top of page

US VISA APPLICATION
re-design

Case study

TIMELINE

Sep 2022 - December 2023

ROLE

UX/UI   Designer

INTRODUCTION

As an student who studies abroad in US, I sympathize with those non-immigrants who are having difficulty applying for a US visa.
The visa application is very complicated, poor UX/UI with unclear instructions. Particularly for first-timers.

MY ROLE

I led the design, user testing and development of this project from front to end. I also collaborated with a food photographer and a copy writer throughout the process.

TOOLS USED

PROBLEM

  • The visa application process is incredibly complex, with poor UX/UI and perplexing instructions that may result in an unjust visa rejection.

​

  • Most international students & visitors in Vietnam must pay a travel agency $350 to finish a visa application with a reduced refusal rate, which is both costly and unnecessary.

GOAL

  • Simplify the U.S visa application process.

​

  • Reduce visa rejection by unwanted mistake.

​​

  • Save $350 for visitors.

​​

  • Gain $1000,000,000 or more?

Survey demographic

RESEARCH

  • I conducted 19 user surveys for quantitative data.

​

  • 4 interviews for qualitative data.

​

  • 3 Competitor analysis (Canada, UK, France) visa application

 MORE?

LEARNINGS FROM COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

  • Reduce texts for better visual hierarchy.

 

  • Only use colors when needed.

 

  • Horizontal menu for less space.

 

  • Online payment. 

PAIN POINTS

  • DS-160 ( step 1) is stressful, difficult and poorly documented.

​​

  • DS-160 Time out issue after 20 mins.
     

  • Hard retrieve the unfinished DS-160 form.
     

  • 6 users hired agency.
     

  • No link to payment website (step 2)
     

  • The language used can be more pleasant and less severe.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

  • Various research steps until the DS-160 form can be found.  
     

  • Hard to find the postal offices that handle visa payment and visa submission.
     

  • Re-submit everything from scratch after left it untouched for 20 mins. 
     

  • Easier process of DS-160 form retrieval.
     

  • Difficulty understand what next steps are.
     

  • Clarify instructions to next steps.
    User friendly language.

WHAT’S NEXT?

The redesign is now in the process of prototyping, user testing, and iteration.

​

Final product will be posted in the end of March.

​

Thank you for viewing this project. :)

Gain $1000,000,000 or more?

According to The Economic Impact When International Students Return Back to Campus article.


During the 2020-21 academic school year, international students contributed an estimated $28.4 billion to the U.S. economy through their tuition paid to U.S. institutions as well as through their spending on housing, transportation, dining, and consumer goods while they live in the United States.


By increasing visa approval rates, the US economy will profit greatly from international students.

​

Source

CREATIVE PROCESS

DISCOVERY

  • I had to examine how many stages there are in total for applying for a visa.

​

  • Understand the current user flow/screens.

​

  • Learn how many different types of visa applications are comparable.

After 2 weeks of research, I discovered that the visa application procedure is divided into  3 parts.

Visa application process

CERTAIN US VISAS THAT REQUIRE DS-160

Source

Survey insights

I converted user responses into digital sticker notes and created an affinity map.

Survey was broken down to these following categories.

Difficult & stressful (7/19)

Poorly documented

Through user survey, I discovered that there was no direct link or instruction from the application form to payment & schedule website

Hired travel agency (6/19)

Mental health (1/19)

INTERVIEW INSIGHTS

  • Cognitive overload.

​​

  • Texts are too small.
     

  • Users have to go to local post office to make a payment.

​​

  • Time out issue after 20 mins.

​​

  • Hard to retrieve the unfinished DS-160 form.

​​

  • Once submitted the application, one of the users was stuck.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

  • Canada visa application

​​

  • UK visa application

​​

  • France visa application

​To retrieve application form, users must note their ID number which was poorly highlight.


As a result, one of the users I interviewed with was required to resubmit the form from scratch.

  • Visual hierarchy: Overwhelmed

 

  • UI: Not friendly 

 

  • Duration: 90 mins

 

  • Payment: Local post office/online

 

  • Retrieval: ID number method

USA visa application form

  • Navigation: Vertical menu

​

The disadvantage is that it takes up one-third of the width of the webpage.

UK visa application form

Horizontal navigation, Canada's, is more efficient since it saves space and informs users in   the following stages.

  • Navigation: Horizontal

​​

  • Visual hierarchy: Strong

 

  • UI: Not Friendly 

 

  • Duration: 30 mins

 

  • Payment: Online

 

  • Retrieval: Phone

Canada  visa application form

Intuitive detailed instruction page before application.


Great use of icons and visual heirachy.

  • Navigation: Horizontal

​​

  • Visual hierarchy: Strong

 

  • UI: Not Friendly 

 

  • Duration: 30 mins

 

  • Payment: Online

 

  • Retrieval: Email

In the last step, the future actions page informs visitors of what is left to accomplish. 

 

Includes a clear CTA to the next webpage, which the US application form does not offer.

France  visa application form

  • Navigation: Horizontal

​​

  • Visual hierarchy: Normal

 

  • UI: Basic

 

  • Duration: 30 mins

 

  • Payment: Online

 

  • Retrieval: Online

DIFFERENCES

bottom of page