Tech Wednesday 18th March 2015 - Gary Tucker, SFA Digital Services

1. Why we start with a
minimum viable service
Gary Tucker, SFA Digital Services
@SFAdigital

3. Creating digital
services
so good, people
prefer
to use them
@SFAdigital
user needs quality services continuous delivery

4. The old way
@SFAdigital

5. The best way to build
effective digital services
is to start small and
iterate wildly.
@SFAdigital
Government Digital Design principle 5: Iterate. Then iterate again.

6. User
need
Code
Data
Minimum Viable Service
Maximum learning for minimum effort
@SFAdigital

7. Hannah, 17 (37.5% of users) Karl, 19 (47.5% of users)
I know what I want to do
in life, I just want to find a
job and start working
I’ve looked for a job and
there are none, but the
Jobcentre and my mum
keep telling me to apply
Needs
•to easily search for relevant vacancies in her preferred
location
•straightforward application process in plain English
•easy access to help if and when she needs it
•to keep check of her applications and progress made with
them
Needs
•easy access to telephone, email and face by face support
(possible low digital confidence)
•to be able to see the range of apprenticeships available to
him
•the ability to complete applications over several visits
•short and straightforward application process in plain
English with on screen prompts and help
James, 25 (12.5% of users) Alex, 18. (2.5% of users)
I feel stuck. I like working
hard, but I’m better than
this. I want more money,
responsibility and a
career.
I have my place at uni, but
I need to know what my
other options are
Needs
•to hold onto his financial independence
•to be able to find the right vacancy for him no matter where
that may be located
•to have all the information he needs to make a decision,
including career progression, support, wage and location
•to be able to search and apply on the go
Needs
•evidence of career progression via Apprenticeship route
•impartial and reliable advice
•to see a wide range of opportunities in his chosen area
•to know what he may be paid as he may be living away
from home
Our candidate users and their needs

8. Over 130,000 applications
21 releases and counting
Now in public beta
v1.6.2
40% of users on mobile

9. User satisfaction – increase after
releases

10. Why an MVS matters:
money
Team Technology Traction
@SFAdigital

11. *your’s and the users’
“Iteration reduces risk. It makes big
failures unlikely and turns small failures
into lessons.
- Government Digital Design Principle 5: Iterate, then iterate again.
Why an MVS matters:
fail fast, learn fast

12. Why an MVS matters:
test assumptions*
*your’s and the users’
“In the future I’ll focus on getting an
MVS into our customers hands as early
as possible. And more importantly, I’ll
solicit real, hard feedback from them.
We didn’t do this, and it distorted our
view of reality.”

13. More…
sfadigital.blog.gov.uk
@sfadigital
gary.tucker@sfa.bis.gov.uk
Developers, Scrum Masters, Business
Analysts, Delivery Managers, Test Managers,
Solution Architects…