Neil WilliamProduct Manager, GOV.UK Government Digital ServiceCabinet Office@neillyneil

GOV.UK, user needs and communicating at scale

1. GOV.UK

@neillyneil GDS

1. GOV.UK2. User needs

@neillyneil GDS

1. GOV.UK2. User needs3. Communicating at scale

@neillyneil GDS

1. GOV.UK

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

1. GOV.UK2. User needs

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

As a __________________

I need to ______________

So that ________________

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

43rd most

visited site by

UK web

users

6.5m visitors a week

www.gov.uk/performance

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

How government worksWhat government is doingHow to get involved

@neillyneil GDS

1.5m visitors a week

www.gov.uk/performance

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

Departments and policy

70,000 published pages

1,000 publishers*

145 new/updated pages per day

@neillyneil GDS

* and thousands more joining soon

Subject + format

= user need

@neillyneil GDS

As a user interested in government activity relating to [policy/topic/organisation X]I need to read relevant ministerial speeches, So that I know the latest position and can see what’s been issued as public record

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

No such thing as a ‘general page’ on GOV.UK

45,000 content items migrated 92,000 content items archived

@neillyneil GDS

1. GOV.UK2. User needs3. Communicating at scale

@neillyneil GDS

1. Collaboration2. Notification

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

“What is the government’s policy on Afghanistan?”

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

1. Collaboration2. Notification

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

As a user interested in government activity relating to [policy/topic/organisation X], I need to get emails notifying me about new or updated content relevant to my interests, So that I don’t have to keep checking the website

@neillyneil GDS

Interest in a whole organisation

@neillyneil GDS

Interest in a whole topic

@neillyneil GDS

Interest in a specific policy

@neillyneil GDS

Interest in a specific combination of format, topic and organisation

@neillyneil GDS

All consultations

@neillyneil GDS

All consultations from Home Office

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

All consultations about borders and immigration from Home Office

@neillyneil GDS

All consultations about borders and immigration from Home Office relevant to local authorities

@neillyneil GDS

Country specific travel advice(eg 16 alerts sent about Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan)

@neillyneil GDS

7,415 topic lists250,000 subscribers(>2m subscriptions)

20-30m messages/month6th top referrer to GOV.UK

@neillyneil GDS

15% immediate

85% weekly or daily digest

@neillyneil GDS

How do we know if we’re meeting users’ needs?

@neillyneil GDS

As a user interested in government activity relating to [policy/topic/organisation X], I need to get emails notifying me about new or updated content relevant to my interests, So that I don’t have to keep checking the website

@neillyneil GDS

We care less about:

(that‘s a government need, not a user need)

@neillyneil GDS

Email is not dead

....it’s just very annoying

@neillyneil GDS

...so our aim is to provide a useful service, by

helping the people who want email alerts to get Exactly the emails they need and no more

Future plans:

•Measure and iterate

•Better designs for email output

•Transitioning more subscribers

•Better UI for subscription management

•Even more specific (because people’s interests are unique)

@neillyneil GDS

@neillyneil GDS

User needs + collaboration + notification

= better signal to noise

ratio

@neillyneil GDS

insidegovuk.blog.gov.uk

Neil WilliamsProduct Manager, GOV.UK Government Digital Service@neillyneil