Getting an information page containing everything required to talk about improving technology across government, in only six weeks, was pushing the limits of our small project team. Here’s what we did.
Listening to our users
As with all things GDS we started with user needs - who is our audience, our main stakeholders, and what do they need to know from us?
The initial user research findings were that people needed to know:
- what we do
- how we do it
- how best to engage with us
- a pipeline of upcoming work so they could plan ahead with potentially related projects.
Other considerations included being able to collaborate with departments and agencies and publishing our products in a convenient and easy to find location.
Challenging our assumptions
It's better to test other ideas to make sure we’ve come to the right conclusion. It’s easy to come up with answers, but asking the right questions is the hard bit. We used the user research to discover a solution that meets the initial needs without taking too long to build and doesn’t become too expensive or time consuming to maintain. Simpler is usually better, especially for a minimum viable product.
What we’re publishing
We now have a group page on GOV.UK where you will be able to find information, services and products from CTS for you.
A short discovery and alpha has led to the creation of this public beta page. It will inevitably change with each iteration, and each iteration will be informed by the continuing research and feedback we receive.
The best way to test if we’re getting it right is to ask our stakeholders to use the page and give us constructive feedback - what do you need to see on this page? Is there anything missing/needs changing? Is there anything you would find really helpful?
The new CTS group page is on GOV.UK and you can email us at contact.cts@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk.