Form review page discovery

[msbtterswrth]

User Story

As a member of the AEDP team,
I want to conduct an initial discovery and handoff session with the VFF team regarding their new review page work,
So that we can understand their goals, challenges, and research insights to inform our contributions.

Background

The VFF team has been working on a new review page style for VA.gov forms, transitioning away from collapsible accordions to a stacked section layout. This change is aimed at improving usability, accessibility, and cognitive load for users reviewing and editing form responses. AEDP will be supporting this effort by incorporating our past research, design expertise, and aligning the work with VA Design System (VADS) best practices.

VFF team has completed some tasks already.

Key Work To Understand During Handoff:

• Problem Space Definition
  • What usability/accessibility challenges drove this change?
  • What research, analytics, or user feedback informed the decision?
  • How does this new approach compare to existing review pages?
• Technical Considerations
  • How will the new stacked layout impact form navigation and the edit workflow?
  • Are there any backend or frontend constraints we need to consider?
• Accessibility Implications
  • How does this impact focus order and keyboard navigation?
  • How does it handle error states and validation messaging?
• Alignment with Design System & AEDP Work
  • How can we ensure the new pattern aligns with VA Design System guidelines?
  • How does it integrate with existing form patterns (e.g., form review pages, inline edits)?
  • What adjustments might be needed based on our prior research?

Deliverables

• A discovery session with the VFF team to capture goals, challenges, and technical considerations.
• A summary document outlining:
  • Existing research that supports the new review page approach.
  • Gaps or risks that require further validation.
  • Recommendations for accessibility, navigation, and edit workflows.
• Alignment on next steps, including AEDP’s role in refining or building the new approach.

Acceptance Criteria

• A meeting has been conducted with the VFF team to gather context on the new review page approach.
• Notes and findings are documented, highlighting key insights and potential design or accessibility concerns.
• Next steps are defined, including follow-up research, testing, or design iterations.

Constraints & Considerations

• This work should build on rather than duplicate past research findings.
• AEDP will not be responsible for direct validation of this pattern but will support design refinements and best practices.
• If major accessibility concerns arise, we may need to recommend additional user testing.

Review Needed By:

• Engineering Team
• Product Manager
• VA.gov Forms Stakeholders

Definition of Done:

• Documentation has been updated with findings.
• Acceptance Criteria are met.
• Reviewers have approved.

[msbtterswrth]

Meeting with Jeana and crew this week to review/handoff this week.