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

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

The Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) programme is a global initiative funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and implemented worldwide by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in about 100 locations annually.

The O-Canada (“Orientation-Canada”) Mobile Application is a learning tool for refugees who resettle to Canada under programmes of the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The App was developed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) programme. The App 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. It 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, and in the other language versions in November 2022.

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

To support IOM to improve the user experiences (UX) of the O-Canada Mobile Application, 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 in-person in Ethiopia, Kenya, Lebanon and Tajikistan, and remote with people in various locations.

The key findings from the usability testing lead to design recommendations – both of which support IOM to improve the user experience of the O-Canada Mobile App, and increase the user base for the App.