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US Digital Services Playbook Play 1

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mattkwong-kpmg edited this page Mar 3, 2017 · 8 revisions

#Play 1: Understand What People Need
We must begin digital projects by exploring and pinpointing the needs of the people who will use the service, and the ways the service will fit into their lives. Whether the users are members of the public or government employees, policy makers must include real people in their design process from the beginning. The needs of people — not constraints of government structures or silos — should inform technical and design decisions. We need to continually test the products we build with real people to keep us honest about what is important.

##Checklist

  • 1. Early in the project, spend time with current and prospective users of the service

Identifying users was one our first tasks (Issue #6). We picked 6 KPMG employees (not part of the prototype team) with experience using a procurement system as either a buyer or admin as our simulated user pool. We performed user interviews early to build the foundation for the user stories and design (Issue #11).

  • 2. Use a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods to determine people’s goals, needs, and behaviors; be thoughtful about the time spent

We utilized user interviews and competitive analysis to build user stories and user personas for early design. From there we used periodic usability testing sessions to make refinements to the user stories and designs. These techniques allowed us to maximize the value of our user interaction, while minimizing the amount of time spent. More details can be found in our Design Plan.

  • 3. Test prototypes of solutions with real people, in the field if possible

We used periodic usability testing sessions to make refinements to the user stories and designs.

  • 4. Document the findings about user goals, needs, behaviors, and preferences

We documented the user interviews on our Github wiki (#1/#2/#3/#4) and logged usability testing comments as Github Issues per the Product Owner's review.

  • 5. Share findings with the team and agency leadership

Findings from users were shared in the next day's daily scrum meeting and then added to the Github Issues board per the Product Owner's review.

  • 6. Create a prioritized list of tasks the user is trying to accomplish, also known as "user stories"

User stories are logged in our Github Issues board as issues under the label “story”. Additionally these stories are assigned points based on complexity and linked to the sprints for which they were planned.

  • 7. As the digital service is being built, regularly test it with potential users to ensure it meets people’s needs

We used periodic usability testing sessions to make refinements to the user stories and designs.

##Key Questions

  1. Who are your primary users?

Our primary users have one of two roles (1) Authorized User and (2) Authorized Administrative User.

  1. What user needs will this service address?

Generally speaking the Authorized User will use the system to procure new software and hardware, and the Authorized Administrative User will use the system to manage the software and hardware is available to Authorized Users.

  1. Why does the user want or need this service?

This service will allow Authorized Users to make better decisions about the items they procure and maximize the value of money spent on procurements. For Authorized Administrative Users this will allow easier management of the procurement catalog and an improved understanding of the performance of existing contracts.

  1. Which people will have the most difficulty with the service?

People with minimal experience with computers, tablets, and smartphones.

  1. Which research methods were used?

We used User Interviews, User Personas, Competitive Analysis, and Usability Testing as part of our Design Plan.

  1. What were the key findings?

Users wanted a simpler, modern design with the features of popular shopping sites (like Amazon.com).

  1. How were the findings documented?

We documented the user interviews on our Github wiki (#1/#2/#3/#4) and logged usability testing comments as Github Issues per the Product Owner's review.

  1. How often are you testing with real people?

For this prototype we were able to have users test about 1-2 times per week.

#US Digital Services Playbook

  1. Play 1 Understand what people need
  2. Play 2 Address the whole experience, from start to finish
  3. Play 3 Make it simple and intuitive
  4. Play 4 Build the service using agile and iterative practices
  5. Play 5 Structure budgets and contracts to support delivery
  6. Play 6 Assign one leader and hold that person accountable
  7. Play 7 Bring in experienced teams
  8. Play 8 Choose a modern technology stack
  9. Play 9 Deploy in flexible hosting environment
  10. Play 10 Automate testing and deployments
  11. Play 11 Manage security and privacy through reusable processes
  12. Play 12 Use data to drive decisions
  13. Play 13 Default to open
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