VA Chatbot
Reducing call center strain through improved chatbot experiences.
The VA was looking for ways to reduce call center strain and guide more users towards utilizing the chatbot readily available on VA.gov.
Client
Department of Veterans Affairs
Services
UX Design UX Research Project Management
Industries
Government IT Services
Date
November 2022 - October 2023
Roles and Responsibilities
As the UX Designer on this project, I was responsible for leading the end-to-end designs while also contributing heavily to research and strategy. My work included:
Design Leadership: Created interactive prototypes for both the AI-powered conversational chatbot and the guided flow version, ensuring each aligned with VA’s accessibility and compliance requirements.
User Research: Conducted multiple interviews and usability testing sessions with Veterans to understand their comfort with chatbots, accessibility needs, and trust barriers.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Partnered with VA leadership and subject matter experts to validate assumptions, gather requirements, and ensure solutions aligned with organizational goals.
Research Planning: Developed participant screeners and facilitation guides for user sessions, and coordinated logistics for participant recruitment and feedback.
Synthesis & Insights: Analyzed testing results, identified usability patterns, and distilled findings into actionable recommendations that directly influenced which design approach the VA prioritized.
Presentation & Alignment: Presented research insights, design concepts, and recommendations to VA stakeholders to secure buy-in and guide the roadmap for future chatbot development.
Roles and Responsibilities
As the UX Designer on this project, I was responsible for leading the end-to-end designs while also contributing heavily to research and strategy. My work included:
Design Leadership: Created interactive prototypes for both the AI-powered conversational chatbot and the guided flow version, ensuring each aligned with VA’s accessibility and compliance requirements.
User Research: Conducted multiple interviews and usability testing sessions with Veterans to understand their comfort with chatbots, accessibility needs, and trust barriers.
Stakeholder Collaboration: Partnered with VA leadership and subject matter experts to validate assumptions, gather requirements, and ensure solutions aligned with organizational goals.
Research Planning: Developed participant screeners and facilitation guides for user sessions, and coordinated logistics for participant recruitment and feedback.
Synthesis & Insights: Analyzed testing results, identified usability patterns, and distilled findings into actionable recommendations that directly influenced which design approach the VA prioritized.
Presentation & Alignment: Presented research insights, design concepts, and recommendations to VA stakeholders to secure buy-in and guide the roadmap for future chatbot development.
Business Goals
The Department of Veterans Affairs identified a key challenge: Veterans were being asked to navigate a maze of disconnected websites and digital tools. Information was scattered across multiple portals, and many Veterans reported getting lost in the sea of links and pages when trying to complete even basic tasks.
The VA’s business goals for the chatbot project were to:
Consolidate digital experiences by retiring redundant websites and tools, and centralizing functionality within the chatbot.
Enable Veterans to take direct action through the chatbot, such as submitting support tickets, escalating claims, reviewing claim status, speaking with a live agent, or refilling prescriptions.
Improve information access by making answers easier to find and reducing the need to call VA support lines.
Gauge Veteran response to tool consolidation, understanding both opportunities and concerns as familiar services were migrated into the chatbot.
Encourage adoption of the chatbot by ensuring it was seen as a trustworthy, accessible, and time-saving tool.
By meeting these goals, the VA aimed to reduce call center strain, simplify digital navigation, and deliver a more seamless self-service experience for Veterans.
Business Goals
The Department of Veterans Affairs identified a key challenge: Veterans were being asked to navigate a maze of disconnected websites and digital tools. Information was scattered across multiple portals, and many Veterans reported getting lost in the sea of links and pages when trying to complete even basic tasks.
The VA’s business goals for the chatbot project were to:
Consolidate digital experiences by retiring redundant websites and tools, and centralizing functionality within the chatbot.
Enable Veterans to take direct action through the chatbot, such as submitting support tickets, escalating claims, reviewing claim status, speaking with a live agent, or refilling prescriptions.
Improve information access by making answers easier to find and reducing the need to call VA support lines.
Gauge Veteran response to tool consolidation, understanding both opportunities and concerns as familiar services were migrated into the chatbot.
Encourage adoption of the chatbot by ensuring it was seen as a trustworthy, accessible, and time-saving tool.
By meeting these goals, the VA aimed to reduce call center strain, simplify digital navigation, and deliver a more seamless self-service experience for Veterans.
Research
To understand how Veterans felt about chatbots and how they might fit into the VA experience, we conducted eight structured interviews with Veterans across a range of backgrounds. These conversations focused on their experiences with the PACT Act, how they currently use VA tools, and their perspectives on accessibility, trust, and AI-driven support.
What we heard was consistent and telling:
Most Veterans had used chatbots before, and nearly all described the experience as frustrating and ineffective. They recounted situations where they tried to resolve an issue online but ultimately ended up calling the VA anyway, which left them skeptical of whether a new chatbot could actually help.
“Every chatbot I’ve tried just gives me links. I still end up on the phone.” — Veteran, 61
When we asked what would make a chatbot useful, the answer was clear: it had to go beyond answering questions and allow them to take action directly in the conversation. Veterans wanted the ability to submit tickets, check the status of claims, refill prescriptions, or escalate to a live agent without switching channels.
“If it could let me refill my meds or talk to someone right away, I’d use it.” — Veteran, 48
Trust emerged as a central theme. Veterans said they would only feel confident using a chatbot if it was transparent about what it could and couldn’t do, and if it provided seamless escalation to a human when needed.
This research gave us a clear direction: focus on designing a chatbot that isn’t just an FAQ tool, but a gateway to meaningful action and trusted support.
Research
To understand how Veterans felt about chatbots and how they might fit into the VA experience, we conducted eight structured interviews with Veterans across a range of backgrounds. These conversations focused on their experiences with the PACT Act, how they currently use VA tools, and their perspectives on accessibility, trust, and AI-driven support.
What we heard was consistent and telling:
Most Veterans had used chatbots before, and nearly all described the experience as frustrating and ineffective. They recounted situations where they tried to resolve an issue online but ultimately ended up calling the VA anyway, which left them skeptical of whether a new chatbot could actually help.
“Every chatbot I’ve tried just gives me links. I still end up on the phone.” — Veteran, 61
When we asked what would make a chatbot useful, the answer was clear: it had to go beyond answering questions and allow them to take action directly in the conversation. Veterans wanted the ability to submit tickets, check the status of claims, refill prescriptions, or escalate to a live agent without switching channels.
“If it could let me refill my meds or talk to someone right away, I’d use it.” — Veteran, 48
Trust emerged as a central theme. Veterans said they would only feel confident using a chatbot if it was transparent about what it could and couldn’t do, and if it provided seamless escalation to a human when needed.
This research gave us a clear direction: focus on designing a chatbot that isn’t just an FAQ tool, but a gateway to meaningful action and trusted support.
Research Mural
Ticket Submission
Research Mural
Ticket Submission
Conclusion
In usability testing, 7 out of 7 veterans preferred our advanced chatbot over the existing VA tool. Veterans also completed tasks 35% faster with the prototype, citing clearer guidance and the ability to take meaningful action. We packaged these findings and design recommendations into a presentation for VA stakeholders, who strongly endorsed the solution as a key step toward reducing call-center strain and improving the digital experience for veterans.
Conclusion
In usability testing, 7 out of 7 veterans preferred our advanced chatbot over the existing VA tool. Veterans also completed tasks 35% faster with the prototype, citing clearer guidance and the ability to take meaningful action. We packaged these findings and design recommendations into a presentation for VA stakeholders, who strongly endorsed the solution as a key step toward reducing call-center strain and improving the digital experience for veterans.