I retained users on
a data platform
and ensure
the safety
of internal data
Client: DIT
Industry: Public service
My Role: Product Designer
DIT owns a data platform that allow sharing and handling data internally.
The data-savvy users were able to manage their data within the platform. Less tech-savvy users came to the platform. They quickly took the data out of the platform, creating a safety issue.
the brief
Development brief
I was hired to increase user retention on the platform. The organisation aimed to enhance data security on their platform. I needed to focus on user friction points.
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I was also tasked with improving the relevance of the internal toolbox by adding quick-win features to identify opportunities in the user experience. Due to the nature of the organisation, I had to use the GDS framework.
the challenge
The challenge
The product was highly complex, and I had to quickly get up to speed with the data and the platform. Most of the team were developers, data engineers, and data scientists. I needed to improve the 'concept of users', with their behaviour, and needs. The delivery team was cautious about incremental design, as they were concerned that any project could slip into a major overhaul, which they didn’t have the resources to handle.
the process
The process
I created a strategy and processes that can be reused for future projects and ongoing maintenance. I focused on a user-centred design (UCD) approach, placing the user at the heart of design decisions. As there were no analytics initially, I prioritised research to gather essential data. I also established a collaborative process to minimise friction and roadblocks in later stages. Part of this process included educating the product team, as it was their first digital product.
the research
I talked with users
User research have been an important part of the process. I already had an access to analytics. Granularity was lacking about the usability and awareness of the user about the platform. I used research to prioritise the features and improve the acceptance of the platform.
stand-ups
for collab
The projects required a very Agile environment. I used the two-week sprints to my advantage. At each sprint, I show and tell for a few minutes. This allowed for a faster process. There was no need for a sign-off at the end of the sprint, and I was able to hand over the design immediately to the developers.
incrementaldesign
DIT favoured incremental design. I have been able to validate the solutions with real users on every sprint as I had direct contact with a pool of multiples users type. I emphasised on components development rather than templates, I used the research outcomes to get to design full journey for onboarding.
Success and learning
I measured a significant increase in user engagement! On average, users spent 6 minutes longer on the platform, and there was a 25% increase in users accessing our main tools. Click rates also rose.
I learned to use the Agile environment to my advantage. By "show and tell" during stand-ups, I ensured the design was aligned with project goals.
