Invited presentation in June 2020 to the Ministry of Justice's Design Team on digital exclusion in the UK and implications for Government Service Design

1. What is digital
exclusion, how
big a problem is
it for us and
how do we
design for it?
Dr Al Mathers
@Al_Mathers

2. 3.8 billion
people are
digitally
excluded
globally

3. Our big problem
9 million UK adults still struggle to use the
internet and their device independently

4. What is digital inclusion?
Access + Skills +
Motivation

5. What if in lockdown you didn’t have
the access to go online?

6. Access
● 1.9m UK households are
without access to internet
and devices
● Cost is a big problem
● Data poverty
● Lack of suitable devices
● Smart phone only users

7. What if in lockdown you didn’t have
the skills to go online?

8. Skills
● 9 million UK adults struggle
to use the internet and their
device independently
● If you have an impairment
you are three times more
likely to not have the skills to
access devices and get
online
● 17.1 million (52%) people in
the workforce lack digital
skills in the workplace
● Only 70% of those in
households earning less than
£17,499 have foundational
digital skills, compared with
97% of those in households
earning £50,000 or more
● 7% of over 70s lack the digital
skills to shop and manage
their money online

9. What if in lockdown you didn’t have
the motivation to go online?

10. Motivation
● 40% of benefit claimants
have very low digital
engagement
● Over one-third of the offline
population report that the
internet doesn't interest them
● 77% of people over 70 have
very low digital engagement
● 48% of digitally excluded
people said ‘nothing’ could
motivate them to get online
● Working age adults in the
lowest socio-economic
group are three times more
likely to be non-users

11. The need during lockdown
Two distinct audience groups:
● Group 1: digitally excluded, vulnerable, shielding,
accessing critical support.
● Group 2: higher digital skills, in work, furloughed,
motivated, educated.

12. DevicesDotNow

13. Group 1: Michael
Michael is a single man living in isolation in a rural area. The pandemic
has had a severe impact on his mental health as he is totally restricted
to his house. He has a language barrier in communicating with others,
low confidence and underlying health issues. He needs access, and
having a device would not only help him with his English, but if it were to
come with data, could help tackle his loneliness as he does not even
have a TV. (Male 25-44)

14. Group 1: Lucy
Lucy is a Universal Credit claimant who is keen to learn digital skills but
cannot do so from home as she relied on the Job Centre for this before
lockdown. In addition, she suffers from arthritis and has been advised to
self-isolate. This all means she is really struggling and is in pain when she
has to go shopping. Having access at home and a device would help her
with online ordering and allow her to keep in touch with a number of
health professionals and video conferencing with her GP to help her to
manage her condition. She also has children and wants to help them
with schooling. (Female 25-44)

15. Group 1: Armin
Amin is an asylum seeker who suffers from mental health problems, very
low mood, is at high risk of suicide and self harm and is on various
medication. He is on a low income and cannot afford a device or
internet. The device will let him talk to his friends at the Centre, allow him
to continue with his learning and keep him entertained. (Male 25-44)

17. Limited Users
The digital divide is not simply between those who are
offline or online. We must also consider those who use
digital for limited purposes or have only limited digital
skills.

18. Characteristics of Limited Users
● Lower educational attainment
● Increased age
● Living in rural locations
● Living with a health condition or disability
● Social media only users

19. Why does this matter?
● Government services are going online e.g. health,
benefits
● Private services are going online e.g. banking,
shopping
● Jobs are predominately advertised online
● Digital skills will be key in the future of work

20. What if life was more complicated?
Unemployed
Universal
credit
Online
DWP
Divorce
HMCTS
Assisted
digital
Online/Tel
Child
Maintenance
CSA
Online
GOV.UK
Abusive
Ex
Police
Tel
Children poorly
NHS Choices
No GP appointment
Online
Poorly child
Patient
Record
Online
NHS
Council House
Council Housing
Service
Online
Council Website
Substance misuse
Addiction Services
Council
Face to Face / Tel
Social Worker
Local council
Letter / Tel

21. Good Things Foundation
● Good Things Foundation is a social change charity
● Our vision is a world where everyone benefits from
digital
● We’ve supported 3,332,527 people since 2010
● 2,800,567 of these people are socially excluded

22. What we do
● We help people to lead better lives through digital
● Through our Network of community partners work
with people and organisations on the ground and
at scale.
● We partner with Government, the private sector
and philanthropists to make a better world

23. 2500+ network partners+4000 network partners 61 library network partners
UK KenyaAustralia
Where we work

24. Our UK Network during Covid-19
Number of confirmed
COVID-19 cases in upper-
tier local authorities in
England, with locations of
Online Centres overlaid.
Data as at 31st March 2020

25. How we work
We have an impact in three different ways:
● At an individual level: having a positive
impact on people.
● At a community level: having a positive
impact on groups, networks and
institutions.
● At a societal level: having a positive
impact on public attitudes, behaviours
and policy.

26. Individual

27. Community

28. Society

29. People who use digital to meet their goals
People who work with others to develop skills
People who are willing to engage
People who are open to using digital
People who are aware
Limited Users 1. Behaviour change
2. Informed adoption
3. Critical application
4. Achievement of goals
5. Lasting demand
6. Meaningful (realistic)
attribution
Who are we designing with and what can we measure?

30. How can research and design help?
● Design with not for people
● Understand underlying behaviour
● Focus on relationships
● Base decisions on evidence not assumptions
● Track in real-time on the ground feedback and
insight
● Interrogate the link between scale and stories

31. Recognise
your sphere of
influence
Digital
Skills
@Al_Mathers
Motivation
Critical application

32. Good Service recommendations
● User involvement in design from start to finish - will ensure a balance
between achieving behaviour change and meeting people’s needs.
● Focus on simple design - don’t take people down different paths that it’s
difficult to find their way back from.
● Reduce user information needed - so people can successfully transact more
easily.
● Ensure user flexibility - allow people to return and complete.
● Inspire user confidence - regarding the information people input.
● Create user trust - about the personal data you’re asking for and how it will be
used.
● Aim for user satisfaction and ownership - completing a transaction should
make people feel good about their decision to use the service.

33. Final thoughts
● Covid-19 has awoken awareness for the need for
digital inclusion - but it’s not a new need!
● Research and design have a critical role in
ensuring we are not just reactive at this time
● We have a responsibility to design with people
● People will need good digital services more than
ever now

34. Further reading
● Cebr (218) The economic impact of Digital Inclusion in the UK
● Lloyds UK Consumer Digital Index 2020
● Ofcom Adults' media literacy , Adults Media Lives and Adults' media use and
attitudes report 2019
● ONS, Internet Users, UK: 2019
● Bridging the Digital Divide
● Powering Up: How more people, communities and businesses can participate in a
digital economy
● Digital Motivation: Exploring the reasons people are offline
● Routes to Inclusion
● Good Things Theory of Change
● A national wake up call on digital skills
● Apps, appointments, panic and people

35. Find out more about our Covid-19
response work and DevicesDotNow
Thank you
Dr Al Mathers
alice@goodthingsfoundation.org
@Al_Mathers