Understand and Extend the Compare Years Feature – From an Open Government Data Users’ Perspective

Abstract

Intermediary run portals provide a convenient single point access for users to use open government data (OGD) at neighborhood level. The online features on such portals help users understand, analyze, and find patterns in large amount of OGD. However, prior studies indicate the current set of features are basic and limited in analyzing data which leads to low user engagement. Features are also designed from technical and data perspective; user’s needs and wants are not part of the solution. This study explores user’s perspective on a comparison feature in an intermediary run portal. The goal of this study was to discover and address any navigational, interface, and interaction design challenges in the compare years feature that limits user’s ability to analyze the data. I used a combination of five user-centered design methodologies. The results indicated that the previous comparison feature was underutilized because of various navigational, interface, and interaction design challenges. A suggested design at the end of the research addressed all the above challenges and provided empirical proof that a combination of customization and visualization of features can improve user insight and engagement. Also, a curated comparison feature has the potential to make the underlying OGD relatable and actionable for users leading to an overall better user experience.