Practitioners’ Perceptions on Human-Centered Design Techniques in Digital Government Development

Abstract

This paper focuses on the application of Human-Centered Design (HCD) techniques to enhance the agile requirements engineering process within the context of Brazilian Digital Government. Providing a public experience that prioritizes digital platforms represents a significant opportunity to improve citizens’ quality of life by facilitating access to information and services. Our analysis is based on a case study conducted in a large Brazilian public company, where a survey was applied to assess the use of HCD techniques such as prototyping, usability testing, Design Thinking, personas, user journey mapping, UX Writing, and Plain Language. The survey results highlighted prototyping as the most widely used technique. There was a high perceived value for usability testing; however, barriers to its broader implementation may exist. Techniques such as persona creation, user journey mapping, and Design Thinking showed moderate usage, while UX Writing and Plain Language had low adoption rates. The adoption of these techniques may vary depending on team roles. Factors such as age group, role accumulation, and time within the company influence their application. The findings reinforce the need to expand HCD training, especially for underutilized techniques, to maximize their benefits within the agile requirements engineering process. This effort can contribute to improving project efficiency and enhancing the quality of digital services in the governmental context.