Original Language
English
ISBN (PDF)
978-92-9268-630-7
Number of Pages
27
Reference Number
PUB2023/011/L
Date of Publication

25 Jan 2024

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The O-Canada Mobile App: Recommendations on how to make a good user experience even better

Also available in:
French

For more information about the programme, please visit the COA web page.

The COA programme is a global initiative funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and implemented worldwide by IOM in about 100 locations annually.

The O-Canada (Orientation-Canada) mobile application is a learning tool for refugees who have resettled in Canada under programmes of IRCC. The app was developed by IOM and its COA programme. It reinforces the work of COA and is available in eight languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Dari, Kiswahili, Somali and Tigrinya) for iOS and Android devices. O-Canada also works offline, which is especially useful for people with little or inconsistent Internet or data connectivity. The app was launched in English in June 2021, then in the other languages in November 2022.

O-Canada provides relevant, accurate and timely information to refugees, helping them make informed decisions and overcome challenges to integration in Canada.

To support IOM in improving the user experience (UX) of O-Canada, CLEAR Global conducted usability testing. The app was tested in five languages (Arabic, Dari, Kiswahili, Somali and Tigrinya) from January to February 2023. A total of 52 refugees participated. The testing methodology was implemented in person in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon and Tajikistan, and remotely for other people in various locations.

The key findings from the usability testing led to design recommendations – both of which support IOM in improving the user experience of the O-Canada mobile app and help increase its user base.

  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • METHODOLOGY
    • Recruitment of participants
    • Usability testing
    • Focus group discussions with COA facilitators 
    • Limitations
  • KEY RECOMMENDATION 1: IMPROVE MULTILINGUAL CONTENT 
    • 1.1 Support language preferences 
    • 1.2 Fix terminology, translation and other linguistic errors
  • KEY RECOMMENDATION 2: MAKE KEY FEATURES CLEARER, MORE VISIBLE AND INTUITIVE
    • 2.1 Fix minor problems with gamification aspects to improve already popular features
    • 2.2 Improve the onboarding and Quick Tour to help users avoid confusion
    • 2.3 Make it easier to find the exciting features 
  • KEY RECOMMENDATION 3: IMPROVE THE USER JOURNEY 
    • 3.1 Make download speed faster and fix technical errors
    • 3.2 Make navigation more intuitive
    • 3.3 Improve usability for smaller screens
  • KEY RECOMMENDATION 4: IMPROVE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE DESIGN FEATURES 
    • 4.1 Make the design more user-friendly for people with disabilities and low literacy levels, and for people who are unfamiliar with apps
  • CONCLUSIONS
  • APPENDIX 1: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR APP DESIGN FOR A DIVERSE USER BASE
  • APPENDIX 2: ACCESSIBILITY CHECKLIST
  • REFERENCES