As Bloom’s Growth & Operations lead, I spend a lot of time developing partnerships with governments and nonprofits to find equitable and human-centered solutions to their digital problems. But for many years, I was on the other side of the procurement process.
I was previously the chief of staff for the City of Boston’s Department of Innovation and Technology where I supported the day-to-day operations of the 200+ employees and contractors who provide core IT, digital, and analytics services across the city. I worked with countless vendors to co-develop products for the city or implement technology. …
We sent a short survey to people who’ve been in the trenches of redesigning government websites. Here’s what they had to say.
During our years working with and for government, my colleagues and I at Bloom Works have seen some patterns in the activities that end up being useful and time consuming (e.g., who knew content takes so long!?). As curious folk, we were wondering how universal these lessons have been across teams. And as civ tech nerds and consultants, we’re always looking to iterate on how we support our government partners.
We invited colleagues who’ve been hands-on redesigning government…
This is part two in a series of posts exploring how we view, approach, and implement accessibility on the web.
At Bloom Works, we set our partners up for success by leveraging inherently accessible tools. For example, in our recent work with The State of Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood (OEC), we built their site with Wordpress, a user-friendly content management system (CMS), and installed the “Benjamin” Wordpress theme, which was derived from the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS). The USWDS was designed to be an accessible set of tools by the people who know this stuff in and out…
As a design researcher, it’s my job to learn about people’s experiences and behaviors. Naturally, I have put a lot of thought into how I learn these insights. I like to think of the different methods at our disposal as tools in a toolbox, each with its appropriate use: to uncover specific information, to adopt in a certain scenario, and/or to work with certain communities.
So it came as a surprise to me when, during an interview with a potential partner, I was met with disapproval when I described the different methods that I use. “I only do interviews,” the…
Engineers steeped in government experience give their best advice for leaders trying to solve tech-related problems. Lesson #1: puppies require maintenance.
In the civic tech space, we’ve heard and read about many successful — and less successful — government information technology (IT) projects. Often these stories are told from a 20,000 ft. view that is removed from those who were in the trenches building the tools themselves. …
The federal government spends a lot of money on technology — over $75 billion a year, in fact, according to a Brookings report.
What does it actually get for this investment? Sometimes, nothing. Almost half of the projects (40%) are scrapped or abandoned, according to the same report. And the vast majority (94%) are over budget or behind schedule.
The failures in this space are well-documented, and something I’ve experienced firsthand.
From what I’ve seen, the largest factor of whether or not an Information Technology (IT) project is successful, is how the acquisition strategy is set up.
I recently left…
This is part one in a series of posts exploring how we view, approach, and implement accessibility on the web.
There are over 7.5 billion human beings on planet earth. And more than half of them are internet users. It’s safe to assume that number will continue to grow as society migrates increasingly online for services — expedited in no small degree by a global pandemic. That’s over 4.6 billion unique individuals who could theoretically land on your site, which is more people than years the earth is old, according to science.
And while we can hardly expect to have…
Technology Isn’t Magic — And 4 Other Lessons Government Agencies Need to Know Before Buying Software
Is your government agency ready to buy a technology solution?
You’re getting pressure from your peer departments to buy a new technology system. You’ve secured the budget, done some research, and maybe even received a demo or 2. Your procurement team has given you a recent Request for Proposal (RFP) to start from. You steel yourself for months (years?) of implementation pains but are excited by the possibilities this new technology will bring. You’re ready to RFP! I’ve been there too. And I’m going to ask you to do the most difficult thing: PAUSE.
by Lan Nguyen and Emily Wright-Moore
Process maps help us understand complex systems, communicate effectively with stakeholders, and identify the best intervention points for improvement. Our recent post — Faced with a Complex, Multilayered Problem? Try a Process Map — delved into the value of process maps and why we love them.
Now we’re going to roll up our sleeves and walk through some basics to help you create your own process map. Once again, we’ll be using 2 examples to illustrate the steps — one about foster youth aging out of the system and one about how donated organs…
by Lan Nguyen and Emily Wright-Moore
As service designers, it’s our job to take a fresh look at complex service systems. These systems often involve long, messy processes with several actors in a multitude of interaction channels across long periods of time.
We’ve found that a process map can be a valuable tool for synthesizing what we’re learning about a system. And longer-term, it’s a tool that partners can refer to as they work to improve the process or system.
Why We Like Process Maps
It’s hard for any one actor in a complex system to see the full picture well enough to identify the…
Pollinator
Notes from the field on using design, data + tech to serve people better
