Resource User Research

7 Ways to Ignite User-Centered Design at Your Agency

Some tips for success when introducing user-centered design (UCD) to your organization.

Organizations: Digital.gov, U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)

Author: Wendy Littman

Published Year: 2015

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So you’ve done a couple of usability studies, and a few people are starting to “see the light.” Now you’d like to take it to the next level and help your organization embrace user-centered design (UCD) as the philosophy that drives all your digital projects.
But what is best way to do this? How can you change your organizational culture so the UCD seed you’re planting will take root and flourish?
That’s the boat we found ourselves in five years ago at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. So we embarked on a project to raise awareness of UCD and embed UCD processes into our culture. Of course, as with all experiments, not everything went as planned—but many things did, and we certainly learned a lot in the process. Based on our experience, here are some tips for success when introducing UCD to your organization.