understanding users needs

1
understanding users needs

• OECDs approach
• UNECE Work Session on Communication of Statistics
• Terri Mitton, Project Manager Statistics
  Dissemination
• 27 May 2013

2
If a tree grows in a forest, will anyone notice?
If data is posted on the website, does anyone pay
attention?
3
and a user on our website

How do we know if he can find, use and understand
our content?
4
Users how do we know their needs?
Workshops with Data producers
Publishing review
Usability tests
User interviews
User surveys
Website usage stats
User emails
5
Survey the audience that finds our knowledge
interesting and useful.
The audience we know best (delegates, policy
advisors, statisticians)
Source Study on users of OECD.org (2009)
6
Usability Data is hard to find.
Source Usability tests on oecd.org (2009)
7
Usage statsWhat information is most in demand?
2 of the book titles published
51 of the book downloads
Source OECD iLibrary usage stats (2011.)
8
Publishing review findings
Bland
Impartial
Lacks a Voice
Trusted
Organisation-centric
Authoritative
Poor useability
Credible
Accessibility Gap
Unreadable
High Quality
Confusing channels
Rich data source
Inpenetrable jargon
Honest
Need more policy recommendations
Held in high regard
Source Studies conducted by independent
consultants (2011)
9
Who are the data users?
NGO / Citizen with a cause
Policy Advisor
Business Analyst
University Librarian
Researcher/ Statistician
Undergraduate Student
Developer
Journalist
10
Vision (from the point of view of the user)

• Let me easily access the OECD
• statistical data and analysis.
• Let me find, understand and use
• the data I need.

11
Data user needs
12
Data users top requirements
All users
Data and analysis Data overview Find most recent
data Find country-specific info Get prepackaged
key indicators Compare countries Identify
trends Quick/simple data enquiry Download
supporting data (XLS)
Get data to produce a visualization Know which
data views possible
Glossary Reformat/process Permanent link
Export CSV Metadata
Expert users
13
Data users top requirements
All users

• Find data and analysis
• Find most recent data
• Find country-specific info
• Get prepackaged key indicators
• Compare countries
• Identify trends
• Quick/simple data enquiry
• Download supporting data (XLS)

Expert users
14
User persona Journalist

• Occupation Social affairs correspondent
• General requirements
• Find a new and interesting and unique angle on a
  story
• Graphics produced in-house using the house style
  (except blog)
• Data needs
• Timely data a few days in advance of release
• The main indicators made clear
• OECD view or opinion
• Be able to speak to a data expert
• Pro-actively send data that match her areas of
  interest

15
Users need more readable content

• Authors title
• Share of native-born children of immigrants
  aged 15 to 64 who report to have been
  discriminated against within the prior twelve
  months because they belong to a certain
  ethnic/racial group or nationality, by
  socio-economic characteristics, New Zealand
• Edited title
• Discrimination against second generation
  immigrants, New Zealand

But IGOs do not have guidance on readability
16
New products must help users to complete a task.

• Its really hard to design products by focus
  groups. A lot of times, people dont know what
  they want until you show it to them
• Steve Jobs, 1998

We conduct usability tests from from
conceptual phase to product.
17
New initiatives to meet the challenges
18

• Thank you
• Terri Mitton
• Terri.mitton_at_oecd.org
• OECD
• Project Manager Statistics Dissemination

19
Image attributions
PA http//www.flickr.com/photos/33093975_at_N06/43029
63467/ BA http//www.flickr.com/photos/45393120_at_N0
7/6022241266/ R/S http//www.flickr.com/photos/48
889087714_at_N01/2489612746/ UL http//www.flickr.com
/photos/34756977_at_N00/5469517670/ J
http//www.flickr.com/photos/highwaysagency/602168
8217/in/photostream NGO http//www.flickr.com/phot
os/8383084_at_N06/4589721703/ UG http//www.flickr.co
m/photos/58447230_at_N00/5041727169/ Developer
http//www.flickr.com/photos/kurmis/83156110/