A once in a decade survey that gives us a brighter future

Overview

We were appointed by the Office for National Statistics to contribute to Census 2021, the first digital-first census conducted every ten years. Our role as Interaction Designers focused on enhancing the engagement and response phases of the census website.

The engagement phase targeted local authorities, community groups, media, and campaigns to raise awareness and encourage participation in the census questionnaire. In contrast, the response phase aimed to inform the public that the census was underway and that everyone could complete their questionnaire. Each stage presented unique user experiences, requiring extensive research, design, and user testing to ensure effectiveness and accessibility.

User testing and research

We established a clear set of user needs and addressed each one through thoughtful design. From these designs, we developed prototypes that were tested with local authorities across the country.

We gathered feedback, made necessary adjustments, and conducted further rounds of testing with our prototypes. This rigorous process ensured that we delivered a usable service that met the needs of our users, rather than focusing solely on business requirements.

Designing the look and feel

Significant care and attention were dedicated to designing new components and patterns to enhance the overall brand for Census 2021. Each element was crafted to be flexible and scalable for use on both desktop and mobile devices. Additionally, we considered the Welsh language, which occasionally required us to adjust patterns to accommodate this requirement.

Assisted digital support centres

During the Census 2021 operation, assisted digital centers were established in locations such as public libraries, offering face-to-face assistance and equipment for completing the census survey online. We recognised the need for a system that would enable users to locate nearby centers easily.

Users could enter their postcode to perform a search, generating an ordered list of centers, starting with the nearest. This functionality was powered by an API provided by Good Things Foundation.

We designed a simple, uncluttered service that functioned effectively on both large and small devices. Our prototype was tested with a diverse group of users, each with varying levels of digital skills, ensuring that it met the needs of all participants.

Web chat contact centre online support

One of the identified user needs was for respondents to communicate in real time with census contact center advisers, enabling them to receive instant solutions to their queries or issues.

Through our own discovery process and by leveraging web chat research and findings from GOV.UK, we combined these insights to design a solution that significantly enhanced the quality of service. This approach was particularly beneficial for users with specific access needs, such as those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Making our service fully accessible and inclusive

We developed a service that is usable by everyone, prioritising learning from a diverse range of perspectives. We tested our service with users of all abilities to ensure that what we delivered met their needs and expectations. A variety of accessible formats and support options were provided to assist users in understanding the census and completing the survey.

One of these formats was British Sign Language (BSL), designed for users who are hard of hearing and rely on visual communication through gestures, facial expressions, and body language.

To ensure that BSL users fully understood the questions being posed, we implemented BSL videos throughout the census to explain both the questions and the answering options. This approach involved extensive user testing and iteration to deliver a solution that effectively addressed the needs of these users.

Contributing to a design system

We also play a significant role in contributing to the ONS design system by adding newly designed components, patterns, and accessibility enhancements, as well as fixing bugs. This ensures a reliable and flexible framework that supports many services provided by the Office for National Statistics, including Census 2021.

Many components and patterns were initially developed based on user requirements from Census 2021. These were then incorporated into the design system, thoroughly tested, and made available for other services that could benefit from proven patterns. Approval and merging of components required consensus among team members regarding the quality of coding and the usefulness of the patterns.

In some instances, patterns were tagged as experimental, allowing for user testing to validate their effectiveness before being adopted across services.

Each component was designed to be flexible in its usage and included detailed documentation and guidance on how to implement and apply it effectively.

The results

We provided a fully inclusive and accessible service for all individuals and households in England and Wales. This commitment ensured that everyone could effectively engage with the service, regardless of their needs or circumstances.