CUTGroup 9 - Foodborne Chicago Final Report

CUTGroup 9 – Foodborne Chicago
In-person Test on April 14, 2014
Overview:
For our ninth Civic User Testing session, we tested Foodborne Chicago, an app that searches Twitter
for tweets related to food poisoning and helps report these incidents to the Chicago Department of
Public Health.
Target Group:
On April 9, we sent out an e-mail to all of our 754 CUTGroup participants. When segmenting for our
group, we were interested in:
• Twitter users – focusing on heavy users, and users that have at least 100 tweets
• A mixed group from all areas of Chicago - we want to have approximately 2/3 of the group from
the Southside, 1/3 of the group from the North and West sides
• Participants who go out to eat often
Test Type:
• Three 30-45 minute focus group sessions
• Each session had 5-6 to people
• Testers answered questions via a form so they had a chance to form their own opinions before
the group discussion
• Next, we asked testers to tell us their answers and then we asked additional questions as part
of a group discussion
Questions:
• How do users feel about responding to a random tweet?
• Does the form require too much information?
• Would users feel better or worse if there was more Chicago Department of Public Health or
311 visibility? This could include visibility through Twitter handles, domain names, and logos
• Why do residents on the South side of Chicago not respond as often as residents from other
Chicago neighborhoods?
1

Results:
18 testers participated in the focus group and gave us their feedback. Below are our notes from tester’s
feedback from the test evening, and from listening to the tests again and adding additional notes.
Session 1
Background
Seat 1:
Tester Profile: Things that Matter
Neighborhood: Greater Avalon Neighborhood
Primary device: Laptop and phone - tie (both not Mac)
Favorite restaurant: Simply It on Lincoln Ave near DePaul
Seat 2:
Tester profile: Mowgli
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Primary device: Android Phone
Favorite restaurant: Sun-wah
Seat 3:
Tester profile: B
Neighborhood: Chicago Lawn
Primary device: Laptop/cell phone
Favorite restaurant: Golden Corral
Seat 4:
Tester profile: Just having fun!
Neighborhood: North Lawndale
Primary device: Laptop/house computer/phone
Favorite restaurant: Mimi’s cafe
Seat 5:
Tester profile: Bakunin
Neighborhood: 60605 (Downtown)
Primary device: iPhone (recent convert from LG android phone)
Favorite restaurant: Three Forks (Steakhouse), Alices (Fried Chicken)
General Twitter Use
How do you currently use Twitter and what are the types of things you tweet about?
2

Mowgli: Skim for articles and follows people that post interesting news and then retweets this
type of information
Things that Matter: no pop culture, disseminating information, tips about career information
B: News
Just having Fun!: Tweets about everything and anything
Bakunin: Connects Twitter to Instagram and Facebook, does not use Twitter to review, only
to generate content
Do you normally interact with Twitter on your computer or on a mobile device?
B: Likes to tweet when out with friends, and uses mobile
Things that Matter: Laptop
Bakunin: Laptop
Mowgli: Mobile phone
Just having Fun!: “I want to tweet right now”
What would be your normal course of action if someone you did not recognize tweeted at you?
B: “I don’t respond.” - tweetd with group of friends to keep communication
Just having Fun!: “I just tweet with the people I know” - not with strangers
Bakunin: Has tweeted with strangers
Things that Matter: don’t have any problems tweeting with strangers because it’s a
networking opportunity - “depends on the subject matter” (self-improvement, spirituality,
career, new development, tips for successful, “something that is practical and useful”...)
Mowgli: Contacted with strangers before to expand network, “most strangers that tweet at
me are spammers”
Can you tell me about a positive experience you had with an organization through social media?
Bakunin: What’s Chicago; went to a restaurant and they retweeted/favorited tweet; “ego set in
that someone noticed it”
Things that Matter: Sold-out concert, but if she retweeted something that she could win
something
Mowgli: Tweeted about a place having the ‘best veggie burger’ and had a tweet from a
competitor saying “We’ll take that bet!”
Foodborne Chicago Tweets
3

What would your initial reaction be if you got this tweet?
B: “I’m not going there!” Wants to share on Everyblock and wants to let people everyone
know not to go there
Just having Fun!: Wanted to know name of restaurant to see who would avoid it. Would
follow link to see where it was coming from
Things that Matter: Proactive and timely information, “Is it legitimate?” I want to know
what organization it is coming from
Mowgli: “If I got food poisoning it would be my own fault.” “I would be kind of hesitant”
but it looks official. Would check it out. Looks official because it says Chicago in the name,
and assumes it is a local initiative
Everyone had food poisoning in this group
If you have had food poisoning, what actions if any did you take to report it?
Mowgli: Just dealt with it
Just having Fun!: Did not report it, but did tell people through social media outlets
B: Reputation created from a suspect restaurant
Bakunin: If had food poisoning, thinks this looks official due to red cross and the name,
Chicago
4

Which of these tweets would you be most responsive to?
Things that Matter: The first one because “it ties the app, situation and solution to Chicago
Health Department,” which is important - important that the data is being collected by the
people that actually do something out
Best would be combining #1 & #3 - everyone would be benefit
Bakunin: Third one seemed like there was a registry of places that had food poisoning - “if it’s
linked to politics, it doesn’t carry that much weight as the power of social media…” First one
does seem official, but more people tweeting adds to legitimacy from the people that are there
vs. “the eye in the sky”
• gives example of traffic on Dan Ryan would be more effective hearing from people
because they are in the middle of it vs. a tweet from ABC News
B: Health Department gives “a little more credibility”
Just having Fun!: First one
What would be the first thing you do if you got one of these tweets?
Mowgli: I would check out Twitter profile out first
5

Things that Matter, B, Just having fun!, Bakunin: Click link
Is there anyone else you rather get a tweet from if its about food poisoning?
Bakunin: Chicago Health Department or if he knew that this was the “independent watchdog”
for the Chicago Health Department to give it credibility
B: Getting info from other people - references how EveryBlock shares food inspection
Mowgli: First tweet shows most concern for the individual - “most reassuring to me” - if I
didn’t know about smartchicagoapps already, I am not sure I would want to click that
Things that Matter: Interested in what other smartchicagoapps info has, but foodborne illness
is a crisis and might not investigate at that time.
Foodborne Chicago Form
How do you feel about filling out this form/giving this information?
6

Bakunin: “Would this form be already filled in?” - it’s my civic duty, wants them to call and
agrees with #1 about the language of “the city” - I don’t want to get anyone in trouble..but you
did just make me sick
Just having Fun!: “I would fill it out in a heartbeat” interested in seeing if they followed up
Things that Matter: “How can the City reach you?” sounds big-brotherish or ominous -
prefers “How would you like to be reached?” - already have the trust if someone has clicked the
link and filled out the form already… “It’s not the Health department, it’s ‘The city’ which has a
certain type of connotation” to it… this sounds more political
Sometimes wants to be anonymous with 311, but wants to be followed up but wants the
language to be more inviting
B: I think the city seems so wide - we’d want more information, should be more specific
towards that agency
Is there anything that would make you feel more comfortable filling out this form?
Bakunin: There should be a city seal on the site - to show it’s official, and give it authenticity
It’s not always the best thing to put a full name - does not want to be associated with shutting
down a business and being traced back to him
Things that Matter: Required information: initials or part of name to submit rather than full
name. Might want to put an e-mail address and may not want to put phone… wants to write
whatever she wants
Would you be more likely to submit this form on a mobile device or on a computer?
All: mixed reaction, seems not to matter
Mowgli: Laptop due to being comfortable with keyboard
Q&A
Does this information change your feelings about filling out the form?
B: I wasn’t aware that this existed - always calls 311. Never bothered to go to Web site.
Confirms that this is official
Just having Fun!: References past 311 experience and receiving confirmation number -
“surprised they actually fixed the problem”
Bakunin: “it gave me more confidence.” Looked at privacy policy and loved that information.
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Would you want to see this information elsewhere? - additional question
Mowgli: “Are you directed to this page after you fill out the form?” Made him feel less
comfortable. Not sure what Smart Chicago is based on the site and does not know what the
entity structure is - not sure what is happening to the data between submitted him and reaching
the city
Needs to have a straight-forward connection to the City
Likes source code but only helps because he is a developer
Bakunin: Hyperlinks “what happens to your information” on privacy policy with form
Things that Matter: I think most people knows what 311 is, that info might further
encourage somebody to report food poisoning
Would you want to receive an e-mail with this type of information?
All: Mixed reactions - no strong opinion from individuals or as group
General Foodborne Topics:
In what ways do you think Foodborne Chicago could be improved? * [Written responses]
Things that Matter: Info Q&A page Seems like a FAQ and would be better if named as such.
Include city related-logos and seals on all webpages to emphasize relationship and connection to
city health dept & city services like 311.
Mowgli: The name "Foodborne" induces a kind of negative feeling, being associated with
disease, of course. It's less about the illness and more about the reporting system, isn't it? The
privacy policy could be highlighted as well as SmartChicago's connection with the city.
Just having fun!: To me it is fine but for it to be more effective if they provided information
about the complaints that people have lodged against the restaurants and what action was taken.
Bakunin: More legible association with the City of Chicago. FAQs in short form along side the
form. City Seal (for symbolism) on form.
Is there anything that they can do better to make you feel more inclined to interact with them or
report food poisoning?
Things that Matter: Would be interesting to have a tracker of results (quantitative data)
Bakunin: Add the City seal!
8

Session 2:
Names:
Seat 1:
Tester profile: OnePresence
Neighborhood: Chatham
Primary device: iPad
Favorite restaurant: Catch 35
Seat 2:
Tester profile: slackerdiva
Neighborhood: Auburn Gresham
Primary device: iPhone 4S
Favorite restaurant: A10
Seat 3:
Tester profile: Foodlover
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Primary device: Laptop / Phone
Favorite restaurant: Native Foods
Seat 4:
Tester profile: Spouse of food poison victim
Neighborhood: Hyde Park (these tests were never down here)
Primary device: iPhone
Favorite restaurant: The Snail on 55th - good thai food/BYOB
Seat 5:
Tester profile: Andersonville
Neighborhood: Andersonville
Primary device: Android phone (“It’s not special”)
Favorite restaurant: “I don’t eat at the same place twice”
General Twitter Use
slackerdiva “I use it sometimes to stalk celebrities” - if they are in Chicago, you’ll know where
they are. Nick Cannon was DJ’ing at Harris Club. In PR “want to know what is happening”
Spouse of food poison victim: Follow personal interests, local news, things going out in the
neighborhood, concerts/music events - commutes on train and tweets during that time. Don’t
follow many celebrities
Also a means of communication with community leaders and companies. Ex: AT&T if dissatisfied
would tweet, to get problem fixed faster - way to complain
Foodlover Use it for bigger political events to know what is happening in real time. Also gives
shoutouts to local businesses
Andersoville: Also gives shout outs to local businesses, and retweets is a giveaway
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OnePresence: use twitter as an “effective search engine to get a sense of the conversations in
certain topic and at a certain time”; sharing device (Twitter, LinkedIn, and sometimes Facebook);
uses it at events to live-tweet to contribute to the conversation or to share information who
might not be at the event
Foodlover Both
slackerdiva Both - but likes laptop due to larger screen
Spouse of food poison victim: Mobile - tweetdeck to load things up during the work week
Andersoville: Looks at their twitter profile, usually spam - “as a whole I usually ignore it”
slackerdiva Check them out
Spouse of food poison victim: If they ask me a question, would reply at them. If it’s random,
“look at the profile and move on”
Spouse of food poison victim: ChooseChicago picked up and used photos
Andersoville: Usually direct messaging with them as a faster means of communication
slackerdiva Internet problem with AT&T was solved after @replying AT&T - companies
“recognize the power of tweets”
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Spouse of food poison victim: I would want to know who that organization is “it looks legit”
- topic that not too many people talk about on Twitter, clean & simple logo (red cross and
Chicago star) - link to Smart Chicago apps
Andersoville: I don’t click on links, due to having a slow phone - Tweet language This doesn’t
sound good. This might help: [link] “sounds like porn to me”
Foodlover: “That’s creepy a little bit”
Spouse of food poison victim: Wife had food poisoning for 12 days, did not know what to
do - there was no action they could take
A few testers indicated they were young when they got food poisoning
Do you normally tweet about being ill? Would you tweet about food poisoning if it happened to
you?
Andersoville: Live-tweets about mundane things - “it’s the only thing twitter is useful for”
Foodlover: “I wouldn’t”
slackerdiva Would because wants to share knowledge with others
Spouse of food poison victim: “You can’t say anything about the place you got [food
poisoning] from” because restaurants blame suppliers. Bad-mouth a place can lead to
repercussions “it’s get legal very quick”
slackerdiva Questioned this re: repercussions due to a freedom of speech issue
Spouse of food poison victim: Not sure, but concerned about legal. Restaurant became very
defensive: “It’s our suppliers! Don’t sue us, sue them!”; grey area
slackerdiva “I’d be hardcore and tweet it anyway”
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Spouse of food poison victim: First one - “sounds authoritative”
OnePresence: First one - people would want to be protected from a similar experience;
sometimes links are shortened and not sure about links. If it’s bit.ly something, then won’t click
Andersonville: Would not click link even with different language because not sure about
where it goes (smartchicagoapps.org)
Has multiple twitters, public one and one for complaints
slackerdiva Agrees with first one
Foodlover: Definitely first one - “Sorry to hear you are ill - shows compassion” - ties it to a
public health issue
Is there anyone else you rather get a tweet from if its about food poisoning? Other health-
related topics?
Andersonville: Department of Health, maybe - would click link from Department of Health.
No one else added their comments
12

OnePresence: If people are submitting information. “Is there a statement how this information
is being used?” Data will not be stored, this data is being used in certain ways. Use
statement/privacy policy
Spouse of food poison victim: Privacy policy
Andersonville: Separate link to privacy policy; right amount of information on the page - likes
the link to “more info here”
Spouse of food poison victim: Disagrees with above statement, thinks more information
should be on first page
Andersonville: If too much information, eyes gloss over it - Smart Chicago Collaborative “in
conjunction with Chicago Health department”
slackerdiva “Who is this Foodborne Chicago affiliated with?” Is it a Health department
initiative?
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Re: giving information on the form
Andersonville: Appreciate anonymity of the internet and depends on how angry he is about
the situation - not sure if wants a response
Spouse of food poison victim: “That’s tough” - part of him wants a paper trail of the
situation (law settlement from wife’s experience, but could not track it) - interested in this
helping citizens keep records
Andersonville: Believes that with Spouse of food poison victim’s situation, the doctor/hospital
would have to report it and this form is “minor”
Spouse of food poison victim: When I asked him about reporting it, he said he didn’t
have to
Foodlover: “I don’t know if I would because I am not sure what the effect would be”
slackerdiva Are these people advocates for me?
[What do you think it does from this initial page?]
Spouse of food poison victim: Notifies something is going on somewhere - “are you going to
share that with the public” to not go somewhere - “it’s hard to say not go somewhere”
slackerdiva Would do it but wants a response quickly
Spouse of food poison victim: Like an auto-reply with a case number
OnePresence: Consumers are creating some record of an incident - “a legitimate report” - if
many people fill this out you get crowd-sourced legitimacy
Also want to see progress/tally to see what Foodborne has done. Twitter feed on the page -
adds credibility and tells him that it’s current/on-going and allows him to appreciate what
Foodborne Chicago is doing
Foodlover: Still not sure what happens, and you get a tracker number “but what does the city
do? what does the 311 system do?”
slackerdiva Interested in Github piece - Open311 lends credibility and very interested in this
part - it’s trackeable/measurable “that’s cool”
Very interested in the Service Tracker - likes the 311 component
Interested in blog to give static information spot (vs. Twitter feed idea)
Do you normally look at FAQ in your normal use of Web sites? – additional question
Spouse of food poison victim: For something health related, would look at FAQ - consumer
web sites he wouldn’t
Urgency would not explore a Web site
14

slackerdiva Sometimes only if she has a pressing question
slackerdiva Yes, interested in privacy policy (1,2,4 interested in seeing this on the first page)
Spouse of food poison victim: Yes
Andersonville: “How instantaneous is it?”
In what ways do you think Foodborne Chicago could be improved?
OnePresence: Maybe there could be a dashboard that summarizes trends in food issues in
Chicago.
Slackerdiva: Show me success stories. Show me what concrete actionable steps were taken
that aided individuals in the city from 2 weeks of gastrointestinal nightmares.
FoodLover: Make link to health dept more blatant. Define expectations of what happens if I fill
out the form. Greater awareness of the app so people know it's legit.
Spouse of food poison victim: Getting the word out on the program is the most important
thing at this point, as I feel like a pretty engaged city resident, but have never heard of the
organization. I also think highlighting the collaboration with the City's Department of Health is
important.
Andersonville: I [think] that it is useful, the problem is that it is not very well known, so a site
like this can be mistaken as something else. If the .org was a .gov instead, it would be more
helpful.
How do you feel about Foodborne Chicago?
OnePresence: Glad it doesn’t ask for a location because tired of answering NO!
Andersonville: Agrees with this, it’s annoying
OnePresence: Interested in resources to know if you have food poisoning vs. flu or other
illness
15

Session 3:
Background:
Seat 1:
Tester profile: Natam99
Neighborhood: Bronzeville
Favorite restaurant: Panda Express
Seat 2:
Tester profile: Alpha Man
Neighborhood: “The Gap”
Primary device: Cell phone
Favorite restaurant: Pearl’s Place (39th/Michigan)
Seat 3:
Tester profile: Foodie
Neighborhood: (came late)
Primary device:
Favorite restaurant:
Seat 4:
Tester profile: LadyJ24
Neighborhood: West Pullman
Favorite restaurant: Cheesecake Factory
Seat 5:
Tester profile: EhiAyoko
Neighborhood: South Shore
Primary device: Laptop
Favorite restaurant: Eyonze (African)
General Twitter Use
Alpha Man: Belongs to social service agencies, uses Twitter to follow event and to send out
relevant information
EhiAyoko: Works in tech/social economic justice, tries to tweet as much as possible. If bad
things happen in Chicago, retweet so people know
Natam99: Tweets about events that hosting
LadyJ24 News, current events, favorite stores for deals, retweets a lot - don’t post personal
things on Twitter, uses Facebook for that
Foodie: About son’s basketball games
16

Alpha Man: Mostly cell phone
Foodie: Mostly cell, but sometimes uses computer when some people direct message
EhiAyoko: Looks at picture and checks whether or not it is an ad
Alpha Man: Uses “Who is” - most of the time it’s people he knows or heard about
LadyJ24 If it’s spam, doesn’t add it
Foodie: Checks to see if it’s something for work, generally people following are connected with
son’s school, work, or basketball
Alpha Man: With NAACP and received a lot of retweets for the “get out and vote” stuff,
EhiAyoko: Tweet for organization works, and it’s good to get new followers - feels like she is
doing something good
LadyJ24 Likes to stay current
EhiAyoko: If foodborne asked a question that would make her more likely to open a link.
Sometimes when people send a link she automatically thinks it’s spam, but if they ask a question,
then that would make it seem like a person behind the tweet. “Where did you get food
poisoning?” and then if she responds, then send the link.
Natam99: ask a question versus to send a link
Alpha Man: Definitely would not open if on computer, maybe open it on the phone. If on the
computer would check to see if the link is real.
LadyJ24: Not sure if she would click the link because it didn’t give enough information: “This
can help” - what is “this”
17

Foodie: Only time clicks on links in on mobile because of viruses don’t affect phones the same
way as computers
Natam99: Reported it by calling the restaurant, but they didn’t want to take responsibility
because no one else reported it
Do you normally tweet about being ill? Would you tweet about food poisoning if it happened to
you?
LadyJ24: Complain @companies
Foodie: Mostly would do that on Facebook because Twitter profile is generally locked .
Facebook a way to give friends a heads up and then can comment on it. The same level of
interaction does not work on Twitter unless they “star something” not sure if something is
beneficial to someone else, it’s not as easy to get feedback
EhiAyoko: Used to report bad restaurants, and once reported a bad dentist and then someone
started harassing her, and so she stopped
Alpha Man: Would not report on Twitter, but might report on Facebook. Has more friends
on Facebook that would want to inform vs. on Twitter
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EhiAyoko: Combination of the first and third one. “Sorry to hear you’re ill. Where did you eat.
Let us know here:” It was hard to choose
Alpha Man: The middle one, I wouldn’t use (others agreed)
First and third because it apologizes first, then asks a question, and then gives advice
LadyJ24: The third one because it includes a question. Seems more concerned than the other
statements
Foodie: Agree the third one is the most appealing
What would be the first thing you do if you got one of these tweets?
Natam99: Would click on it
Alpha Man: Still would check it out first, and would click on it (using phone)
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Alpha Man: would fill it out, especially if he was sick. “I would need to report it”
“Just don’t be asking me my address” then something would going on
Natam99: it’s not asking for too much information so she would fill it out
Assumes that they would call to find out more information/details
EhiAyoko: Had a question about if she did not remember the address but knew the
intersection, if the form could still be submitted
Everyone feels comfortable with giving this type of information
From what you know so far, what do you think happens to your information after submitting the
form?
Alpha Man: Hoping that somebody from the department of health checks on it
EhiAyoko: “Since the city requires some information” believes that the right people are going
to get this information
20

Natam99: Depends on what I am using at that time
EhiAyoko: If it’s responsive, then might use the phone.
Alpha Man: Phone
LadyJ24: Computer
Does anything stand out to you on this page that you have more questions about? Or that you
are curious about?
Alpha Man: Nice and simple
Natam99: Agrees, think the form is short
EhiAyoko: Likes how the project works and provides that information
LadyJ24: Likes the Q&A
LadyJ24: It’s a nice follow-up after filling out information. They might get in touch, and likes
that follow-up
Feels more comfortable filling out the form
Alpha Man: Clicked 311 Service tracker, wants a follow-up
Foodie: Wanted to see an option to anonymously complain vs receiving a follow-up
Natam99: Wanted to know when people will respond (24-48 hours) in order to know when
to check
Participants wanted more information on the first page
Everyone feels comfortable with receiving an e-mail
Natam99: Giving the customer a time frame of when someone is going to response
Alpha Man: Advertise this information out to the community so that people know about it.
Foodie: Maybe just add the info about the 311 link so I can follow up and see my report was
made. A Facebook presence would capture a wider range of ages of people.
LadyJ24: Advertising and follow- up procedures.
21

EhiAyoko: Have a Facebook page or blog Somehow ensure that the users you connect with
feel safe when reporting incidents on twitter.
Is there anything that they can do better to make you feel more inclined to interact with them or
report food poisoning?
Alpha Man: More advertising to know about Foodborne Chicago
Access inspection information about places
Foodie: Community events for more recognition
EhiAyoko: Is there a Facebook? “There should be!” (or a blog) to have a discussion
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Conclusions
How do users feel about responding to a random tweet?
Foodborne Chicago uses computers and code to search Twitter for tweets related to food poisoning in
Chicago. Then real humans review the tweets and @reply back to people with a link to the Foodborne
Chicago page and form. We were interested how users might react to receiving a random tweet from
someone they do not know. We learned a few different things:
Twitter is used as a private communications network. Twitter is used as a private means of
communication even though their tweets are public. Twitter users tend to connect with people they
know or who are in their network. Most testers were not sure about responding to "strangers" since
most of the time they are considered to be spammers.
Twitter handle & logo helps. We showed testers the above tweet, which was a tweet that was
commonly used when responding to user's food poisoning tweets. A lot of people reacted strongly and
were uncomfortable clicking the link for multiple reasons, including the fact that:
 "This might help" was not descriptive
 Testers did not know what foodborne.smartchicagoapps.org led to
 Were surprised that someone they didn't know would tweet at that about food poisoning
Even though this was the case, multiple testers remarked that Foodborne Chicago still looked legitimate
because of "Chicago" being part of the name, and the "clean and simple logo."
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Tweets should have three elements: compassion, question, and an official element. We shared
two additional responses (see above) that Foodborne Chicago has tweeted. Some testers felt more
likely to respond to strangers if they pose a question rather than a statement. Overwhelmingly, testers
would be more likely to respond to the first option.
Does the form require too much information?
When we created this test, we thought that the form might have too many fields and users would not
want to fill it out. We learned that users were very likely to fill out the form, and users liked that it was
a simple form and did not require too much information. Bakunin thought that it was his "civic duty" to
fill out this form to make sure others do not get sick. What we did learn was that while we were not
asking too much information on the form, testers still had question about our privacy policy and the
process.
Would users feel better or worse if there was more Chicago Department of Public Health
or 311 visibility?
Testers were interested in a stronger connection to the City of Chicago, the Chicago Department of
Public Health and 311. During the test, we directed testers to look at the Q&A page that gives
information about what happens after the form is completed and the privacy policy. The majority of
24

testers liked that by submitting this form they would be creating a 311 request and would receive a
tracker number. One tester, B, told us:
"I wasn't aware that this existed, I always call 311. I never bothered to go to Web site. [This] confirms that
this is official."
Testers wanted to see relevant logos on the Web site to emphasize the connections to the Chicago
Department of Public Health and 311.
Why do residents on the South side of Chicago not respond as often as residents from
other Chicago neighborhoods?
As mentioned before, Twitter users see Twitter as a way to connect with people they know, or are
within in their circles whether that be their friends, their work, or their community. From this test, we
learned that we need to find ways to become part of more networks by engaging with more people on
our topic. By connecting with individuals and organizations and advertising what Foodborne Chicago
does, we will be able to grow our network and become a part of other people's. We are interested in
connecting with community groups and other organizations that are trusted in these networks to help
facilitate information and increase the credibility of Foodborne Chicago.
Next Steps
We are taking steps to make changes to increase submissions of the forms:
Change the Tweet
We immediately changed the tweet language to include compassion and an official component - the
Chicago Health Department. We also added a Twitter card in order to provide more detail about
information being sent through the Chicago 311 service.
URL Update
We also changed the URL to www.foodbornechicago.org and removed the .smartchicagoapps.org. This
extra component of the Web site had a lot of questions from testers, and testers were unsure about
the link.
25

Be more Official
Here are some ways we are thinking of doing this on the Web site:
 We changed the header information to include Chicago Department of Public Health
 We are considering ways to incorporate the relevant logos on the homepage
More about Process
Testers felt more comfortable with the form and the process of providing their information after
reading the Q&A page. We made a few steps to make this clearer:
 We added a link to our privacy policy right on the form
 We changed the language on the form from "How can the City reach you?" to "How can the
Chicago Department of Public Health reach you?" in order to be clearer about who would
contact users
 We are planning to make changes to the home page to show the process in a couple of easy
steps
 We want to add data about the number of food inspections resulting from Foodborne to header
on homepage because testers wanted to see a tracker of quantitative data as a way to show
impact of what this site has done
Being part of more Networks
The final step is figuring out ways to be part of more people's networks so that they feel comfortable
clicking the link and submitting the form. We are interested in learning about common organizations or
individuals that people have in common to see about who we can reach for a large impact. By
connecting with these organizations or individuals, we can build credibility in different communities.
26

Session 1 – Individual responses
Tester Profile for Seat #1
Seat #: 1
Tester Profile (given by tester): Things that matter
Neighborhood: Greater Avalon Neighborhood
Screening Questions:
How many total tweets do you have on Twitter? 30
How often do you go out to eat in a week? 3 or more times a week
Primary device: Laptop and phone (not Mac)
General Twitter Questions
How do you currently use Twitter? What are the types of things you tweet about?
Written:
I typically tweet articles of interest to share info.
In group:
No pop culture, disseminates information, tips about career information
Laptop
What would be your normal course of action if someone you did not recognize tweeted at
you?
Does not have any problems tweeting with strangers because it’s a networking opportunity - “depends
on the subject matter” (self-improvement, spirituality, career, new development, tips for successful,
“something that is practical and useful”...)
Can you tell me about a positive experience you had with an organization through social
media?
Sold-out concert, but if she retweeted something that she could win something
Written:
Seems like proactive and timely information about an important situation. However, it doesn't appear to
be from an official organization which undermines importance of tweet. I am less likely to investigate
further without knowing the source of info or tweet.
27

In group:
Proactive and timely information, “Is it legitimate?” I want to know what organization it is coming from
No response
Written:
1st tweet which mentions Chgo health dept. because it makes info. and website/app seem more
legitimate.
In group:
The first one because “it ties the app, situation and solution to Chicago Health Department,” which is
important - important that the data is being collected by the people that actually do something out
Best would be combining #1 & #3 - everyone would be benefit
What would be the first thing you do if you one of these tweets?
Click link
Is there anyone else you rather get a tweet from if it is about food poisoning?
Interested in what other smartchicagoapps info has, but foodborne illness is a crisis and might not
investigate at that time.
Written:
I would fill out form since it captures pertinent details that might be useful.
In group:
“How can the City reach you?” sounds big-brotherish or ominous - prefers “How would you like to be
reached?” - already have the trust if someone has clicked the link and filled out the form already… “It’s
not the Health department, it’s ‘The city’ which has a certain type of connotation” to it… this sounds
more political
Sometimes wants to be anonymous with 311, but wants to be followed up but wants the language to be
more inviting
Required information: initials or part of name to submit rather than full name. Might want to put an e-
mail address and may not want to put phone… wants to write whatever she wants
28

From what you know so far, what do you think happens to your information after
submitting the form?
NOT ASKED
Group has mixed reaction, seems not to matter
Does anything stand out to you on this page that you have more questions about? Or that
you are curious about?
NOT ASKED
Foodborne Chicago About Page
Written:
Does not change my opinion. Link to city 311 page very helpful. Details about follow up very useful for
follow up.
I think most people knows what 311 is, that info might further encourage somebody to report food
poisoning
There was no strong opinion from anyone in the group.
General Foodborne Topics
Written:
Info Q&A page Seems like a FAQ and would be better if named as such. Include city related-logos and
seals on all webpages to emphasize relationship and connection to city health dept & city services like
311.
Is there anything that they can do better to make you feel more inclined to interact with
them or report food poisoning?
Would be interesting to have a tracker of results (quantitative data)
29

Seat #: 2
Tester Profile (given by tester): Mowgli
Neighborhood: Lakeview
How many total tweets do you have on Twitter? 9,201
Primary device: Android Phone
Written:
Mostly technology and gender/critical race theory articles. Retweets mostly.
In group:
Skim for articles and follows people that post interesting news and then retweets this type of
information
Mobile phone
you?
Contacted with strangers before to expand network, “most strangers that tweet at me are spammers”
media?
Tweeted about a place having the ‘best veggie burger’ and had a tweet from a competitor saying “We’ll
take that bet!”
Written:
I'd also never tweet anything without a properly capitalized "I."
In group:
“If I got food poisoning it would be my own fault.” “I would be kind of hesitant” but it looks official.
Would check it out. Looks official because it says Chicago in the name, and assumes it is a local initiative
30

Just dealt with it
Written:
The first shows the most concern for the individual and is reassuring as to help in official capacity.
I would check out Twitter profile out first
First tweet shows most concern for the individual - “most reassuring to me” - if I didn’t know about
smartchicagoapps already, I am not sure I would want to click that
Written:
Fairly comfortable. And I'd love to damn any restaurant that gave me food poisoning. Publicly.
No response
NOT ASKED
Laptop due to being comfortable with keyboard
NOT ASKED
Written:
I'm no longer sure what the affiliation is between Smart Chicago and the city itself. As a web developer I
guess they are using the city's API to submit the form data to the city, but even then I can't be sure.
Having their source code available helps, but I would still rather there be direct ties between
SmartChicago and The City itself.
“Are you directed to this page after you fill out the form?” Made him feel less comfortable. Not sure
what Smart Chicago is based on the site and does not know what the entity structure is - not sure
what is happening to the data between submitted him and reaching the city
Needs to have a straight-forward connection to the City
Likes source code but only helps because he is a developer
31

Written:
The name "Foodborne" induces a kind of negative feeling, being associated with disease, of course. It's
less about the illness and more about the reporting system, isn't it? The privacy policy could be
highlighted as well as SmartChicago's connection with the city.
No response
32

Seat #: 3
Tester Profile (given by tester): B
Neighborhood: Chicago Lawn
How often do you go out to eat in a week? 2 - 3 times a week
Primary device: Laptop or Cell Phone
Note: Bernita had trouble with the form, and therefore, did not fill out the written portion. She did contribute to
the group discussion.
In group:
News
Likes to tweet when out with friends, and uses mobile
you?
“I don’t respond.” - tweet with group of friends to keep communication
media?
No response
“I’m not going there!” Wants to share on Everyblock and wants to let people everyone know not to go
there
Reputation created from a suspect restaurant
In group:
Health Department gives “a little more credibility”
33

Click link
Getting info from other people - references how EveryBlock shares food inspection
In group:
I think the city seems so wide - we’d want more information, should be more specific towards that
agency
No response
NOT ASKED
NOT ASKED
In group:
I wasn’t aware that this existed - always calls 311. Never bothered to go to Web site. Confirms that this
is official
No response
No response
34

No response
35

Seat #: 4
Tester Profile (given by tester): Just having fun!
Neighborhood: North Lawndale
Primary device: Laptop/Home Computer/Phone
Written:
Just about every thing that I go through on a daily basis.
In group:
Tweets about everything and anything
“I want to tweet right now”
you?
“I just tweet with the people I know” - not with strangers
media?
No response
Written:
I would want the name of the restaurant so I could avoid it and tell all my friends about it. They did not
name the restaurant. Yes.
In group:
Wanted to know name of restaurant to see who would avoid it. Would follow link to see where it was
coming from
Did not report it, but did tell people through social media outlets
36

Written:
Number 1 because it has an official look because it says Chicago Health Dept.
In group:
First one
Click link
Most participants agreed that Chicago Health Department would be another choice.
Written:
Would do it in a heart beat.
In group:
“I would fill it out in a heartbeat” interested in seeing if they followed up
Required information: initials or part of name to submit rather than full name. Might want to put an e-
mail address and may not want to put phone… wants to write whatever she wants
NOT ASKED
NOT ASKED
Written:
No because I have called 311 a number of times and to my surprise they got in contact with me to
address the problem I reported online.
In group:
37

References past 311 experience and receiving confirmation number - “surprised they actually fixed the
problem”
No response
Written:
To me it is fine but for it to be more effective if they provided information about the complaints that
people have lodged against the restaurants and what action was taken.
38

Seat #: 5
Tester Profile (given by tester): Bakunin
Neighborhood: Downtown
Primary device: iPhone (recent convert from Android phone)
Written:
Current affairs. What I want people to know.
In group:
Connects Twitter to Instagram and Facebook, does not use Twitter to review, only to generate content
Laptop
you?
Has tweeted with strangers
media?
What’s Chicago; went to a restaurant and they retweeted/favorited tweet; “ego set in that someone
noticed it”
Written:
The word 'food borne' conjures up thoughts of "illness" or "disease" and I would click on it because it
sounds serious and I pay attention to health issues like that.
If he had food poisoning, thinks this looks official due to red cross and the name, Chicago
Written:
The 3rd one because it appears as though it is a watchdog not official.
In group:
39

Third one seemed like there was a registry of places that had food poisoning - “if it’s linked to politics, it
doesn’t carry that much weight as the power of social media…” First one does seem official, but more
people tweeting adds to legitimacy from the people that are there vs. “the eye in the sky” - gives
example of traffic on Dan Ryan would be more effective hearing from people because they are in the
middle of it vs. a tweet from ABC News
Click link
Chicago Health Department or if he knew that this was the “independent watchdog” for the Chicago
Health Department to give it credibility
Written:
Fine. A sense of civic duty.
In group:
“Would this form be already filled in?” - it’s my civic duty, wants them to call and agrees with #1 about
the language of “the city” - I don’t want to get anyone in trouble...but you did just make me sick
There should be a city seal on the site - to show it’s official, and give it authenticity
It’s not always the best thing to put a full name - does not want to be associated with shutting down a
business and being traced back to him
NOT ASKED
NOT ASKED
Written:
Yes. Would definitely fill out. Loved the privacy policy. Information is handled with care.
In group:
“it gave me more confidence.” Looked at privacy policy and loved that information.
40

Hyperlinks “what happens to your information” on privacy policy with form
Written:
More legible association with the City of Chicago. FAQs in short form along side the form. City Seal (for
symbolism) on form.
Add the City seal!
41

Session 2 – Individual Responses
Seat #: 1
Tester Profile (given by tester): OnePresence
Neighborhood: Chatham
How many total tweets do you have on Twitter? N/A
How often do you go out to eat in a week? N/A
Note: OnePresence did not follow the process of signing up for this test, and showed up with another tester.
Therefore, he did not answer the screening questions.
Written:
I use twitter to search and share. I tweet about Technology, education, business and community
development.
In group:
use twitter as an “effective search engine to get a sense of the conversations in certain topic and at a
certain time”; sharing device (Twitter, LinkedIn, and sometimes Facebook); uses it at events to live-
tweet to contribute to the conversation or to share information who might not be at the event
No response
you?
No response
media?
No response
Written:
I might think this was helpful.
42

No response
Do you normally tweet about being ill? Would you tweet about food poisoning if it
happened to you?
No response
Written:
Chicago health department adds credibility.
In group:
First one - people would want to be protected from a similar experience; sometimes links are shortened
and not sure about links. If it’s bit.ly something, then won’t click
Not asked
No response
Written:
Seems like a straight forward request form. Should include some type privacy policy statement.
In group:
If people are submitting information. “Is there a statement how this information is being used?” Data will
not be stored, this data is being used in certain ways. Use statement/privacy policy
No response
NOT ASKED
Not Asked
NOT ASKED
43

Written:
This FAQ does add additional important information that adds to the perception of credibility. Privacy is
important.
In group:
Consumers are creating some record of an incident - “a legitimate report” - if many people fill this out
you get crowd-sourced legitimacy
Also want to see progress/tally to see what Foodborne has done. Twitter feed on the page - adds
credibility and tells him that it’s current/on-going and allows him to appreciate what Foodborne Chicago
is doing
No response
Written:
Maybe there could be a dashboard that summarizes trends in food issues in Chicago.
In group:
Glad it doesn’t ask for a location because tired of answering NO!
Interested in resources to know if you have food poisoning vs. flu or other illness
No response
44

Seat #: 2
Tester Profile (given by tester): slackerdiva
Neighborhood: Auburn Gresham
How many total tweets do you have on Twitter? 4,966
Primary device: iPhone 4S
Written:
Mostly to stalk celebrities, find advanced movie screenings, keep up with my son, business trends,
fashion trends, neighborhood things but mostly thought leaders, and companies. Sharing content find out
whats happening in hyper-local news.
In group:
“I use it sometimes to stalk celebrities” - if they are in Chicago, you’ll know where they are. Nick
Cannon was DJ’ing at Harris Club. In PR “want to know what is happening”
Both - but likes laptop due to larger screen
you?
Check them out
media?
Internet problem with AT&T was solved after @replying AT&T - companies “recognize the power of
tweets”
Written:
Who are these people and are they legitimate?
No response
happened to you?
45

Would because wants to share knowledge with others
Written:
The one mentioning Chicago Health.
In group:
Agrees with first one
Not asked
No response
Written:
OK
In group:
“Who is this Foodborne Chicago affiliated with?” Is it a Health department initiative? Are these people
advocates for me?
No response
NOT ASKED
Not Asked
NOT ASKED
Written:
Yes
In group:
46

Interested in Github piece - Open311 lends credibility and very interested in this part - it’s
trackeable/measurable “that’s cool”
Very interested in the Service Tracker - likes the 311 component
Interested in blog to give static information spot (vs. Twitter feed idea)
Sometimes only if she has a pressing question
Yes, interested in privacy policy (1,2,4 interested in seeing this on the first page)
Written:
Show me success stories. Show me what concrete actionable steps were taken that aided individuals in
the city from 2 weeks of gastrointestinal nightmares.
No response
47

Seat #: 3
Tester Profile (given by tester): FoodLover
Primary device: Laptop / Phone
Written:
Catch up on current events. Tweets about politics. Tweeting great experiences with local businesses.
In group:
Use it for bigger political events to know what is happening in real time. Also gives shoutouts to local
businesses
Both
you?
No response
media?
No response
Written:
Creepy!
In group:
“That’s creepy a little bit”
No response
happened to you?
“I wouldn’t”
48

Written:
Health Department. Official. Makes it sound like a public health issue. Also shows concern for patient.
In group:
Definitely first one - “Sorry to hear you are ill - shows compassion” - ties it to a public health issue
Not asked
No response
Written:
Unsure. Not sure why I'd fill out.
In group:
“I don’t know if I would because I am not sure what the effect would be”
No response
NOT ASKED
Not Asked
NOT ASKED
Written:
Still not quite sure the purpose of making a 311 report for food poisoning.
In group:
Still not sure what happens, and you get a tracker number “but what does the city do? what does the
311 system do?”
49

No response
No response
Written:
Make link to health dept more blatant. Define expectations of what happens if I fill out the form.
Greater awareness of the app so people know it's legit.
No response
50

Seat #: 4
Tester Profile (given by tester): Spouse of food poison victim
Primary device: iPhone
Written:
I follow my personal interests and share things to do/see in the neighborhood, as well as photos.
In group:
Follow personal interests, local news, things going out in the neighborhood, concerts/music events -
commutes on train and tweets during that time. Don’t follow many celebrities
Also a means of communication with community leaders and companies. Ex: AT&T if dissatisfied would
tweet, to get problem fixed faster - way to complain
Mobile - tweetdeck to load things up during the work week
you?
If they ask me a question, would reply at them. If it’s random, “look at the profile and move on”
media?
ChooseChicago picked up and used photos
Written:
Who is Foodborne?
In group:
I would want to know who that organization is “it looks legit” - topic that not too many people talk
about on Twitter, clean & simple logo (red cross and Chicago star) - link to Smart Chicago apps
Wife had food poisoning for 12 days, did not know what to do - there was no action the could take
51

happened to you?
You can’t say anything about the place you got [food poisoning] from” because restaurants blame
suppliers. Bad-mouth a place can lead to repercussions “it’s get legal very quick”
Concerned about legal. Restaurant became very defensive: “It’s our suppliers! Don’t sue us, sue them!”;
grey area
Written:
The Health Department one, as it sounds the most official.
In group:
First one - “sounds authoritative”
Not asked
No response
Written:
I may do it, but would want a privacy policy/terms of use.
In group:
Privacy policy
Re: giving information on the form: “That’s tough” - part of him wants a paper trail of the situation (law
settlement from wife’s experience, but could not track it) - interested in this helping citizens keep
records
No response
NOT ASKED
Not Asked
NOT ASKED
52

Written:
Definitely provides more details as to what is happening once you report an incident. Lends more
credibility, but someone with food poisoning may not have the patience to go through each page on the
site.
For something health related, would look at FAQ - consumer web sites he wouldn’t
Urgency would not explore a Web site
Yes
Written:
Getting the word out on the program is the most important thing at this point, as I feel like a pretty
engaged city resident, but have never heard of the organization. I also think highlighting the
collaboration with the City's Department of Health is important.
No response
53

Seat #: 5
Tester Profile (given by tester): Andersonville
Neighborhood: Andersonville
How often do you go out to eat in a week? Once a week
Primary device: Android phone (“It’s not special”)
Written:
I have two accounts, one that is privatized and interacts with friends, the other is public and interacts
with businesses and human profiles/ and also enter giveaways.
In group:
Also gives shout outs to local businesses, and retweets is a giveaway
No response
you?
Looks at their twitter profile, usually spam - “as a whole I usually ignore it”
media?
Usually direct messaging with them as a faster means of communication
Written:
I hate clicking links, I would be annoyed. I prefer more of a sympathetic answer.
In group:
I don’t click on links, due to having a slow phone - Tweet language This doesn’t sound good. This might
help: [link] “sounds like porn to me”
No response
happened to you?
55

Live-tweets about mundane things - “it’s the only thing twitter is useful for”
Written:
The first one, it seems more authoritative and helpful. It offers a solution.
In group:
Would not click link even with different language because not sure about where it goes
(smartchicagoapps.org)
Has multiple twitters, public one and one for complaints
Not asked
Department of Health, maybe - would click link from Department of Health.
Written:
I would be hesitant, i initially couldn't figure out who the information goes.
In group:
Separate link to privacy policy; right amount of information on the page - likes the link to “more info
here”
If too much information, eyes gloss over it - Smart Chicago Collaborative “in conjunction with Chicago
Health department”
No response
NOT ASKED
Not Asked
NOT ASKED
Written:
56

After perusing the site, I realize that it is official and that the information will be forwarded.
No response
“How instantaneous is it?”
Written:
I [think] that it is useful, the problem is that it is not very well known, so a site like this can be mistaken
as something else. If the .org was a .gov instead, it would be more helpful.
No response
57

Session 3 – Individual Responses
Seat #: 1
Tester Profile (given by tester): Natam99
Neighborhood: Bronzeville
Written:
I usually tweet about events that I have going on in Chicago. I also tweet about products that I sell
In group:
Tweets about events that hosting
No response
you?
No response
media?
No response
Written:
Wouldn't respond!! I not sure if it's spam or not
In group:
ask a question versus to send a link
58

Reported it by calling the restaurant, but they didn’t want to take responsibility because no one else
reported it
happened to you?
No response
Written:
The First and third because it's getting the point across
Would click on it
Not asked
Written:
Not a problem!! Simple straight too the point.
In group:
it’s not asking for too much information so she would fill it out
Assumes that they would call to find out more information/details
Not asked
No response
Depends on what I am using at that time
Think the form is short
Written:
No, I feel my issue will be taken care of.
59

In group:
Wanted to know when people will respond (24-48 hours) in order to know when to check
Everyone in the group felt comfortable with receiving an e-mail
Written:
Giving the customer a time frame of when someone is going to response
No response
60

Seat #: 2
Tester Profile (given by tester): Alpha Man
Neighborhood: “The Gap”
Written:
I'm belong to a couple of social service organizations and I use twitter to follow social happenings and to
send out relevant info to my followers.
In group:
Belongs to social service agencies, uses Twitter to follow event and to send out relevant information
Mostly cell phone
you?
Uses “Who is” - most of the time it’s people he knows or heard about
media?
With NAACP and received a lot of retweets for the “get out and vote” stuff
Written:
I would not click on the link - I might just read it for informational purposes.
In group:
Definitely would not open if on computer, maybe open it on the phone. If on the computer would check
to see if the link is real.
No response
happened to you?
61

Would not report on Twitter, but might report on Facebook. Has more friends on Facebook that
would want to inform vs. on Twitter
Written:
A combination of the 1 and 3 tweet would be the most effective. I would mostly likely maybe respond
to the first and last ones because it asks the questions sorry about your illness and how you feel and
where did you get sick.
In group:
The middle one, I wouldn’t use
First and third because it apologizes first, then asks a question, and then gives advice
Still would check it out first, and would click on it (using phone)
Not asked
Written:
I feel it is ok and not too much info.
In group:
would fill it out, especially if he was sick. “I would need to report it”
“Just don’t be asking me my address” then something would going on
Not asked
Hoping that somebody from the department of health checks on it
Phone
Nice and simple
Written:
62

It just makes me feel secure and knowing that my info about a place that gave me food poisoning is
getting reported and that there is a follow up being done.
In group:
Clicked 311 Service tracker, wants a follow-up
Written:
Advertise this information out to the community so that people know about it.
Access inspection information about places
63

Seat #: 3
Tester Profile (given by tester): Foodie
Neighborhood: Grand Boulevard
Primary device:
Written:
I use twitter to keep up with basketball info or businesses I follow
In group:
About son’s basketball games
Mostly cell, but sometimes uses computer when some people direct message
you?
Checks to see if it’s something for work, generally people following are connected with son’s school,
work, or basketball
media?
No response
Written:
I would maybe to check on my phone but I tend to avoid links from unknown sends due to spam or
viruses.
In group:
Only time clicks on links in on mobile because of viruses don’t affect phones the same way as computers
No response
happened to you?
64

Mostly would do that on Facebook because Twitter profile is generally locked . Facebook a way to give
friends a heads up and then can comment on it. The same level of interaction does not work on Twitter
unless they “star something” not sure if something is beneficial to someone else, it’s not as easy to get
feedback
Written:
I would say the first and third tweets would be what I respond to more because of the questions. The
first one gives more of a feeling of ease on clicking on the link than any of the others because it gives me
more information on what the link is about.
In group:
the third one is the most appealing
No response
Not asked
Written:
It is an appropriate amount information to ask for but not so much that I feel like it is too invasive.
Not asked
No response
No response
No response
Written:
No I would still fill out the form it actually made me feel like there would follow up on my issues.
In group:
65

Wanted to see an option to anonymously complain vs receiving a follow-up
Written:
Maybe just add the info about the 311 link so I can follow up and see my report was made. A Facebook
presence would capture a wider range of ages of people.
No response
66

Seat #: 4
Tester Profile (given by tester): LadyJ24
Neighborhood: West Pullman
How often do you go out to eat in a week? Once a week
Written:
I use twitter for news, current events, shopping deals I follow my favorite celebrities, athletes, and
stores etc. I do a lot of re tweeting and I give comments on current events. I don't use it for personal
business.
In group:
News, current events, favorite stores for deals, retweets a lot - don’t post personal things on Twitter,
uses Facebook for that
No response
you?
If it’s spam, doesn’t add it
media?
Likes to stay current
Written:
My first reaction is "what is the link?" I don not like to click random links an explanation or description
would be nice...
In group:
Not sure if she would click the link because it didn’t give enough information: “This can help” - what is
“this”
No response
67

happened to you?
Complain @companies
Written:
The third one because it seems more concerned than the others. The third tweet asked a question and
is implying click the link so you could report your incident.
In group:
The third one because it includes a question. Seems more concerned than the other statements
No response
Not asked
Written:
I feel comfortable giving out my info because the website looks legitimate. I feel like the company would
respond within a timely manner. I like that they do not ask for a lot of personal info like your address or
job. I like that they only ask for two contacts.
Not asked
No response
Computer
Likes the Q&A
Written:
The Q and A link makes me feel more comfortable because they explain the follow -up process.
68

In group:
It’s a nice follow-up after filling out information. They might get in touch, and likes that follow-up
Feels more comfortable filling out the form
Written:
Advertising and follow- up procedures.
No response
69

Seat #: 5
Tester Profile (given by tester): EhiAyoko
Neighborhood: South Shore
Primary device: Laptop
Written:
Currently tweet about events in Chicago, corresponding with my blog, retweeting important news in
the Chicago area relating to violence and social and economic justice.
In group:
Works in tech/social economic justice, tries to tweet as much as possible. If bad things happen in
Chicago, retweet so people know
No response
you?
Looks at picture and checks whether or not it is an ad
media?
Tweet for organization works, and it’s good to get new followers - feels like she is doing something
good
Written:
Spam I would prefer a more human response. Asking me a question to prompt me to respond May be
more efficient to get a user to respond.
In group:
If foodborne asked a question that would make her more likely to open a link. Sometimes when people
send a link she automatically thinks it’s spam, but if they ask a question, then that would make it seem
like a person behind the tweet. “Where did you get food poisoning?” and then if she responds, then
send the link.
70

No response
happened to you?
Used to report bad restaurants, and once reported a bad dentist and then someone started harassing
her, and so she stopped
Written:
A combination between the first and third. Sorry to hear you're ill. What did you eat? This may help
(link)
In group:
Combination of the first and third one. “Sorry to hear you’re ill. Where did you eat. Let us know here:”
It was hard to choose
No response
Not asked
Written:
For the address, if I enter an intersection will it still work For the date will "last week at 2:00pm" work
In group:
Had a question about if she did not remember the address but knew the intersection, if the form could
still be submitted
Not asked
Had a question about if she did not remember the address but knew the intersection, if the form could
still be submitted
If it’s responsive, then might use the phone.
Likes how the project works and provides that information
71

Written:
Need to know about 311 on original form.
How do you feel about Foodborne Chicago?
Written:
Have a Facebook page or blog Somehow ensure that the users you connect with feel safe when
reporting incidents on twitter.
“Is there a Facebook? “There should be!” (or a blog) to have a discussion
72

Make $20 at an in-person test of a food poisoning app.
Hi <<First Name>>
We've got a new opportunity for you to make money in the Civic User Testing Group
(CUTGroup) by testing an app.
This app helps report food poisoning incidents to the Chicago Department of Public
Health. We want to know if this app serves your needs, and how it can be improved.
Are you available for a 30-minute in-person test on Monday, April 14 between
4:00 - 7:30 PM? If so, you qualify. Complete this form to start the process.
We are in the process of gathering responses, so we will be in touch to check
availability and let you know if you have been chosen. We are looking for 15-20 testers
for this test.
For your participation, you will receive a $20 VISA gift card. You'll also help make better
software for Chicago.
Thanks for being a member of the CUTGroup! As usual, call or write with questions.
Remember: if you want to be a part of this test, please complete this form.
--
Daniel X. O'Neil
(773) 960-6045
doneil@cct.org
Subscribe Share Past Issues Translate
73

Facebook Tw itter Website
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License 2014 Smart Chicago Collaborative. unsubscribe from this list
update subscription preferences
74

CUTGroup Test: Food Poisoning App
If you would like to participate in the next CUTGroup test, please complete this form. We will follow-up to check
your availability.
Email *
Are you available for a 30-minute test on Monday, April 14
between 4:00 - 7:30 PM? *
Select one
Do you have a Twitter account? *
Select one
How many total tweets do you have on Twitter? *
Only if you want to, share your Twitter handle:
How often do you go out to eat in a week? *
Select one
75

CUTGroup 9: Foodborne Chicago
Thanks for participating in our CUTGroup test of Foodborne Chicago.
About you
First, some preliminaries. Keep in mind that we are going to publish the results of this test, but will not associate your name
or email address with the results.
App review
Let's review Foodborne Chicago!
First Last
Name *
Email *
Give yourself a tester profile. *
How do you currently use Twitter? What are the types of things
you tweet about? *
Take a look at this screenshot.
If you received a tweet like this, what would your initial reaction
be? *
76

Now take a look at this screenshot.
Out of these tweets, do you think one is more effective than the
others? Which one would you be most responsive to? Why? *
Please take a look at this form.
How do you feel about filling out this form and giving this type
of information? *
77

Please take a look at this page.
After looking at the information on this page, does this
information change your feelings about filling out the form? Why
or why not? *
In what ways do you think Foodborne Chicago could be
improved? *
78

Overall review of the CUTGroup experience
Yes
No
Do you like the CUTGroup? *
Yes
No
Did you like this CUTGroup test? *
Anything else to add?
79

CUTGroup 9 - Foodborne Chicago Final Report

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CUTGroup 9 - Foodborne Chicago Final Report