Toronto eFun
Improving browsing and findability for programs on the City of Toronto's legacy recreation registration platform, eFun.
Table of Contents
Overview
The eFun platform hadn't been meaningfully updated since 1999. Users described it as looking like "it belonged on an old boxy desktop computer." Despite this, it handles an enormous volume of registrations for Parks, Forestry & Recreation programs across Toronto.
Of registrations happen within the first hour of availability
Of total registrations are for children and youth programs
Last major platform update
Research
I conducted 10 moderated usability tests, giving participants a task: find a swimming program for a 10-year-old. Two major failure themes emerged:
- Participants couldn't find the program they were looking for
- Participants didn't know what they were looking for — the categories were confusing
The filters panel was the biggest pain point. It was cluttered, inconsistently labelled, and buried options that users needed most.
Ideation
I focused redesign efforts on the search and filter experience, as that was where users dropped off. Explorations included:
- A faceted search system with progressive disclosure
- Category-first browsing with visual hierarchy for age groups
- A persistent filter panel with live result counts
Refining
After initial concepts, I ran a second round of usability tests. The redesigned filters panel was significantly easier to use — users completed the task faster and with fewer errors.
Proposed Design
The final design features a restructured filters panel with clear category labels, an age-group selector as a primary filter, and a "currently available" toggle prominently placed. Program cards show key information at a glance — program name, age range, location, and next available date.
Next Steps
- Integrate the redesign with the global experience (drop-in reservations, facility bookings)
- Explore the admin experience — staff who create and manage listings face usability challenges too
- Implement a "See Also" feature, inspired by a 2017 initiative that achieved a 14.4% enrollment increase
Reflection
This project taught me the value of scoping tightly. Six months on a legacy platform could go in many directions — staying focused on the core findability problem meant I could actually finish and validate a solution.
Working with a city government context also showed me how institutional constraints (technical debt, procurement processes, accessibility requirements) shape what's possible in a redesign.