Surveys are a powerful research method, but not easy to get right. The Survey Octopus is a way of thinking through the issues that will ensure that you’ll get solid results from your survey that you can use to makeContinue reading… Getting valid results from surveys: meet the Survey Octopus
Category: Design
A community, not a library: design patterns for government services
This workshop at UX New Zealand 2015 was a chance for me to lead a discussion on design patterns and forms elements for the UK government website GOV.UK. Looking at our experiences within the UK Government Digital Service #gdsteam theContinue reading… A community, not a library: design patterns for government services
Making presentations accessible
“Could you make sure my older presentations are fully accessible?” Caroline’s request seemed an easy enough task: we’re both keen to ensure that we reach the widest possible audience. Armed with an early version of Whitney Quesenbery’s tips on accessibleContinue reading… Making presentations accessible
Design patterns aren’t just for government – UX Cambridge 2015
When Tim Paul and I did a session on design patterns at the 2015 Service Design in Government conference in London, we expected to get a lively, interested group of UK central and local government people, and we did. We also metContinue reading… Design patterns aren’t just for government – UX Cambridge 2015
No more accordions: how to choose a form structure
Government forms are usually complex, asking a huge number of questions.What is the best way to group questions to make completing them as easy as possible for people? This blog post for Government Digital Service considers what we’ve learned about form structure fromContinue reading… No more accordions: how to choose a form structure
Book review: “Practical Empathy” by Indi Young
“Voice of the customer”. “Understand user needs”. “Get out of our silos”. “No more group-think”. It’s no longer news that it’s a good idea to understand, respect, and design for other people’s perspectives. And there are plenty of books aroundContinue reading… Book review: “Practical Empathy” by Indi Young
Slides and thoughts on SDinGOV 2015
Service design in government: it’s a technical way of talking about all the ways in which we have to do government things – and how those of us who work in government can improve them. At Service Design in Government 2015, we welcomed keynote speakers JessContinue reading… Slides and thoughts on SDinGOV 2015
How not to get a job, and how to get one
“How can I get a job in user research?” It’s a question that comes up a lot, and reappeared the other day in one of the forums I belong to. It reminded me of a post I wrote a fewContinue reading… How not to get a job, and how to get one
How to look at a form – to learn a lot, quickly
If you look at a form through the eyes of your users then you can learn a lot, very quickly. We tried it recently at a forms studio with Women Who Code London. Don’t look at the form One of theContinue reading… How to look at a form – to learn a lot, quickly
Celebrating inspiring women on Ada Lovelace Day
Women Who Code is the international organisation dedicated to inspiring women to excel in technology careers. I was delighted to be invited to join their London group on Ada Lovelace Day – the annual celebration of a woman widely considered to be the first computer programmer. It gave meContinue reading… Celebrating inspiring women on Ada Lovelace Day