Meet the Croydon Digital Service user research team
Croydon Council has founded a new user research team to put people at the heart of every product we build. Learn more about how to get involved.
User research is a new concept to Croydon Council and a new team in the Croydon Digital Service. It’s our job to ensure user needs are at the heart of everything we do.
We’re passionate about improving services for the people who will use them — you, me, Croydon residents, Council staff, Croydon businesses and potential visitors. The users, indeed!
Why we do user research
We want to understand what users need. All new and redeveloped services for residents are assessed against the Government Service Standard to ensure they’re built using user-centred product and service design methods. User research is the foundation for this process.
We use research methods to investigate user expectations, behaviours, needs, and motivations. These insights are used to ensure that all product design decisions are accessible and benefit users. Accessibility is about making sure the service can be used by as many people as possible. Thinking about this from the beginning will help Croydon Council to make sure that nobody is excluded.
User researchers Laura (left) and Mira doing a card sorting exercise
We need you to get involved
Soon there will be lots of opportunities for you to participate in user research. Depending on the project, we will plan different activities including online surveys, pop-up research sessions and interviews.
One of our main tasks is to improve Croydon Council’s website. Getting involved in this research means that you will have the chance to see and test unreleased previews of the layout, aesthetics, functionality and content of the website.
We’re working hard to create a website that’s accessible to everyone. Accessibility applies to people with disabilities, but also to those have different needs at different times and in different circumstances. We’ll be carrying out research with many different groups to make our sites as accessible as possible.
Our digital strategy mentions that we’re aiming to increase the findability and usability of Council services online, creating assisted digital and offline alternatives. How will we know if we’re doing a good job? You will tell us!
Watch this space
Details of future opportunities will be available on this blog, where we’ll keep readers updated with pop-up research session locations, how to get involved and how we are using our findings.
If you’d like take part in future sessions, please email us at userresearch@croydon.gov.uk. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
2 thoughts on “Meet the Croydon Digital Service user research team”
I have been asked to contact you for a chat since I use the sharps bin collection now and then. Can you please call me on XXX for the chat about the service (Clinical Waste Collection Service).
Thank you so much for getting in touch. I’ve removed your number for privacy, the user researchers will get back to you.