Under the Hood of DiscoverALGIM Web Symposium 2008
ALGIM = Association of Local Government Information Management Inc www.algim.org.nz
The Ministry of Transport (MoT) is a government agency responsible for creating transport related policy papers and reports for the NZ government.
They wanted an intranet that would improve the flow of information around the organisation, as well as being engaging and enjoyable to use.
Overview
What doesPolly want?
How We Created a Winning User Experience
1. Improve information flow throughout the organisation.
2. Improve information “findability”.
3. Improve access to business-critical information.
4. Intranet a channel for staff interaction.
5. Reduce the amount of email.
Goals for User Experience
Understand your users!
Primary Persona
• Karen is a 34 year old university graduate in Political Science with average computer office skills. She has been with The Ministry of Transport for less than a year.
• She’s a regular visitor to the Internet, where she buys books and 2nd-hand goods online, uploads photos to Flickr and reads the news.
• She likes to read - prefers to print out any articles she finds online.
• Her work is fast-paced with a lot of meetings - requiring a mixture of people management and technical know-how.
Attributes Fast learner.Cautious but early adopter of new technology.Never learnt to touch type – mouse dominant.Windows XP, 19” LCD monitor, LAN Network.
Information NeedsFind information needed to write a policy or answer the minister.Access internal and external contacts. Easy access to current and historical policies, Parliamentary bulletins, internal news, cabinet times.Easy search functionality generating accurate results.
Common ScenariosResponding to a Ministerial Inquiry about the number of aircraft fatalities in New Zealand between 2005-2008.Receive Alerts on modifications made to a documentIs assigned to write new policy.
Karen
Make information findable...
Quantum Content
“Radio”
“Funky”
“Retro”
“Appliance”
“Transistor”
iPhone
Cellphone
Mobile
Music Player
Phone
Internet Device
Digital
Multi-Touch
Return
103B
TAX Form
Document
Payment Form
GST Form
IRD Form
Quantum Content
Leave Form
Karen - Advisor
HR022
Sue – Human Resources
I need a holiday
Mark – Desktop Support
Make metadata magic!
Pathways to Information
PolicyManual
FormContactMeeting
LegislationResearch
News & Events
AirLandSeaRail
LawMoney
PropertyRisk
SafetySecurityTravel
TransitLTSA
Maritime SafetyCAA
AdministrationCommunications
FinanceHuman Resources
ITInfrastructure
Pathways to Information
Plus:• by Audience• by Title• by Name• by Date• by Author• by Doc Type (e.g. PDF)
Metadata Magic
By Content TypeBy Transport
Mode By Topic By Origin By Business Unit
Leave Form
FORM N/A LEAVE MoT HR
HOLIDAY
Metadata Magic
Bike Wise Hits the
Road
By Content TypeBy Transport
Mode By Topic By Origin By Business Unit
NEWS LANDSAFETY
COMMSCYCLING
PEDESTRIANS
Health Sponsorship
Council
PRESS RELEASE
Metadata Magic
Dog Registration
By Content Type By Audience By Topic By Origin By Business Unit
GUIDELINEDOGS
REGULATIONSREGISTRATION
PERMIT
Health Sponsorship
Council
REGULATION
PET OWNER
FARMER
RATE PAYER
Metadata Schema (Tagging)
Metadata Element Element Definition Possible Attributes(Default is underlined)
Topic The topic of the content of the resource or keywords related to the resource that might be used by customers when performing a search (e.g. alternative spellings, acronyms).
Examples: Administration, Communication, Government, Law, Money, People, Projects, Property, Publications, Research, Risk & Insurance, Safety, Security, Technology, Travel, Other
Note: No default – user must make a selection.
Transport Mode Identifies the transport type associated with the resource
Air, Land, Sea, Rail, Multimodal, All
Origin Resources can be identified by the government department concerned
Ministry of Transport, Transit New Zealand, Land Transport New Zealand, Maritime Safety Authority, Civil Aviation Authority, Aviation Security Service of New Zealand, New Zealand Police, Ministers Offices, Transport Accident Investigation Commission, Ontrack, Other Govt, Non-Government
Ministerial Portfolio Resources can be identified by a ministerial department
Minister of Transport, Associate Minister of Transport, Minister for Transport Safety, Other
Wireframe
Wireframe
Content
Title
Content
Title
Content
Wireframe
Content
Title
Content
Title
Wireframe
Content
Title
Content
So did Polly geta cracker?
Report from Hamish Denston (Intranet Content Manager)
Findability
“My observations show that staff are exploring the new design and features - and as a result discovering information they initially missed.”
“The redesign results go beyond just general satisfaction - they’re having a positive effect on staff productivity as well.”
Report from Hamish Denston (Intranet Content Manager)
EmailPrior to the intranet, employees communicated to all staff or to a group of staff members using email.
The email volume was significant, as was the demand on staff time in dealing with it. These emails have been replaced with the intranet’s Alerts and Announcements features, and the notifications are now unobtrusive.
“This helped to reduce the stress on staff of having a build-up of emails—that may or may not be relevant—cluttering their in-boxes.”
“The New Zealand Ministry of Transport intranet makes it effortless to communicate research work and news across the organization.”
“The design team achieved this effortless communication by applying sound information architecture and considering user tasks and simplicity.”
“And they were able to do this while still promoting the transportation theme in subtle and pleasant ways across the site.”
www.provoke.co.nz