Leisa ReicheltHead of User Research, Government Digital Service
GDS
GDS@leisa
Government Digital Service‘revolution not evolution’October 2010
@leisa
GDS
25 of the most important transactions in government
GDS
good design where you least expect it
You need support from the big cheese
@liammaxYou’ll need some big sticks
Spend controls Service assessments
GDS
www.gov.uk/service-manual/digital-by-default
support from the top
controls that encourage good design practice
3 things you can do starting tomorrow.
GDS
Show don’t tell
GDS
Making the thing makes the impossible seem possible.Making the thing makes scary things feel exciting and achievable.
@leisa
Talking about design* is like dancing about architecture
*before you do it
You can now build working software in less time than it takes to have the meeting to describe it - Simon Willison
GDS
Ask for action*
*be very specific
Ask for things that are harder to say no to.
Simplify. Be precise.
GDShttp://www.disambiguity.com/death-to-it-depends/
‘do user research in every sprint’
5 people in a lab for one on one interview + usability
‘have a researcher embedded in the team at least 3 days a week’
‘get your exposure hours: 2hrs / 6wks’
http://www.uie.com/articles/user_exposure_hours/
What action could you be asking for?
GDS
Communicate better
‘told you so’ is an anti-pattern
userresearch.blog.gov.uk
‘We’ve discovered that our user researchers are actually researching about 30% of their time.’
GDS@leisa
the walls should talk about users
https://userresearchmethods.hackpad.com
Language is the medium through which culture is enacted – Gill Ereaut
https://www.gov.uk/designprinciples
LeisaUser Research
BenDesign
User Centred Design
you can’t interface away bad policy
User experience is the responsibility of the entire team
The words you use tell you what you care about.
GDS
Show don’t tell Ask for action Communicate better
design for government
thank you.
userresearch.blog.gov.uk @leisa