Skip to main content
GOV.UK

Blog User research in government

Organisations:
Civil Service

Updating the User Researcher role in the Capability Framework

Blocks spelling the word skill. A column chart above the blocks illustrating the growth of skills over time

Updating the User Researcher role in the Capability Framework

Those of you with eagle eyes will have noticed the ’user researcher’ role in the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework, published by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), has recently been updated. This blog post shares some of the background and thinking behind the changes, and highlights some of the things it means for user researchers working in government.

Read more of Updating the User Researcher role in the Capability Framework

What you won’t learn from a prototype

Posted by: Paul Chanthapanya, Posted on: 20 October 2014 - Categories: Tips and techniques
Real users out on the street

I’m working as a user researcher on GOV.UK Verify, the new way for people to prove they are who they say they are when using government services online.

Read more of What you won’t learn from a prototype - 2 comments

Doing user research on a technology transformation programme

Posted by: Anna Wojnarowska, Posted on: 9 October 2014 - Categories: Case studies
Wires - Cabinet Office Technology Transformation programme

The Cabinet Office Technology Transformation programme was set up in late summer 2013. Our primary mission was to replace the Cabinet Office’s current IT system with modern and flexible technology that’s at least as good as that used by people …

Read more of Doing user research on a technology transformation programme

How user researchers can help improve digital take up

Posted by: Leisa Reichelt, Posted on: 7 October 2014 - Categories: Service Assessment
Build, measure and learn

The 24th criteria of the Digital by Default Service Standard asks teams to have a plan to achieve high digital take up. This is sometimes known as ‘channel shift’ - trying to move people into the digital channel, then keeping …

Read more of How user researchers can help improve digital take up

Learning to ask the right questions

Posted by: Simon Hurst, Posted on: 30 September 2014 - Categories: Case studies
A question mark

Here’s an example of a change we’ve made to the Carer’s Allowance service to help to make it clearer, faster, and simpler for users.

Read more of Learning to ask the right questions - 2 comments

Doing less. The Inverted-U

Posted by: Ben Holliday, Posted on: 22 September 2014 - Categories: Agile, Ethos

In the book 'David & Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants', Malcolm Gladwell uses the illustration of an Inverted-U curve.

Read more of Doing less. The Inverted-U - 2 comments

6 case studies: using research and data to improve a live service

Posted by: Ben Holliday, Posted on: 17 September 2014 - Categories: Case studies
Carer's Allowance kanban board

Data shows us what’s happening in a live service. By using data, we design user research that helps us understand why it’s happening.

Read more of 6 case studies: using research and data to improve a live service - 2 comments

Sample size and confidence: how to get your team to trust qualitative research

Posted by: Leisa Reichelt, Posted on: 16 September 2014 - Categories: Tips and techniques

If you're doing qualitative design research, don't worry about sample size. Sample size and statistical significance don't matter*.

Read more of Sample size and confidence: how to get your team to trust qualitative research - 9 comments

What user researchers do when they're not researching

Posted by: Leisa Reichelt, Posted on: 10 September 2014 - Categories: Team sport
Paul Chanthapanya presents a user research show-and-tell to the IDA team

A lot of teams aren't used to having a user researcher embedded full time.

Read more of What user researchers do when they're not researching

Metrics that matter and user research

Posted by: Ben Holliday, Posted on: 4 September 2014 - Categories: Agile, Analysis
Apply for Carer's Allowance - metrics that matter

When building a digital-by-default service like Carer’s Allowance, we’re continuously designing, testing and releasing changes to the live service to improve it and better meet user needs.

Read more of Metrics that matter and user research - 6 comments

A simple technique for evaluating content

Posted by: Pete Gale, Posted on: 2 September 2014 - Categories: Tips and techniques
A document showing content heatmapping

I've been working with our content designers to refine content that explains the Identity Assurance service.

Read more of A simple technique for evaluating content - 10 comments
Previous page
  • Page 1
  • …
  • Page 12
  • Page 13
  • Page 14
  • …
  • Page 16
Next page

Related content and links

User research in government

This blog showcases the projects user researchers are working on across government in the UK.

It's what we're learning and thinking about and a place for us to share case studies and project updates.

Resources

Government Service Design Manual: resources for user researchers

Events and training in the user-centred design community

Categories

Sign up and manage updates

  • Email
  • Atom

Useful links

  • All GOV.UK blogs
  • All GOV.UK blog posts
  • GOV.UK
  • All departments
  • Accessibility statement
  • Cookies
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated
© Crown copyright