Data Informed Design

By kristintolentino Published on July 02nd, 2024

Last updated on July 02nd, 2024

We’ve all experienced the frustration of navigating through a government website, desperately trying to locate the right link or form amidst a sea of information. Whether it’s fulfilling our civic duties, filing documents, or simply seeking new resources, the process can often feel like an uphill battle—overwhelming, inefficient, and downright frustrating.

If only there was someone who could understand what you’re looking for, realize your pain points, and actively work to create a better experience. Well, good news, your friendly neighborhood product designer is here to help.

My mission? To tailor government websites to better suit the needs of citizens and enhance their overall experience. With a mix of design skills and user-focused data, I aim to simplify these complex digital environments, improving how citizens interact with their government online.

A Venn diagram showcasing circles for "Empathy", "Vision", and "Data" intersecting in the center as equal elements of good product design. — Source: https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*ZI2t6oZI1O63J3Q7JZlOBg.png

I thrive on blending empathy, UX vision, and data to tackle real-world problems head-on. And at the heart of my multidisciplinary approach to great design lies the collection, analysis, and utilization of data.

In practical terms, this involves tracking metrics, analyzing bounce and conversion rates, and gathering both quantitative and qualitative data through user research and testing. This wealth of information serves as the bedrock for informed design decisions, ensuring that every change we make is backed by best practices and evidence, not guesswork or opinion.

Take, for example, the navigation design of an agency website. Rather than simply sprucing up the appearance of the same content, I can delve into the usage data to understand which navigation items are most frequently accessed. The data helps me recognize what paths a user is actually taking or not taking. I can also conduct usability tests to gauge how quickly users can find specific pages and gather feedback through interviews to uncover pain points, unrealized needs, and preferences.

Scenery of a person walking on a well-trodden path of dirt across the grass with a label that reads "Actual User Behavior" right next to an unused paved sidewalk with a label that reads "The Design, Expected User Behavior."

Understanding real user behavior helps discern better design choices, reach goals, and save resources. Perhaps data shows that users struggle to find information due to cluttered text or unintuitive organization. Maybe accessibility issues hinder certain users from accessing vital links. Or maybe users found a quicker and more efficient way to complete a task that we didn’t consider. By identifying and addressing these challenges with research and testing, we can tailor designs to meet the diverse needs of our citizenry from the start and evolve iterations as needed.

In essence, understanding our users and leveraging data-driven insights is key to creating a more inclusive and accessible digital landscape. Together, we can transform public service into a collaborative endeavor, empowering citizens and fostering impactful digital experiences for all.

Read more articles about: Data, Design, User Research.

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