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Streamlining Payment Plan Management
Internal Revenue Service OLA

Taxpayers managing payment plans through their IRS Online Account were required to navigate to a separate legacy system, creating a fragmented and error-prone experience. This project focused on integrating payment plan management into the Online Account, simplifying complex workflows, reducing friction, and improving clarity and accessibility while maintaining federal design and Section 508 standards.




CONSTRAINTS & CONSIDERATIONS




UNDERSTANDING THE PROBLEM  

  • Lack of clear visual hierarchy and structure, elements competing for attention, making it difficult for users to identify critical actions in a high-stakes financial workflow.
  • Accessibility gaps, including unclear labeling, insufficient visual hierarchy, and reliance on layout patterns that could be difficult for assistive technologies to interpret.
  • Poor form design and unclear instructions, leading to confusion and unnecessary re-entry of sensitive information.
  • Fragmented navigation between systems (OLA → OPA), increasing cognitive load and risk of user error

Before (OPA)
After (OLA)




IA & EARLY DESIGN EXPLORATION


To reduce fragmentation and improve clarity, we restructured the flow to keep users within OLA and guide them through a simplified step based experience.
Wireflows demonstrating early iterations exploring form flow and structure.


ACCESSIBILITY (SECTION 508)




  • Designing with clear labels and instructions to support screen reader users
  • Improving visual hierarchy and spacing to enhance readability and comprehension
  • Designing form inputs and error states to be clear, consistent, and accessible
  • Supporting keyboard navigation and focus states for key interactions


SOLUTION
Consolidating the experience within OLA to eliminate unnecessary system switching.
Improving form structure and guidance, reducing user confusion and error risk.
Standardizing components and patterns, aligning with federal design and accessibility standards.
Establishing clear visual hierarchy, helping users focus on key actions.


FINAL DESIGN
Simplifying Payment Navigation
Guiding Users Through Plan Revisions
Creating Clarity Before Submission
Providing clear confirmation and next steps