Qualitative interviews

To better understand user needs, pains and expectations, I conducted qualitative interviews. The most important learnings:
- Most participants were aware that the government holds a lot of personal data but had limited understanding of how secondary data usage works. They would like to be more involved into that process.
- Users appreciated data being used for “good purposes” (e.g., medical research) but wanted clear transparency about the type of data, purpose of usage, and type of organization involved.
- Users didn’t want to be constantly notified about data usage.
- As it’s partially very sensitive data, people were concerned about data security.
- Users are interested in understanding the impact their data has made.


Workshop with stakeholders

I planned a workshop to bring together team members from various domains to expand on the user research and ensure all perspectives were considered. During the session, we combined user needs and pain points from the interviews with insights and also assumptions from the team to create a comprehensive understanding of the product. We conducted assumption mapping to clarify what we knew versus what needed further validation. Furthermore we collected business needs and technical requirements. One essential business goal was to teach users how important the secondary data usage is for our society and research.

The team collaborated on a first user journey map, which served as a starting point for developing a holistic view of the product. This helped reduce complexity and fostered empathy for users, while also aligning the team on an initial story for stakeholder presentations. The journey map will evolve with future usability testing and research, uncovering additional insights and opportunities to refine the product further.At the end of the workshop, the team aligned on the MVP features, which were informed by user research and the collaborative efforts during the session.

The onboarding

The onboarding process highlighted the significance of utilizing secondary data and data security while also tackling the major issue of notification fatigue. It empowers users to select between receiving instant notifications or opting for concise summary reports. This gave users flexibility and reduced the potential for feeling overwhelmed by frequent updates.

The dashboard

The dashboard was designed to tackle several business goals and user pain points / needs. It displayed new data usages prominently and highlighted the positive impact of data usage to foster trust and engagement. A dedicated module provided quick access to data security information, a topic that was critical to users. Additionally, the dashboard was customizable, enabling users to choose and organize modules based on their preferences. Key performance indicators about how their data was being used overall were included, as participants found statistical insights particularly interesting during interviews.

The data usage

Beyond the dashboard, a detailed data usage overview was created. At the first level, users could see high-level information about data usage. The information visible to users at the first level was determined by their priorities, focusing on what was most important for them to decide whether they would consent to that usage. Users can stay focused by using filters that align with their personal interests. Clicking on an entity revealed additional details, allowing users to act, such as opting out or managing preferences.

Data sharing preferences

To ensure that users could tailor data sharing to their comfort level, a data sharing preferences feature was introduced. This allowed users to exclude certain organizations or restrict data use for specific purposes automatically. By giving users control upfront, this feature reduced the need for constant monitoring. Related to one business goal, users see a hint emphasizing the significance of data usage in society, helping them make carefully decisions about their opt-out choices.