A Passport Service That Cuts Waiting Time and Uncertainty for Applicants and Unlocks New Revenue
Project Overview
Client:
Nigerian Immigration Service (Pro-Bono)
Timeline:
2024
Role:
Service Designer
(User Research, Stakeholder Interviews & Workshop, Value Proposition & Business Modeling, Blueprinting, Service Prototyping & Testing)
Objective:
To redesign the passport application journey into a seamless, transparent, and user-centered experience that reduces delays, builds trust, and introduces efficient service tiers.
Challenge
Passport applicants are trapped in a frustrating service cycle that often leads to repeated visits, stressful queues, and anxiety.
Research
To understand the root causes of repeated visits and user struggle, I immersed myself in the applicant's world through ethnographic service safaris at passport office, direct observation of processes, digital service walkthrough and semi-structured interviews with applicants and staff. This revealed a system working against its users.
Key Finding:
Mismatched or missing documents often leads to repeated verification visits.
Unpredictable staff batching creates stressful queues despite booked appointments.
Technical server downtime is causing repeated visits for biometric capturing.
Poor process tracking & notification status left users anxious and in the dark.
High demand for faster service, met by an unreliable unofficial fast-track.
These weren't isolated issues, but interconnected failures creating a cycle of mistrust.
Journey Map:
The "As-Is" Journey Map visualizes the broken official service process, characterized by document issues, unpredictable queues, and poor tracking that erode trust and creates the desperation which fuels an unfair shadow market for fast-tracking.
​Design Process
The research made it clear the solution needed to be systemic. I facilitated co-creation workshops by asking "How Might We ensure a passport applicant can complete their entire journey in one predictable visit, eliminating the stress of repeated trips and unexpected delays?" to reframe the challenge, leading to three core concepts:
We mapped these concepts onto a new Value Proposition Canvas and developed separate Business Model Canvases to ensure each was not only desirable but also viable, proving the service could be both user-centered and sustainable.
Prototyping and Iteration
I built a low-fidelity 'Wizard of Oz' prototype, using Business Origami to model service interactions, to test the service logic. This hands-on process was crucial for refinement, leading to key iterations before user testing:
Improving the User Journey:
Moved the document checklist earlier to prevent wasted effort.
Shifted OCR verification before payment to eliminate refunds and frustration.
Moved scheduling (with the priority option) before payment for a clear, one-stage process.
Adding Key Features:
Added a rebook option to tackle a critical trust-breaking pain point.
Integrated the tracking page into the main portal moving it from the courier page for convenience.
Optimizing Operations:
Reduced staff redundancy between production and courier with automated system-to-system pickup notifications.
Utilized production technology to optimize staff interactions.
These iterations created a robust, efficient service blueprint ready for user validation.
​Testing and Feedback
Testing the refined prototype with six (6) users provided crucial feedback that was directly incorporated into the final service blueprint.
Finding: Users were confused about the next steps after generating their application ID and completing the biometric capture.
Iteration: We added clearer, automated notifications and on-screen instructions to seamlessly guide users through these transitions.
Finding: Presenting the priority scheduling option before payment was more effective, allowing users to understand its value upfront.
Iteration: We adjusted the journey flow so scheduling occurs before the single, consolidated payment, creating a more logical and transparent choice.
These refinements made the final design more intuitive and trustworthy, fully aligning the service with user expectations.
​Outcome
A proven prototype for an integrated passport service system that includes:
A pre-validated online portal with OCR verification and scheduling.
An integrated biometric vending machine for a queue-free, one-visit capture.
A real-time tracking dashboard with secure, ID-verified courier delivery.
A new, official priority scheduling revenue stream.
​Impact
The project demonstrated a viable pathway to restoring public trust, eliminating costly and frustrating repeat visits for applicants, and creating operational efficiencies for the service provider.
User Feedback
​Reflection
The project shows that lasting service redesign requires connecting front-stage user empathy with back-stage operational logic. The most profound improvements often come from designing the connections between touchpoints, not just the touchpoints themselves. For the furture, the next step would be to develop a high-fidelity prototype of the digital portal and run a larger-scale pilot test with the Nigerian Immigration Service to gather quantitative data on efficiency gains.