Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) was struggling with one of their users’ most fundamental tasks: paying for their water. Our research found that paying a bill was both the most common user task and the task with the lowest success and satisfaction ratings. PWSA also wanted their site to better reflect their updated branding and communication styles and engage visitors while providing the essential information they needed. 

A clean aesthetic and a clear user flow 

We created a new, streamlined payment interface for PWSA that, like all of their site, is fully responsive to support payment via mobile device or tablet. We also used a content-forward approach to reorganize and reassess PWSA's content, making the user experience more intuitive. We then layered in the best practices of user-centered design to create a beautiful new look and feel for the site. The fresh, modern aesthetic makes it easier to engage users and create pages that feel as crisp and cool as a tall glass of water. 

Success factors

• User-centered information architecture 
• Fully responsive design and functionality 
• Redesigned and streamlined payment interface
• Clean design to support ease of navigation
• Comprehensive style guide aligned with brand standards

Innovation in action: Upgraded outage updates

No one wants to be surprised when they turn on the tap and nothing comes out. We helped PWSA create revamped tools for communicating active and upcoming outages and for tracking water service projects across the area. The ability to incorporate ArcGIS maps, translate content with a couple of clicks, and easily publish real-time updates made these tools much more valuable to PWSA staff and Pittsburgh residents.