The Change We Need Needs IXD:

Designing Gov 2.0 that’s Inclusive

Kate Walser @kwalser

February 2010

#gov20 #ixd10

Citizen as Partner

Citizens- Millions

- Want things now

- Want a voice

- Different demographics Languages, education, technology, etc.

Transparency

bust open the data... APIs...access government records... FOIA... knowledge

is power

Sonal ShahOffice of Social Innovation

and Civic Participation

Gov 2.0 that’s Inclusive

Design the Conversation

Hi!

How’s it going?

Good. You?

Good. Wondering how much snow I’ll be shoveling back in DC

A Conversation

The government wants your

ideas.

Great! How about solar

panel credits for small business?

What beautiful

snow!

Not A Conversation

Not A Conversation

1. TalkYou speak a common language

Will citizens know what XML, KML / KMZ are?Most session attendees did not.

TurboTax uses familiar words, reinforces with icons

http://outsideindc.com/stumblesafely/night

StumbleSafely presents data via a graph and imagesA conversation about neighborhood safety

Talk

- Use plain language

- Pick words people will understand

- Show with images

2. FocusYou make your point, quickly

1. Talk

Which site would you choose?

getfoodstamps.netfns.usda.gov/FSP

Two results for “food stamps”

mint.com

Quickly conveys “we can help you with money”

Focus- Make it easy to access products, services

- Pick words that reinforce purpose

- Hide the other things

3. EngageYou get their interest & you listen

1. Talk2. Focus

summitonthesummit.com

Grabs you from the first momentWhy do these 15 people look cold and want water?

Provides interest and intrigue - loading mountain?

Engages by providing updates about climbers, vitals, and great ways to think about donating (1 cent = 1 liter of clean water)

Engages with simple ways to get involved

We’re listening - “top 5 actions based on comments posted...”

Engage- Make a connection

- Give updates

- Provide ways to get involved

- Make it interesting and intriguing

- Let them know you’re listening

4. SupportYou help them

1. Talk2. Focus3. Engage

There’s more than one?

Way too hard - not enough work done in background toaggregate Apple Computer, Inc. data

If you misspell, Google makes a good guess and offers alternative suggestions - “here’s what we found, but did you mean this?”

Support by providing voice search and then guessing what you’d want via a mobile device - “want me to call them? do you need directions?”

Support- Think about what’s needed

- Offer suggestions

- Keep the conversation going

5. AdaptYou find ways to get together

1. Talk2. Focus3. Engage4. Support

youtube.com/citizentube

Great start at conversation... what about people who can’t access Internet or YouTube in time?

mosio.com

More ways to have conversation - text in a question, get an answer / response

SCAD Service Design - http://servd.us

What if we had kiosks in places like the Dept. of Motor Vehicles? Get involved while you’re stuck there.

Realizing lower-income patients must choose between spending the day to get to a doctor or spending the day cashing a check, getting groceries, this clinic was set up in a shopping strip with a bank and grocer. Patients can take a pager with them to do errands rather than sit in the waiting room.

Adapt

- Create citizen personasrural, non-techie, lower reading level, non-native English speaker

- Remove barriersphysical, cultural, language, technology

- Offer access when, where it’s needed

Design the Conversation

1. Talk2. Focus3. Engage4. Support5. Adapt

Thank you!

kate (at) cxinsights (DOT) comtwitter: @kwalser

Additional Resources

- PlainLanguage.govhttp://www.plainlanguage.gov

- Section 508http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/

- World Wide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Initiativehttp://www.w3.org/wai

- “Government Data and the Invisible Hand,” Robinson, et al. 2009.http://ssrn.com/abstract=1138083

- “Moving Toward a 21st Century Right-to-Know Agenda,” Right to Know Community, November 2008.http://www.ombwatch.org/files/21strtkrecs.pdf

Photo Credits

- Gov 2.0 Crowd: flickr.com/creativecommons

- Connect, Don’t Push - Rope: Flickr Creative Commonsflickr.com/people/gullevek

- Citizens: Purple Tunnel of Doom, J. Bordeauxhttp://jbordeaux.com/dear-senator-feinstein/

- University of Illinois, Miles Square Health Center: Phoenix Builders, LTD.http://phoenixbuilders.com/projects/University_of_Illinois_Miles_Square.html