Center for Civic Design workshop on September 26, 2014 to discuss what we learned in our project and share insights, experiences, and example materials with the election officials who made this work possible by hosting our researchers
These slides are a preliminary report on work to explore what matters in the usability of electronic poll books, and how to evaluate it. They were presented at a workshop at IACREOT June 27, 2015 at Vail, Colorado.
Political polling season is kicking into high gear – and pollsters want to ensure they are getting the most accurate data possible. While much of traditional polling is done on the phone, it has proven that it is not as accurate as it once was. What can be done?
Check out the deck from our webinar, The New Polling Mix: Increasing Accuracy With Online Surveys, to learn how incorporating online surveys into your polling mix can increase your overall accuracy.
Impacts of ‘School Chooser’ Digital Tools - Eric Reese (Center for Government...mysociety
This was presented by Eric Reese from the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University at the Impacts of Civic Technology Conference (TICTeC@Taipei) in Taipei on 12th September 2017. You can find out more information about the conference here: http://civictechfest.org/agenda
Abstract:
In this time of rising inequality and urban population growth, cities face real problems trying to achieve equity in service quality and access for their residents.
Schooling presents a particularly large challenge — and when the sole determinant of which school children attend is their residential address, it can produce a spiral of unequal schooling conditions that are difficult to remedy.
One solution is the creation of specializations in schools and attendance rules that permit children to matriculate across a range of schools. Through this technique, the close relationship between housing price and school resources can somewhat loosen, the resources of wealthier families can flow to a wider array of schools, and children from less-wealthy households can gain the advantages of a more economically diverse school environment and increased choice for where their children attend school.
Civic Technology tools are playing a key role in improving the availability of information about schooling options to parents and increasing their interest in schools beyond their closest option. Eric examines the development process and effects of several “school chooser” tools currently implemented in the US and European cities of Vilnius, Boston, and Oakland.
These slides are a preliminary report on work to explore what matters in the usability of electronic poll books, and how to evaluate it. They were presented at a workshop at IACREOT June 27, 2015 at Vail, Colorado.
Political polling season is kicking into high gear – and pollsters want to ensure they are getting the most accurate data possible. While much of traditional polling is done on the phone, it has proven that it is not as accurate as it once was. What can be done?
Check out the deck from our webinar, The New Polling Mix: Increasing Accuracy With Online Surveys, to learn how incorporating online surveys into your polling mix can increase your overall accuracy.
Impacts of ‘School Chooser’ Digital Tools - Eric Reese (Center for Government...mysociety
This was presented by Eric Reese from the Center for Government Excellence at Johns Hopkins University at the Impacts of Civic Technology Conference (TICTeC@Taipei) in Taipei on 12th September 2017. You can find out more information about the conference here: http://civictechfest.org/agenda
Abstract:
In this time of rising inequality and urban population growth, cities face real problems trying to achieve equity in service quality and access for their residents.
Schooling presents a particularly large challenge — and when the sole determinant of which school children attend is their residential address, it can produce a spiral of unequal schooling conditions that are difficult to remedy.
One solution is the creation of specializations in schools and attendance rules that permit children to matriculate across a range of schools. Through this technique, the close relationship between housing price and school resources can somewhat loosen, the resources of wealthier families can flow to a wider array of schools, and children from less-wealthy households can gain the advantages of a more economically diverse school environment and increased choice for where their children attend school.
Civic Technology tools are playing a key role in improving the availability of information about schooling options to parents and increasing their interest in schools beyond their closest option. Eric examines the development process and effects of several “school chooser” tools currently implemented in the US and European cities of Vilnius, Boston, and Oakland.
Instead of trying to reduce the chaos of complexity, we can embrace it.
Instead of thinking about designing for a narrow middle of the curve, we embrace the full spectrum....from the beginning.
We can make accessibility part of innovation, not just designing products for people with disabilities but in constructing our world. We can think about how new technology can -- and does -- change society. And how we can find inspiration in extreme needs that can change the our experience.
Usability testing: rapid results when you need them. Have a question about whether a new feature or design idea works for users? It’s easy to find out early, so your design process is as responsive as your code. We'll look at ways to run quick usability test, how to find users in the wild, and when to add it to your project plan. Yes, it can be fast, good, and cheap.
Presentation at the dotgov design conference - March 27, 2015
You went to a lot of trouble to put that content online. Plain language will help your audience find it, understand it and use it. Writing clearly makes information more accessible – and usable – for people who don’t read well, are reading in a second language, or are listening to the text. That means better informed users, happier customers, and fewer angry support calls.
Updated for AccessU 2017
Long descriptions of images are in the speaker notes
Is it usable for people with disabilities?
We know a lot about how to meet the checkpoints for accessibility, but how well do you understand what makes a good experience for people with disabilities? Only getting out and seeing how people use your product will help you understand what makes it a delight to use --- or a pain. User research and usability testing should be part of your accessible UX toolkit.
What does it take to get from barrier-free to delightful experiences?
Meeting basic accessibility requirements is a critical first step. But let’s dream bigger. Let’s aim for accessible UX – great user experience for everyone. Creating innovations that include a more diverse range of interaction styles, and designs that are both inclusive and delightful starts by bringing together the whole team — from content to code. It means thinking about people, not just technology. It means finding allies and partners, new ways of working, making our tools really usable, and helping everyone manage change.
Updated May 2017
Versions presented at PhillyCHI, AccessU, IA Summit, Accessing Higher Ground
Persona Stories: Weaving together quant & qual for a richer pictureWhitney Quesenbery
Stories have power to add empathy and connection to our work. They can help us learn about people, culture, and context—why, when, and how our products might be used—and share this with a design team. Stories permeate UX techniques from user stories to storyboards. They come to full power when used with personas: the persona provides a fully envisioned lead character for the story, a perspective through which interactions can be explored, and a voice for the emotional reactions to design ideas.
Creating stories for personas is a craft. They are not fiction, but are grounded in the data and user research that informs the persona. They are not fact, but are imagined events, shaped to explore possibilities. They are realistic, but not perhaps real, because they represent not just one individual or event, but something that might happen, and that provides insights into a user experience.
These slides were used in a presentation at CHIFOO on February 5, 2014
CHIFOO members have access to the video of this presentation, with sign interpretation
http://www.chifoo.org/index.php/chifoo/events_detail/persona_stories_weaving_together_qual_and_quant_for_a_richer_picture/
Alt means alternative text. A look at how to write it, thinking about audience, content, context.
These slides are from the Accessibility Summit, 2014. Register for access to recorded sessions:
http://environmentsforhumans.com/2014/accessibility-summit
Accessible UX: Beyond the checklist to great experiencesWhitney Quesenbery
Checklists, standards, and even patterns can only make sure that basic rules are followed. Even products that meet standards can be difficult or even impossible to use.
But the questions we want to focus on are:
- How easy, useful, efficient, and delightful is this?
- Is this something people want to use?
- Is it a great experience?
Presentation at IAAP 2015, October 22, 2015
One of the simplest ways to make information more accessible is to add alternative text (alt text for short). It’s brief descriptions of images for users who can’t see them. But what to write? This is a deep dive into writing alt text that is usable and useful. You’ll learn how the right words can make images speak clearly.
Updated for AccessU and AccessU Summit 2017
Storyboarding In User Experience Workshop (at Mobile UX London)Sarah Doody
Instead of focusing on storytelling to help us tell customers the story of our product after it's built, can we use storytelling to help our teams work more efficiently during the product development process.
In this workshop, participants were taught why our current product development process is broken, how storytelling helps us work more efficiently, and how storyboarding can provide us with a tool to communicate and create with more clarity and collaboration.
Webinar - Skin in the Game: Getting Stakeholders Involved In Your UX ResearchUserZoom
View this webinar and discover who are your stakeholders?, Value of stakeholder involvement, Two audiences: your users and your stakeholders, Fitting stakeholders into each research phase, Assessing how well it’s working
The 7 minute accessibility assessment and app rating systemAidan Tierney
"Is it accessible?" When a formal assessment isn't possible, here's a framework for rapid user-centered testing with a five star rating system non-specialists will understand.
Inspired by the the work of Alex Noriega (http://www.snotm.com/) and Banksy's take on advertising (http://banksy.co.uk/) some random thoughts about brands and facebook. Images are from all over the Internet. If you see one that is yours and you want me to take it down let me know :-) http://thecuriousbrain.com/
if you want a copy pls sent me an email at thecuriousbrain (at)gmail.com
http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=e773e772-db3a-4677-8d99-ed0f53769cd6
Accessibility microinteractions: better user experience, happier developersAidan Tierney
How to create project-specific guidance on accessibility microinteractions and patterns. Users will benefit from consistent interaction. Developers love clear, achievable and testable requirements.
With the help of this powerpoint presentation, Ken Mease, discusses the advantages of various types of data sources and collection methods, including archival and secondary data, survey data, quantitative and qualitative approaches and data, and finally de jure and de facto information. The presentation was held at the Workshop on Governance Assessment Methods and Applications of Governance Data in Policy-Making (June 2009)
Instead of trying to reduce the chaos of complexity, we can embrace it.
Instead of thinking about designing for a narrow middle of the curve, we embrace the full spectrum....from the beginning.
We can make accessibility part of innovation, not just designing products for people with disabilities but in constructing our world. We can think about how new technology can -- and does -- change society. And how we can find inspiration in extreme needs that can change the our experience.
Usability testing: rapid results when you need them. Have a question about whether a new feature or design idea works for users? It’s easy to find out early, so your design process is as responsive as your code. We'll look at ways to run quick usability test, how to find users in the wild, and when to add it to your project plan. Yes, it can be fast, good, and cheap.
Presentation at the dotgov design conference - March 27, 2015
You went to a lot of trouble to put that content online. Plain language will help your audience find it, understand it and use it. Writing clearly makes information more accessible – and usable – for people who don’t read well, are reading in a second language, or are listening to the text. That means better informed users, happier customers, and fewer angry support calls.
Updated for AccessU 2017
Long descriptions of images are in the speaker notes
Is it usable for people with disabilities?
We know a lot about how to meet the checkpoints for accessibility, but how well do you understand what makes a good experience for people with disabilities? Only getting out and seeing how people use your product will help you understand what makes it a delight to use --- or a pain. User research and usability testing should be part of your accessible UX toolkit.
What does it take to get from barrier-free to delightful experiences?
Meeting basic accessibility requirements is a critical first step. But let’s dream bigger. Let’s aim for accessible UX – great user experience for everyone. Creating innovations that include a more diverse range of interaction styles, and designs that are both inclusive and delightful starts by bringing together the whole team — from content to code. It means thinking about people, not just technology. It means finding allies and partners, new ways of working, making our tools really usable, and helping everyone manage change.
Updated May 2017
Versions presented at PhillyCHI, AccessU, IA Summit, Accessing Higher Ground
Persona Stories: Weaving together quant & qual for a richer pictureWhitney Quesenbery
Stories have power to add empathy and connection to our work. They can help us learn about people, culture, and context—why, when, and how our products might be used—and share this with a design team. Stories permeate UX techniques from user stories to storyboards. They come to full power when used with personas: the persona provides a fully envisioned lead character for the story, a perspective through which interactions can be explored, and a voice for the emotional reactions to design ideas.
Creating stories for personas is a craft. They are not fiction, but are grounded in the data and user research that informs the persona. They are not fact, but are imagined events, shaped to explore possibilities. They are realistic, but not perhaps real, because they represent not just one individual or event, but something that might happen, and that provides insights into a user experience.
These slides were used in a presentation at CHIFOO on February 5, 2014
CHIFOO members have access to the video of this presentation, with sign interpretation
http://www.chifoo.org/index.php/chifoo/events_detail/persona_stories_weaving_together_qual_and_quant_for_a_richer_picture/
Alt means alternative text. A look at how to write it, thinking about audience, content, context.
These slides are from the Accessibility Summit, 2014. Register for access to recorded sessions:
http://environmentsforhumans.com/2014/accessibility-summit
Accessible UX: Beyond the checklist to great experiencesWhitney Quesenbery
Checklists, standards, and even patterns can only make sure that basic rules are followed. Even products that meet standards can be difficult or even impossible to use.
But the questions we want to focus on are:
- How easy, useful, efficient, and delightful is this?
- Is this something people want to use?
- Is it a great experience?
Presentation at IAAP 2015, October 22, 2015
One of the simplest ways to make information more accessible is to add alternative text (alt text for short). It’s brief descriptions of images for users who can’t see them. But what to write? This is a deep dive into writing alt text that is usable and useful. You’ll learn how the right words can make images speak clearly.
Updated for AccessU and AccessU Summit 2017
Storyboarding In User Experience Workshop (at Mobile UX London)Sarah Doody
Instead of focusing on storytelling to help us tell customers the story of our product after it's built, can we use storytelling to help our teams work more efficiently during the product development process.
In this workshop, participants were taught why our current product development process is broken, how storytelling helps us work more efficiently, and how storyboarding can provide us with a tool to communicate and create with more clarity and collaboration.
Webinar - Skin in the Game: Getting Stakeholders Involved In Your UX ResearchUserZoom
View this webinar and discover who are your stakeholders?, Value of stakeholder involvement, Two audiences: your users and your stakeholders, Fitting stakeholders into each research phase, Assessing how well it’s working
The 7 minute accessibility assessment and app rating systemAidan Tierney
"Is it accessible?" When a formal assessment isn't possible, here's a framework for rapid user-centered testing with a five star rating system non-specialists will understand.
Inspired by the the work of Alex Noriega (http://www.snotm.com/) and Banksy's take on advertising (http://banksy.co.uk/) some random thoughts about brands and facebook. Images are from all over the Internet. If you see one that is yours and you want me to take it down let me know :-) http://thecuriousbrain.com/
if you want a copy pls sent me an email at thecuriousbrain (at)gmail.com
http://www.paywithapost.de/pay?id=e773e772-db3a-4677-8d99-ed0f53769cd6
Accessibility microinteractions: better user experience, happier developersAidan Tierney
How to create project-specific guidance on accessibility microinteractions and patterns. Users will benefit from consistent interaction. Developers love clear, achievable and testable requirements.
With the help of this powerpoint presentation, Ken Mease, discusses the advantages of various types of data sources and collection methods, including archival and secondary data, survey data, quantitative and qualitative approaches and data, and finally de jure and de facto information. The presentation was held at the Workshop on Governance Assessment Methods and Applications of Governance Data in Policy-Making (June 2009)
MCJ 5532, Research Methods in Criminal Justice Administra.docxAASTHA76
MCJ 5532, Research Methods in Criminal Justice Administration 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit III
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
2. Evaluate the key concepts associated with multiple methods of collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and
reporting defensible research results.
2.1 Evaluate the relationship between key findings of existing scholarly research in the field of
criminal justice and a proposed study on a related criminal justice topic.
5. Outline the major steps in empirical research in criminal justice.
8. Analyze the phases involved with writing a criminal justice research report.
Reading Assignment
Chapter 5: Survey Research: Questionnaires
Chapter 6: Survey Research: Interviews and Telephone Surveys
Unit Lesson
As we learned in previous units, there are multiple ways to collect the data. One of the most popular methods
of collecting data is survey research. This widely used technique allows the researcher to collect a variety of
information from study participants, regardless of whether the identity of the participants is known.
Questionnaires, interviews, and telephone surveys are three primary forms of survey research.
Questionnaires
There are many ways to develop a questionnaire. However, there are some rules and guidelines that exist to
help a researcher develop questionnaires that will properly collect the data that he or she needs to address
the research questions. Most of the guidelines focus on the wording and construction of questionnaires. When
developing a questionnaire, one should be aware of the question types. Wording configurations that should
be avoided include biased or leading questions, double-barreled questions, questions asked objectively,
assumptions regarding the respondent’s knowledge regarding issues, vague wording, collecting excessive
information, and “response set” (Hagan, 2014).
The organization of the questionnaire is also important. Questionnaires should normally begin with questions
that focus on the study topic and how they sit with demographic type questions such as age, race/ethnicity,
income, and occupation. For example, if you were interested in looking at the relationship in the number of
children involved in community policing activities, then make sure the survey begins with questions that ask
specifically about their level of involvement in the community and/or the extent of their interaction with police
in the community. Then, end a survey by asking them questions about their family such as how many people
are in their household, how many of those people are children, and what are the ages of the children in the
household?
The manner in which the questionnaire is administered is also important. Questionnaires can be given directly
to the participant, mailed to the participant, and electronically provided to the participant (e.g., link or QSR
code). Mail surveys are a very popular method of.
Strategies to enhance research impact: Six lessonsODI_Webmaster
John Young's presentation at the GDN workshop on 'Maximizing the Impact of Agricultural Research in Africa' held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in October 2008. In his talk, he reviews and expands upon the six lessons that ODI's RAPID programme has learned about helping research inform policy and practice.
Caveon Webinar Series - Exam Integrity Investigations, An Introduction to th...Caveon Test Security
In today’s high-speed, electronically connected society, exam integrity incidents occur more frequently and present greater risks to test sponsors and their examinations. When incidents occur that threaten the integrity of your exam, you must have a comprehensive investigation plan in place that your team members understand and are prepared to execute swiftly and thoroughly.
Thorough investigations of exam integrity violations are needed in response to a wide range of possible exam integrity incidents; from individual cheating, to collusion, to item harvesting. It’s important to have personnel trained and ready to respond with effective strategies to (1) detect and mitigate exam integrity vulnerabilities and (2) conduct internal exam integrity investigations when incidents occur.
Join our hosts, Marc Weinstein and Ben Mannes of Caveon Investigation Services as they discuss why a sound investigation plan is necessary, what to consider when an investigation is conducted, and why having the right resources is so important.
Designing for difference: Are you failing at the most important design challengeWhitney Quesenbery
There is no such thing as a “typical user.” People may have similar goals or jobs to get done, but they bring differences in preferences, knowledge, language, interaction style, and perspectives. Broadening our vision to design for differences is a conscious act of innovation. It starts with embracing the tools of accessibility, plain language, and language access for modern, responsive design. And broadening our research and testing to include the full diversity of our audiences. If you aren’t designing for difference, ask yourself who are you leaving out.
At the Center for Civic Design, we’ve learned that designing democracy requires changing our practice and how we approach our work. As one project partner put it, “If all we do is make it a little easier for people who already vote, we have failed.” From voter guides to ballots, the goal of our work is to expand civic engagement and participation - including everyone, with all their differences
This presentation was created for World IA Day, 2019
Presentation at edUI
Understanding our users starts from user research. But the complexities of the user patterns, behaviors, perceptions, and motivations can be hard to communicate in ways that help the team really understand the mindset of their audience.
Stories let us shape research data into compelling narratives that build empathy and engage teams in the user journey and see both research insights and problems user experience through the eyes of your users.
Presentation at UX Camp Copenhagen, May 2018
We all love our user research data… but why is it such a struggle to use the insights we uncover to create direction for our project? Storytelling is the missing link, getting past charts and graphs to dig into data. Whitney will show how stories put research insights into context, communicate the entire user journey, show problems through the eyes of your users, and help you ask better questions to gain deeper insights.
Presentation at the IA Summit 2017
Why can’t we make it easier to be accessible?
Why can’t we aim for great user experiences that are also accessible? Creating accessible technology has to go beyond minimal compliance with standards that meets the law but may not be usable.
We need a bigger goal: creating delight for everyone. We’ll start by exploring what makes a delightful experience and how a good balance small pleasures and anticipated needs supports accessible UX in both big and small ways. Like any UX, this concern for users has to be part of every design decision.
But we also need to think about what it takes to make this happen. It means incorporating a wider range of people into user research and usability testing, and making accessibility a core requirement, not an afterthought. But most of all, it takes tools that are designed to support accessibility. We’ll look at some of the progress… and some of the failures that hold us back.
This presentation is also available as a seminar in the All You Can Learn Library at aycl.uie.com
A library for everyone - Designing for Digital, Austin 2017
All of the tools and principles of an excellent user experience also support accessibility, just as web design that is responsive to diversity of devices is also responsive to a diversity of human needs.
Want people to understand your apps, sites, information? Write and design it in plain language so they can find, understand and use it. (Talk at Code for America, 22 Aug 2014)
Every study starts with a question. This session at CSUN 2014 started by examining the questions that usability testing can answer. Short case studies illustrate how the right technique will help us know not only what is happening but also why it’s happening. It's an overview of usability testing as a research method, and what you can (and can’t) learn from working with real people as they try to use a web site or other product.
Accessibility as Innovation: Creating accessible user experiencesWhitney Quesenbery
Designing a web for everyone is a conscious act of innovation. Instead of focusing on barriers, we can put people first for delightful user experiences.
Presentation on how usability and accessibility problems are related. Including people with disabilities in usability testing can reveal deeper insights into the kinds of problems users might encounter
I put this presentation together for a team, as we explored the different ways to work with users in a participatory, collaborative way. It ends with 3 mini case studies of how we used these techniques in an innovation workshop, and as part of a design process
A Web for Everyone: Accessibility as a design challengeWhitney Quesenbery
Let's get past the idea that checklists and compliance all there is to accessibility. Designing for accessibility is a user experience design problem, starting with understanding how people with disabilities use your products. If we aim to design for all senses we can focus on easy interaction, helpful wayfinding, clean presentation, plain language and media instead of "rules." Doing so, we can create a web for everyone and a delightful user experience where accessibility and usability work together.
Updated January 21
Replay of the O'Reilly webcast: http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/e/2992
Transcript of the O'Reilly webcast: http://www.wqusability.com/handouts/AWFE-Challenge-OReilly-Transcript.pdf
6 Awesomely Practical Tips: Making content better for everyoneWhitney Quesenbery
Tips 6 - 12 from 31 Awesomely Practical Tips, a one-day online conference by Rosenfeld Media and Environments for Humans. Recordings available: http://rosenfeldmedia.com/events/practical-ux-tips/
Content for everyone: Making information accessible.
Excellent, clear content is also accessible content that everyone can use. See how many of your content guidelines support plain language and WCAG 2.0 checkpoints.
Updated February 2014
Presented at STC 2013 and ConveyUX 2014
This is a presentation I gave to the Department of State's International Visitors Leadership Program, April 16, 2013.
Links to projects and materials mentioned in the slides are available in the Notes pages of the presentation.
Between Filth and Fortune- Urban Cattle Foraging Realities by Devi S Nair, An...Mansi Shah
This study examines cattle rearing in urban and rural settings, focusing on milk production and consumption. By exploring a case in Ahmedabad, it highlights the challenges and processes in dairy farming across different environments, emphasising the need for sustainable practices and the essential role of milk in daily consumption.
White wonder, Work developed by Eva TschoppMansi Shah
White Wonder by Eva Tschopp
A tale about our culture around the use of fertilizers and pesticides visiting small farms around Ahmedabad in Matar and Shilaj.
Transforming Brand Perception and Boosting Profitabilityaaryangarg12
In today's digital era, the dynamics of brand perception, consumer behavior, and profitability have been profoundly reshaped by the synergy of branding, social media, and website design. This research paper investigates the transformative power of these elements in influencing how individuals perceive brands and products and how this transformation can be harnessed to drive sales and profitability for businesses.
Through an exploration of brand psychology and consumer behavior, this study sheds light on the intricate ways in which effective branding strategies, strategic social media engagement, and user-centric website design contribute to altering consumers' perceptions. We delve into the principles that underlie successful brand transformations, examining how visual identity, messaging, and storytelling can captivate and resonate with target audiences.
Methodologically, this research employs a comprehensive approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. Real-world case studies illustrate the impact of branding, social media campaigns, and website redesigns on consumer perception, sales figures, and profitability. We assess the various metrics, including brand awareness, customer engagement, conversion rates, and revenue growth, to measure the effectiveness of these strategies.
The results underscore the pivotal role of cohesive branding, social media influence, and website usability in shaping positive brand perceptions, influencing consumer decisions, and ultimately bolstering sales and profitability. This paper provides actionable insights and strategic recommendations for businesses seeking to leverage branding, social media, and website design as potent tools to enhance their market position and financial success.
You could be a professional graphic designer and still make mistakes. There is always the possibility of human error. On the other hand if you’re not a designer, the chances of making some common graphic design mistakes are even higher. Because you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s where this blog comes in. To make your job easier and help you create better designs, we have put together a list of common graphic design mistakes that you need to avoid.
Book Formatting: Quality Control Checks for DesignersConfidence Ago
This presentation was made to help designers who work in publishing houses or format books for printing ensure quality.
Quality control is vital to every industry. This is why every department in a company need create a method they use in ensuring quality. This, perhaps, will not only improve the quality of products and bring errors to the barest minimum, but take it to a near perfect finish.
It is beyond a moot point that a good book will somewhat be judged by its cover, but the content of the book remains king. No matter how beautiful the cover, if the quality of writing or presentation is off, that will be a reason for readers not to come back to the book or recommend it.
So, this presentation points designers to some important things that may be missed by an editor that they could eventually discover and call the attention of the editor.
1. Security insights
and issues
for poll workers
Whitney Quesenbery
Dana Chisnell
Center for Civic Design
civicdesign.org
Project workshop September 26, 2014
Humphrey School of Public Affairs, UMN
2. Opening remarks
Larry Jacobs
Professor, Walter F. and Joan
Mondale Chair for Political Studies
Doug Chapin
Director, Program for Excellence in
Election Administration
Jeremy Epstein
Program Director, NSF
3. Who is here
Election officials from 12 jurisdictions
Researchers who contributed to the
project (8 of 17)
Friends of the project
5. Background
First research to look at security from
point of view of poll workers interacting
with systems
6. Coverage
19 elections in 12 states
November 2012 – November 2013
17 researchers
Purposeful but convenient sample
Types of elections
Range of systems
Geographical range
Range of sizes of jurisdiction
Different approaches to administration and process
7. What we expected:
Security would be a distinct part of
procedures & training
Issues would occur in the interaction
with voting systems
Issues caused by mistakes, not
purposeful attacks
Was not exactly what we found!
9. Security is baked in
Poll workers have and use
procedures designed for security
Procedures are designed to support
trust in elections
Security is not treated separately
10. Nobody is doing it flawlessly
Even great jurisdictions see
imperfect completeness, accuracy,
or clarity
Empowered poll workers cope well,
generally
13. Poll worker attitudinal factors
Personal history
Election culture
Voting equipment
Who manages the team
Local policies
Leadership of clerk or election
director
Changes in laws
14. 4 ownership attitudes
Attitude Focus of responsibility
I’m responsible for
running the polling
place
Safety and comfort of voters, and maintaining
an orderly polling place.
I have to follow
procedures
Completing all procedures correctly, as a way of
running the polling place well.
I have to account
for paperwork
Forms and reports as a double-check on
equipment tallies and to ensure all votes are
accounted for.
I’m responsible for
“my election”
The overall results of the election, broadly
incorporating the polling place, procedures, and
tallies.
16. Security in elections
The processes, procedures,
tools, and people put in place to
ensure that elections run freely,
fairly, and efficiently.
17. Stress points: particular challenges to
security on Election Day
Setup and opening
Delivering materials to the polling
place
How much direction poll workers do
or don’t get
Inventorying
Coping with early start
18. Stress points: particular challenges to
security on Election Day
During the day
Managing traffic flow
Documenting and troubleshooting
incidents
19. Stress points: particular challenges to
security on Election Day
Closing & shutdown
Inventorying & packing up
Recording counts
Organizing, sorting
Managing assignments and tasks
Coping with exhaustion + urgency
22. Stress points: particular challenges to
security on Election Day
Delivering results
Checking in with the election office
from the polling place
Returning materials
23. The Goldilocks Problem
Too hard: 200-400 pages of
documentation and forms
What is just right?
Too soft: 100-page manual and a
phone number
24. Best practice
Empower through training and trust
Teams had ways to resolve disputes
Leads took strong responsibility
Forms and checklists helped catch
mistakes before they became big
problems
25. Helping poll workers do the best possible
job
Use scenarios and role-playing to
practice anticipating problems
Trust them and leave them alone
Use appropriate constraints such as
checklists
Give responsibility
Have strong expectations and
equivalent consequences for not
meeting them
33. Get in touch!
Whitney Quesenbery
whitneyq@civicdesign.org
@whitneyq
Dana Chisnell
dana@civicdesign.org
@danachis
civicdesign.org
@civicdesign
Editor's Notes
12:10-ish for Larry
1pm for Doug and Jeremy
1:15
Go around the room to do introductions now
1:30
Whitney starts
This is the first research we know of that focused on the human aspect of the voting system rather than purely on the technology and how it could be hacked.
4 presidential elections (2012)
1 primary
2 consolidated municipal
12 municipal
1:45 Dana takes over here
Security goes beyond chain of custody
This transitions us to the progressions / idea markets
2:!5 – 4pm
Dana introduces the progressions and gets everyone started
4:!5 – 5pm
Whitney facilitates this discussion
5:20 – 5:30
And now a word from our sponsor
DC
Each guide covers a different topic.
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