You Need to Bookmark DataUSA

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Are browser bookmarks still a thing? I don't think I have used them in years, but DataUSA is a site that I think I will reference a LOT. 

Data USA is was created by MIT Media Lab's spinoff startup Datawheel, and was funded by Deloitte. The site provides an open and easy to use platform that turns publicly available government data into knowledge. It was featured in the New York Times and Fast Company shortly after launching in April 2016. 

I was lucky enough to be involved in this project for a very short period of time just before leaving my position at Deloitte, and am thrilled to see where it has come since our UX Workshop last summer. I was asked to join a full-day meeting involving all of the stakeholders to provide guidance on the UX and get the group on one page. This was so much fun for me because it combined many of my favorite things: incredibly smart people, visual facilitation, UX, and Data Visualization. 

Scroll through the gallery below to read more about how the workshop went down. 

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UX Process. Key steps to aligning competing priorities and focus on common goals. 

UX Process. Key steps to aligning competing priorities and focus on common goals. 

Business Insight. Leading interactive discussions with input from all team members.  

Business Insight. Leading interactive discussions with input from all team members.  

Persona Ideation. Identifying key users and their information needs as a group. 

Persona Ideation. Identifying key users and their information needs as a group. 

Persona mapping.  Prioritizing users based on their alignment to business goals and their level of experience with data. 

Persona mapping. Prioritizing users based on their alignment to business goals and their level of experience with data. 

Feature Prioritization.  Mapping out potential site features according to complexity and impact towards goals. 

Feature Prioritization. Mapping out potential site features according to complexity and impact towards goals. 

Live wireframing.  Sketching out potential concepts for the site content and page flow/sequencing with the group. 

Live wireframing. Sketching out potential concepts for the site content and page flow/sequencing with the group. 

Final product. DataUSA launched last year as a single repository and visual exploration of public government data. 

Final product. DataUSA launched last year as a single repository and visual exploration of public government data. 

Final product. Detail shot of a features page.

Final product. Detail shot of a features page.

Final product.  Detail shot of a profile page. Read more about this project on my blog.  

Final product. Detail shot of a profile page. Read more about this project on my blog.