As part of the IDEate project, we travelled around to different communities around Ireland to gather community input on the design and development of digital public services. Using interactive data boards, we facilitated discussions with diverse groups, allowing us to collect valuable feedback. The data boards served as a tool to engage people in conversations about the future of public services and ensure they meet the evolving needs of communities. This case study outlines our approach and the key insights gained, which are now shaping the next phase of our project.
Approach
We created and used interactive data boards as a tool to gather public opinions on how digital public services should be designed and developed to meet evolving community needs. These data boards visually represented key information and prompted participants to share their perspectives on current and future public services. Through informal discussions, participants gave feedback that will help guide the development of more responsive and user-centred digital services.
The IDEate team visited various libraries across Ireland, including Dublin, Waterford, and Cork. At each location, we:
Presented our data boards, inviting community members to explore and provide feedback on the themes they highlighted.
Facilitated discussions around how public services could be improved and what features should be prioritised in their digital transformation.
Engaged with diverse groups, such as the knitting circle at Blackpool Library to ensure feedback reflected a wide range of perspectives.
These activities allowed us to gather a broad spectrum of opinions, ensuring the voices of different community members were heard.
Impact
The public engagement had a significant impact on shaping our understanding of community needs and how digital public services can better serve them:
Ongoing Collaboration: The trips fostered stronger relationships with local communities and libraries, laying the groundwork for future engagement activities and continued feedback collection.
Community Feedback: Participants shared their views on the importance of accessibility, personalization, and user-friendly interfaces in digital services. Many emphasised the need for inclusive design, with features that cater to various abilities and technical skill levels.
Refining Our Tools: The insights gathered through the data boards have been instrumental in guiding the next phase of our project. This feedback is helping us refine the design of digital public services to ensure they are responsive to real community needs.
Sparking Engagement through Data Boards
Author: Donnagh Toomey
As part of the IDEate project, we travelled around to different communities around Ireland to gather community input on the design and development of digital public services. Using interactive data boards, we facilitated discussions with diverse groups, allowing us to collect valuable feedback. The data boards served as a tool to engage people in conversations about the future of public services and ensure they meet the evolving needs of communities. This case study outlines our approach and the key insights gained, which are now shaping the next phase of our project.
Approach
We created and used interactive data boards as a tool to gather public opinions on how digital public services should be designed and developed to meet evolving community needs. These data boards visually represented key information and prompted participants to share their perspectives on current and future public services. Through informal discussions, participants gave feedback that will help guide the development of more responsive and user-centred digital services.
The IDEate team visited various libraries across Ireland, including Dublin, Waterford, and Cork. At each location, we:
These activities allowed us to gather a broad spectrum of opinions, ensuring the voices of different community members were heard.
Impact
The public engagement had a significant impact on shaping our understanding of community needs and how digital public services can better serve them:
Ongoing Collaboration: The trips fostered stronger relationships with local communities and libraries, laying the groundwork for future engagement activities and continued feedback collection.
Community Feedback: Participants shared their views on the importance of accessibility, personalization, and user-friendly interfaces in digital services. Many emphasised the need for inclusive design, with features that cater to various abilities and technical skill levels.
Refining Our Tools: The insights gathered through the data boards have been instrumental in guiding the next phase of our project. This feedback is helping us refine the design of digital public services to ensure they are responsive to real community needs.