How the page feedback tool works: Canada.ca design system

On this page

• Why collect user feedback
• Feedback tool design
• Protecting personal information

Why collect user feedback

The primary purpose of collecting feedback is to use it as a research tool to improve content.

Client feedback is a critical input into ensuring that services meet the needs of clients and to support continual improvement.

Source: Guideline on Service and Digital

First person feedback captured “in the moment” of failure gives us a lens into the issues affecting a page of content, task or service.

Combining feedback insights with other quantitative data is an important step towards building a service culture that is human-centred and evidence-driven to continuously improve our services in a timely manner for Canadians.

Feedback tool design

The feedback tool is an optional pattern. It can be added to the bottom of a content page after the page content and before the date modified. It replaces the “Report a problem” pattern while actively collecting user feedback.

The feedback tool invites visitors to:

• indicate if they found what they were looking for (yes / no)
• offer their feedback describing the problem

Image of the Canada.ca footer with the feedback tool

Image description: Initial view of the feedback tool

On page load, the feedback is located at the bottom of the web page above the date modified. A small gray well includes the prompt “Did you find what you were looking for?” followed by buttons for “Yes” and “No”.

Image description: Default view after selecting "No"

After interacting with the “No” button in, a text entry screen will replace the prompt. There is a heading for “Please provide more details” followed by instructions to not include personal information: “You will not receive a reply. Don’t include personal information (telephone, email, SIN financial, medical, or work details. Maximum 300 characters.” There is a small text entry box followed by a button for “Submit”.

Image description: Optional view after selecting "No" with contact option

After interacting with the “No” button, a text entry screen will replace the prompt.

In the contact option, there is an expand/collapse pattern with the header “Need urgent help with a problem? Contact us”. When the expand/collapse pattern is opened, there is a customizable link to contact the service.

After the expand/collapse pattern, there is a heading for “Please provide more details” followed by instructions to not include personal information: “You will not receive a reply. Don’t include personal information (telephone, email, SIN financial, medical, or work details. Maximum 300 characters.” There is a small text entry box followed by a button for “Submit”.

Image description: View after selecting "Yes" or after submitting feedback

When users select “Yes” from the initial prompt or after submitting their feedback, a thank you message is displayed. There is a green checkmark icon followed by the heading “Thank you for your feedback”

Protecting personal information

Filters are in place to remove these common types of personal information and profanity if submitted:

• phone numbers
• email addresses
• social insurance numbers
• passport numbers
• postal codes
• curse words

When personal information is automatically scrubbed, it is replaced with hashtags (###).

When profane words are removed, they are replaced with asterisks (***).