1.
BUILDING A UX STRATEGY
FOR EUROPE
A case study of the Digital Transformation
programme of the European Commission.
Annie Stewart | annie.stewart@internetarchitects.be | @AnnieStewart

2.
CHALLENGE
1.

3.
THE BRUSSELS BUBBLE
Challenge…

4.
A POLITICAL INSTITUTION
Challenge…

5.
DECENTRALISED AND SILOD
Challenge…

6.
CONTENT CHAOS
Challenge…

7.
BRIEF
2.

8.
THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
TEAM
We
are
here.
Brief…

9.
9
Brief
A digital platform for the Commission
› Relevant to users
› Coherent
› Cost-efficient

10.
STRATEGY…
3.

11.
HOW WE WORK
3.

12.
Strategy:
“An adaptation that serves an
important function in achieving
evolutionary success.”

13.
BOTTOM-UP AND TOP-DOWN
How we work…

14.
METHODICAL AND AGILE
How we work…

15.
BROAD AND NARROW SCOPE
How we work…

16.
16
How we work
ENTIRE
COMMISSION

17.
17
How we work
Product,
service,
UX
Governance,
process
Vision,
culture
ENTIRE
COMMISSION

18.
18
How we work
Product,
service,
UX
Governance,
process
Vision,
culture
ENTIRE
COMMISSION
5
Digital
is
at
the
heart
of
policy
and
strategy.
Services
are
digital
by
default.
Digital
culture
is
strong:
agile,
user-­‐centred,
innovaIve,
responsive.
4
Senior
management
have
made
significant
progress
in
delivering
the
vision
and
plan,
implemenIng
new
capability
and
trialling
it
successfully
by
re-­‐engineering
a
range
of
services
to
be
digital
by
default.
3
Senior
management
in
place
with
a
remit
to
set
targets,
develop
over-­‐arching
vision
and
plan,
and
develop
necessary
capability
and
culture.
Digital
is
seen
as
a
key
transformaIon
and
advocacy
is
strong
at
key
parts
of
the
organisaIon.
2
Some
digital
services,
but
o6en
of
limited
quality.
Digital
teams
in
place
but
tend
to
be
siloed
in
business
units
or
service/programme
teams
and
have
limited
budget
and
remit.
Senior
(board
level)
digital
management
not
in
place.
1
No
awareness
of
digital
capability,
no
resources
allocated,
no
digital
strategy,
plan
or
metrics,
no
understanding
of
best
pracIce,
no
digital
services.

19.
APPROACH
4.

20.
USER TASKS AND BUSINESS GOALS
Approach…

21.
22
Approach
Rank the user tasks

22.
23
Approach
Structure the content
Top tasks methodology
Teaching the Commission to let users lead
EducaIon
News,
PublicaIons,
Events
EU
Regional
&
Urban
Investment
Research
&
InnovaIon
About
the
EU
Food
&
Farming
Funding
&
Tenders
Business,
economy
Jobs
at
the
European
Commission
Strategy
Live,
Work,
Travel
in
EU
StaIsIcs
Law
Environment
Aid,
Human
Rights

23.
24
Approach
Content strategy: tasks + goals
USER
TASKS
BUSINESS
GOALS

24.
DEMONSTRATE AND EDUCATE
Approach…

25.
26
Approach
Commissioner pages

26.
27
Approach
Public beta

27.
28
Approach
Own the success metrics
› Don’t compete with existing metrics, make your own
› Make sucess a publishing criteria

28.
STRATEGY
5.

29.
3030
Strategy
The relationship between the
Commission and its users
› This is our audience
› This is what they want
› This is how the Commission needs to see themselves

30.
CITIZENS
Assumed online audience…

31.
PROFESSIONALS
Actual online audience…

32.
3333
What the users want
Assumed and actual user needs
EC EMPLOYEES
Funding, grants, subsidies
Working in an EU country
Jobs, traineeships
Complaints
About the EC

33.
3434
What the users want
Assumed and actual user needs
EC EMPLOYEES USERS
Funding, grants, subsidies EU Law
Working in an EU country Research and innovation
Jobs, traineeships Funding, grants, subsidies
Complaints Education and training
About the EC Strategy, political priorities

34.
SERVICE PROVIDERS
Position…

35.
3636
Strategy
Set the programme strategy
› Focus on architecture and audience, then on services
› Create governance around user tasks
› Align vision and culture around correct audience and
positioning

36.
3737
Strategy
From information to services
Content
transiIon
User
research
Service
design
Digital
maturity
1
2
3
4
5

37.
If you want to build a strategy,
don’t start with strategy.