Role:
Lead UX & UI Designer
Platform:
Responsive Web Design (desktop, tablet and mobile)
Overview
The Hacienda Portal is Puerto Rico’s official digital gateway for tax compliance, filings, forms, payments, and corporate documentation. In 2013, the portal was outdated, difficult to navigate, and inaccessible for many users—particularly those relying on mobile devices, assistive tools, or clear guidance to complete high-stakes tasks.
As Lead UX & UI Designer, I was responsible for redesigning the full end-to-end experience: information architecture, interaction design, accessibility, UI system, and engineering hand-off.
Problem
Before redesign, users struggled to complete basic tasks:
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Confusing navigation buried essential forms
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Dense text overloaded with legal jargon
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No mobile-friendly or responsive experience
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Inconsistent visuals that reduced trust
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Accessibility gaps made critical tasks unusable for many citizens
- No functional search
For a government portal serving every person and business on the island, this friction created barriers to compliance and access.
Discovery & Strategy
Through interviews, analytics review, and workflow mapping, we defined three transformation goals:
1. Task-Driven Navigation
We redesigned navigation around the most common actions:
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File taxes
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Pay taxes
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Access official documents
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View deadlines and notices
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Get help
This streamlined the experience and cut task-finding time dramatically.
Clear Information Architecture
We restructured the site using:
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Step-by-step breakdowns of complex processes
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Progressive disclosure for lengthy legal details
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Clean labeling and action-oriented CTAs
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Simplified form names and descriptions
The result was a portal people could actually understand, regardless of tax familiarity.
A core focus of the redesign was ensuring the portal could serve every citizen, regardless of ability. We conducted a comprehensive review of WCAG 2.0 AA and integrated accessibility considerations into every design decision. This meant establishing proper color and contrast ratios, choosing palettes that supported users with low vision or color blindness, and enforcing readable typography with adequate spacing and a clear hierarchy optimized for screen readers. We improved interactive elements by designing large, well-defined tap targets, predictable button patterns, and strong focus states to support full keyboard navigation.
Structurally, we implemented descriptive headings, complete alt text across all icons and images, and fully accessible form labels, instructions, and error messages. These updates helped bring the Hacienda portal in line with modern accessibility standards and eliminated many of the barriers that previously prevented thousands of users from successfully completing essential legal and financial tasks online.
Impact
Internal evaluations reported:
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More users successfully completing tasks end-to-end
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Reduced call-center inquiries for simple actions
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Higher satisfaction scores in usability testing
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Improved trust perception due to clearer visual hierarchy
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Better task orientation among small businesses and accountants
But the most meaningful outcome:
The new portal became accessible to a wider population — supporting users who previously struggled due to poor contrast, confusing structure, or non-mobile layouts.
The work ensured the platform served every citizen, not just the digitally confident ones.