
• Research about usability of currently available channels of
communication within city departments

The combination of these three channels of research
were ultimately passed through a rigorous analysis
process and lead to our concepts and insights.

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Primary Research: Users

Current User Mindset Current User Experience
On The Street Interviews to Researched by placing calls into
understand preconceptions and mis- Chicago & Other Cities, placing
understandings about 311 call center online service requests and visiting
various points of City/Citizen contact

Research By Numbers
Quantitative analysis of caller
information to get broad
understanding about requests and
the nature of calls to Call center

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Primary Research: Operators
Work Place Research
Photographic studies of work environment
and tools Operators use to process service
requests and provide city information

Primary Interviews Work Flow/Experience Research
One on one interview sessions with seasoned and Multiple operator call session ride alongs (listening
new operators. Learning about work motivations, in and logging calls ) to understand the speed,
daily challenges and attitudes towards work. breadth of requests and trials Operators face daily in
processing calls.

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Research: Secondary

Academic & Industry Research
Researched Major Industry Journals,
Government and Think-tank Studies to
review best practices. Insights from findings
were used to back up Primary research and
empowered the Department of Innovation &
Technology and 311 call center to pursue
Transparency in government communication.

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Research: Usability (Users)

Web Intake Phone Intake
Usability studies of the process of Usability studies of placing service
collecting vital information and placing requests phone calls to 311 call centers
Service Requests online

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Research: Usability (Operators)

Work Flow Research
Study of work environment against
call volume trends, operator shifts
and 311 hours of operation

Task Flow & Work Place Analysis
Study of work space and tools used
to process service requests/
information calls for operators

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Slide Example
Diagram created to
convey the complex
level of information
processed in seconds by
311 operators.

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Analysis

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Categories of Analysis
To continue the service design approach to
solving the call volume issues, we broke our
analysis into the user experience stories
between three key players,
Operators ,Citizens and City departments.
Throughout our presentations, we proceeded
to color code concepts and user stories to
match each bucket

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Analysis: Users
Service Request Maps
Created user stories and service
maps to see how users may call or
contact the City to get information
or place service requests.

Identify Key Users User Stories
Grouping users by Created user stories of
major categories, how users may call or
against type of contact the City to get
information/ information or place
requests placed. service requests.

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Slide Example
Grid created to
understand caller types
and the nature of
requests

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Analysis: Operators

Operator Flow Mapping Operator Mind Mapping
Mapping flow of operator’s role Identifying key concerns and
within processing calls/requests mental states of Operators when
processing calls

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Analysis: Departments

Request Map Flow Department Journey
Mapping the journey of a City department based
service request from user to journey map of processing
operator then department service requests from citizens

Request Matrix
Identifying key questions
asked by departments and
operators to process requests

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Slide Example
Service type matrix mapped
against the most popular
type of requests made to city
departments

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Analysis: Departments

Department Process Map Request Matrix
Mapping flow of service requests once Identifying types of questions asked
operators have input into CSR system by operators/departments in order to
assess “process-ability” of requests

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Analysis: System

Used service blue print in order to identify
systemic problem areas where citizens and Identifying Users & Spaces Where they
city employees they interact within the effect one another
process of processing service requests

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Slide Example
Service design blueprint
created to showcase the
three department and
their involvement in
solving a user’s service
request

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Synthesis

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Synthesis Process
The synthesis process looked at the service from the
point of view of:
• Users
• Providers
• System

Through out the process we used our analysis to
zero in on problem areas and create user stories and
ideas that were woven together to solve the call
center and City of Chicago’s from a service design
point of view. Using several frameworks within 311 Call Center Service
those three areas we identified six common themes Categories of Needs
and created quick concepts aimed towards fixing
issues.

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Slide example
In a exercise that collects
our research and analysis
insights, we mapped
problems and came up
with quick problems that
would address involved
parties within the themes.

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Synthesis: Users
Using design methods
and user journeys to
analyze where
communication & System
needs interconnect

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Slide example
Mapped out User types,
Request types and
Emotional States based
off research

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Slide example
Created user types and
mapped against user
flow while adding
common requests and
mind frames we
witnessed throughout
research

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Slide Example
Mapping user types/states
with service requests and
coming up with
appropriate response
solutions to help 311 call
center operators provide
the best service. Prior to
our involvement
Operators were judged by
their speed, our work
aimed towards accuracy
and better service

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Combining design methods with user
personas in order to create create
communication design concepts

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Slide Example
A cross mapping of user story,
and user type against the
stage of experience and type
of request they would place.

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Concepts

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Concept Process
The concept process bleeds in with our synthesis process can be broken into three areas.
• Service Design/System Concepts
• Web Solutions
• Mobile Solutions
To illustrate the concepts we mapped them against Citizen/Operator/City Department user
stories and further mapped them against the problem themes of:
• Awareness
• Transparency
• Communication
• Automation & Efficient
• Preparation and Motivation.

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Presentation Method: Concept Map
Each concept and journey had
their own cards and we mapped
where they would be effective in
solving the issues through the
main themes. We used the card
method to show there was no
silver bullet to the problem but to
show which concepts coupled be
more effective and how.
Playing card size of concepts also
allowed for easy sharing within
city departments are were
effective tools in presentations.
(Poster size of Concept Map, 5’ x 3’)

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Concepts: User Stories
Creation of concepts for
each user type based on
user journeys for Citizens,
Operators and City
departments (color
coded)
Each of these stories also
had individual playing
cards we color coded and
passed around while
presenting each use case

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Slide Example
User story diagrams helped
to illustrate use cases . Color
coding of concepts was
done to illustrate which
concepts were for Users, 311
Call center operators and
other City departments.

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Concept Card- Examples
An example of concept cards and how they map against concept map

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Concepts-Mobile

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Mobile Prototype Process Of Development
Step One Step Two Step Three Step Four
Review Concept Identify emotional Sketch initial Review initial
Storyboards states of users walkthroughs wireframe

Identify types of Create paper Create new paper
Identify Issues
tasks wireframes wireframes

Identify Identify users and Identify initial user Heuristic evaluation
Potential User Base Mobile devices base for testing of wireframes

Identify Service Create tasks and Usability
Revise wireframes
Requests to focus on scenarios walkthrough testing

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Mobile Process
Step One
Using our initial concept
Review Concept storyboard from initial concepts
Storyboards presented to the client

Identify Issues

Identify
Potential User Base

Identify Service We worked to zoom in on users
Requests to focus on and points of access we wished to
address for mobile prototypes

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Mobile Process
Step Two
Identify emotional
states of users

Identify types of
tasks

Identify users and
Mobile devices
Identiﬁed User’s Emotional State and
Tasks Based off systemic needs and
Create tasks and previous user analysis
scenarios

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Mobile Process
Step Two
Identify emotional
states of users

Identify types of
tasks

Identify users and
Mobile devices

Create tasks and Created representative users and
scenarios applied possible mobile devices to
solve for

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Mobile Process
Step Two
Identify emotional
states of users

Identify types of
tasks

Identify users and
Mobile devices

Create tasks and
scenarios

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Highlights of Screenshots-iPhone

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Highlights of Screenshots-Standard Phone

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Highlights of Screenshots-Push to Talk

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In-Phone Examples In-Phone Examples

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In Phone Example: Push to Talk
Push to talk phones were
connected to IVR systems
to try to automate requests
that came from city
employees/police officers
etc. The straight to IVR
system aimed to help
alleviate call volume
increase to 311 from other
city departments

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In Phone Example: Push to Talk

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In Phone Example, Iphone
Given the actual user
demographics at the
time and the people
who usually contacted
the City of Chicago, the
iphone app was less
relevant to our needs
but we explored how
web intake could be
explored from a web
point of view with our
wireframes.

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In Phone Example, Iphone

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Concepts: Web

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Notes on Web Proto-types:
• There are three separate rounds of conceptual wireframes, each were created under very
short-time frames (3-4 days) under specific demands made by the department of innovation
and technology. These wireframes were often used as “inspiration” and presented to Mayor
Richard Daly as part of the department’s initiative to re-design the city website. As a result
of circumstances, a simple visual design style was applied, creating a polished look.
• Process of Web wireframes was enmeshed with service design process and were designed
more as “potential inspiration” of what the city could create. As a result, the images are
concept rich but light on usability iterations
• Web 2.0 wireframes focused on presenting a “possibility” of how several suggested of
concepts could exist on a web platform. As a result, the content is dense and presented for
studying the possibility of concepts and not exact use cases, ideal web solutions or for
immediate development
• Web 3.0 platform was requested for separate instances where representation of how to
make revisions to specific portions and section of the website. As a result, IA was not deeply
considered within the wireframes.

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Web Prototypes Process Of Development:

Research WEB Round 1 WEB Round 2 WEB Round 3
1.Analyze current 1. Conduct service design Focus further on intake
Review types of info
analysis and Communication with
requested of operators website users

2. Identify users and Identify types of users &
Review current 2.Review current storyboards to ideate communication needs
website offerings intake process concepts

3. Create individual Create tasks and
Assess current User 3.Identify core storyboards for personas
concepts and map as a
Concerns current user needs system

Recommend wireframes for
Review types of 4. Present initial 4. Present big picture intake and communication
service requests IA buckets wireframes of all concepts improvements

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Research

Review current
website offerings
Assess current User
Concerns

Review types of info Review types of
requested of operators service requests

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Web Round 1 Process

Step 1.Analyze Step 2.Review
current website current intake

Step 3.Identify Step 4. Present
core current user initial
IA buckets

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Slide Example

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Slide Example
Based on research and analysis
from call center, information
available on current site and
user analysis initial
recommendations were made
in the wireframes.

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Slide Example
Based on a web workshop we
conducted, we worked to
increase other points of entry
by which users may search for
answers to their questions.

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Slide Example
Based on the type of work the
call center operator naturally
does in her process, we
attempted to offer
recommendations that would
assist citizens identify their
problems faster to improve
intake in the future.

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Slide Example
Using previous design methods for
analysis and user scenarios, we
created new categories and broke
down services in digestible
categories to improve point of entry
to making service requests

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Website Round 2 Process

Step 2. Identify users and
storyboards to ideate
concepts
Step 1. Conduct service
design analysis

Step 4. Present big picture
wireframes of all concepts

Step 3. Create individual
concepts and map as a system

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Service Design Concept Cards
Using the Service Design process and taking a look into front and backstage players. Concepts
for fixing the problems focused not only on citizens but also call center operators and city
departments. The cards presented below represented web solutions aimed to help address
service design needs.

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From Concept to Wireframe:

An Example of concept
to wireframe

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From Concept to Presentation to Wireframe:

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Web Round 3 Process

Step 1: Focus further on
intake and Communication
with users Step 2: Identify types of users
& communication needs

Step 3: Create tasks and Step 4: Recommend wireframes
storyboards for personas for intake and communication
improvements

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Designing for Illiteracy:
Using Microsoft research studies in emerging
markets as a basis, designing options that could
be made available for illiterate users who wish to
make submissions through web or kiosk

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Designing for Transparency:
Working with ways to be more transparent in the
process of fulfilling service requests while
honoring the need to not give all information for
processes that are confidential.

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Improving Request Intake:
Improving intake with the following changes:
1. Show stages of process
2. Ask for service request type first
3. Reduce data entry
4. Allow for users to change request type with
drop down menus
5. Allow for users to return to previous page
6. Provide users with a tracking number

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Project Results

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Implementation Round 1
Using categories that our team had created, the city rolled these categories
out, a change which increased web intake by 30% within the first month

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Empowered by our recommendations and layouts to make progress tracking available,
three months after our original pitch, the center implemented a service request

tracker. Albeit a small feature, political negotiations to disclose this level of
transparency to citizens took our user centered service design presentations along
with considerable secondary research to receive departmental approval.

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7 months into our work with the city, The department of Innovation and Technology
initiated an effort to re-design the city website. Launched in the summer of 2009, many of
our concepts and wireframes were used as initial wireframes for the website.

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Web Future
As of Spring 2010, Service Request
Intake process still lead to the
traditional intake process but as the
city operates on a tight budget,
future revisions are still in progress

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Chicago 311 Call Center Project Overview

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