In July, Seattle IT’s Digital Services Usability and Design team partnered with Civic User Testing (CUT) to facilitate usability testing on the Seattle.gov web site. (Learn about the CUT group and volunteer with them at http://openseattle.org/cutgroup/#about).

The intended goal of the project was to understand if people were able to successfully navigate to popular City services on their mobile devices. The project team was hoping to create a list of design updates for its development team to implement, for example, changing navigation labels or interactions like tapping from the top navigation to page navigation.

PICTURED: SHELLY SMITH FROM THE USABILITY & DESIGN PROGRAM WITH CUT GROUP MEMBERS ROBERT RACADIO AND MEGAN BRUCE

Participants

Project leads chose to partner with the Seattle Housing Authority to include low-income Seattle residents. With guidance from Community Builder, Andy Chan, it was decided to facilitate a usability test on site at a subsidized housing building on First Hill to make participation easier.

Overall, 10 people participated, which was the target. Generally, usability testing is aimed at collecting qualitative insights to drive design, not numbers. Typically, it takes about five people to find most usability issues. (https://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-many-test-users/)

Participants used their own mobile phones to navigate to Seattle.gov and complete some common tasks like paying a parking ticket, finding community classes, and reporting garbage.

What they learned

While the team did learn a few things to improve the site navigation and terminology, they also learned about their own digital biases. There are many digital conventions that they take for granted that are still not ubiquitous to some user groups.

1. The group of people they interviewed had a different digital vocabulary. Some participants did not regularly use the words “web page” or “browser” so the language was quickly changed to be more generic.
2. Mobile “hamburger” menus are debated widely in the design community. The test confirmed this group of users were not familiar with it. They mostly used the apps on their phones that were installed by the manufacturers or heard about from friends or family from word of mouth.
3. The CUT group were the main organizers and they compensated participants with Visa gift cards. The paradigm of activating the gift cards were also not well understood.
4. Many participants did not know how to pinch and zoom.
5. Based on the City’s 2014 Community Technology report, low-income users are twice as likely as other groups to have smartphone-only internet access. However, some participants had free phones provided by government services that they were hesitant to use based on bandwidth and limited data plans. While Seattle is a tech hub and many residents expect to complete many services online, there are residents that still need basic digital education and access.

PICTURED: FREE PHONE PROVIDED THROUGH ASSURANCE WIRELESS

Next Steps

The team will use what they learned about navigation and terminology to update the web site. They will be iterating with the Digital Services development team soon on a mobile-first navigation that is simpler and more obvious to use.

The team will also continue to learn firsthand about the needs of residents to improve the web sites and apps and usability test with them to understand if  digital properties can be improved.

Volunteers needed to test upcoming projects!

Sign up to give feedback on upcoming iterations. The team is looking for a diverse mix of people across the city to test digital experiences or participate in design research. Typically, participation is about an hour of your time.

Sign-up to become a usability tester.

About the Usability and Design team

Usability and Design is a small, but mighty new program within the Digital Services Team in Seattle IT. The team’s goal is twofold:

1. Coach City staff on designing and maintaining public web experiences to support City services
2. Create inclusive digital experiences by practicing human-centered design and usability testing

The team depends on partners to reach intended audiences and to help extend usability testing and design research capabilities.

Written by Beverly Slabosky, Usability Lead

Mayor Durkan signed an Executive Order creating the City of Seattle’s first-ever Innovation Advisory Council (IAC) to harness the power of technology to create innovative strategies and solutions to the most urgent challenges facing Seattle and our region – from homelessness to transportation. Find the full press release here. Watch the full press conference on the Seattle Channel.

Some key things to know about the announcement:

• Mayor Durkan is bringing together some of our region’s most innovative companies and organizations to address the City’s most urgent challenges – from homelessness to transportation.

Seattle has always invented the future, and we have some of the world’s most innovative companies right in our backyard.

Smart cities harness the power of technology and innovation in their community – and that’s exactly what Seattle is doing.

From homelessness to transportation to affordability, we need shared solutions that bring government, business, labor, philanthropy, and communities to the table. Initial commitments for the IAC by Amazon, Artefact Group, Expedia Group, Flying Fish, Microsoft, Tableau, Washington Technology Industry Association and Zillow Group.

The council will identify opportunities where technology and data can be used to help Seattle improve its processes.

The City of Seattle’s Digital Services Team is looking for the public’s help. The team members who work to maintain Seattle.gov are looking to make some improvements and need feedback from the people who use the site. Seattle.gov is where the public logs on to pay bills, look for services, and access City data, among other things. The team wants to improve the search function within Seattle.gov and they need a few volunteers to help with this process.

What will volunteers be doing?  

• Volunteers will be asked to conduct a few web searches on Seattle.gov and give feedback on the results they see. It will take approximately 30 minutes.
• Volunteers will also have the option to sign up to participate in future Seattle.gov tests to improve the features and usability for everyone on this site.

Who is eligible to participate?  

Eligible participants:

• Must live in Seattle
• Are over the age of 18
• Have searched for information on the internet
• Speak English
• People with disabilities are encouraged to participate

Where will this take place? 

The team will coordinate to meet participants at a public location of their convenience (for example, a library or community center) through July and August. The team is hoping to complete sessions by the end of August.

How to sign up? 

It takes about two minutes to sign up with basic contact information. Visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VWWQVPP or email usability@seattle.gov with your name and the best way to get in contact with you.

Seattle Channel is the recipient of four Northwest Regional Emmy Awards for public-affairs, arts and environmental programming and an interview special. The winning programs covered topics ranging from safe injection sites to a tribute to the vinyl music format.

The city-operated station was recognized Saturday, June 9, at the Northwest Chapter of the National Academy of Arts & Sciences’ (NATAS) Emmy Awards ceremony.

“From City Hall to Seattle’s vibrant neighborhoods, the Seattle Channel is a cornerstone for civic engagement,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “We are fortunate to have a station that provides in-depth coverage of our city and diverse communities, people and places, and that offers residents an opportunity to stay informed and engaged. I congratulate the team for this recognition, and on its dedication to excellence in local programming.”

Seattle Channel won in the public affairs program/special category for a City Inside/Out episode exploring the controversy around safe injection sites where addicts can use illegal drugs under supervision. Individuals recognized for the coverage were host and producer Brian Callanan, producer Susan Han and photographer/editor Matt Peterson.

Ian Devier, producer/photographer/editor, won in the environmental feature category for a CityStream segment on Nube 9, a local company that makes athletic wear from recycled plastic bottles.

Art Zone with Nancy Guppy won in the arts/entertainment special category for a show dedicated to the vinyl music format – from its history to life-changing record stories. Individuals recognized for the special were host and senior producer Nancy Guppy, producer Sheila Mullen, director and photographer Vincent Pierce and editor Peggy Lycett.

Art Zone with Nancy Guppy also won in the interview/discussion special category for an in-depth interview with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready. Individuals recognized for the special were host and senior producer Nancy Guppy, producer/photographer/editor Ralph Bevins and photographer/editor Peggy Lycett.

“Through its in-depth and inclusive programming, Seattle Channel reflects the city’s commitment to public engagement and transparency,” said Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell, chair of the Governance, Equity & Technology Committee. “From public policy to community features, I applaud the station for its commitment to feature a variety of voices and perspectives.”

In the 55^th annual Northwest Emmy’s, Seattle Channel competed against commercial and public television stations in the Northwest NATAS five-state region which includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. This year, the station received 12 Emmy-Award nominations in program categories including health/science, public-affairs feature, informational segment, politics/government special, editing and reporting.

“Seattle Channel is committed to producing quality content with depth and impact,” said Shannon Gee, Seattle Channel’s interim general manager. “Our public-affairs programs spark informed civic dialogue, and our arts features and community segments entertain and inspire. I’m honored to work with a team dedicated to sharing a variety of engaging programs with the residents of Seattle.”

Seattle Channel is a local TV station that reflects, informs and inspires the community it serves. Seattle Channel presents programs on cable television – channel 21 on Comcast (321 HD), Wave (721 HD) and 8003 on CenturyLink (8503 HD) – and via the internet to help residents connect with their city. Programming includes series and special features highlighting the diverse civic and cultural landscape.

When King County Information Technology (KCIT) teamed up with Amazon Web Services to put on a Government Hackfest last month, Seattle Information Technology (Seattle IT) employees were all in. The challenge of the Hackfest was to develop government solutions using digital assistants, artificial intelligence, business intelligence, and big data technologies within the Amazon Web Services ecosystem.

The first of three teams, which included Lawrence Yu, Brandon Ha, Jim Thurnau, and Kenneth Wong analyzed house and structure fires in Seattle to determine if the age of each structure had any correlation with the fire.

“We used Seattle’s Open Data Portal to gather data including 911 calls and when the property was built,” said Brandon Ha, a senior software application developer in Applications. “We used Tableau to map it out.”

“It was like the data version of iron chef,” said Kenneth Wong, a senior business analyst in Applications. “You had the ingredients and had to determine what to cook in a short amount of time.”

Their team did find that older homes, especially those built in the late 90’s, had more tendency to catch on fire.

The team of Steve Weston, Tom Puskas, Tuan Vuong, and Rufi Mallick produced an Alexa skill to provide information on scheduled events called “Event Tracker” at the Seattle Center. The team used Amazon Web Services Lambda, the Alexa skill, and an existing public web service.

This project is being developed by Slalom and will be made available to the public later in the summer. Here’s an example of what the skill will allow you to ask:

“Hey Alexa, …. “
“Tell me what is going on is Seattle Center today, Tomorrow or the weekend”
“Tell me when is Paul Simon playing next”
“Which events are for Children”

The winning team, which included members of KCIT including Kam Suen, Mike Jeppesen, and Dale Brandenstein, as well as Seattle IT’s Jeffrey Stewart. The team produced an Alexa skill to provide available parking spaces at the City’s e-Park garages. They used Lambda function, as well as data from the City’s public facing internet site.

“We didn’t create new data; but rather, we equipped a digital assistant with that data,” said Jeff Stewart, cross platform services manager in Applications.  “This enables people to get to the data faster from their hand’s free mobile assistant while en route downtown.”

Here’s how the Seattle Center Parking App will work: Instead of going to the Seattle Center Website, you can ask Alexa the following:

“Hey Alexa, ask Seattle e-Park about Pike Place garage?” …Pike Place garage currently has 347 parking spaces available.
“Ask Seattle e-Park where is Pike Place?”  …Pike Place garage is located at 1531 Western Ave.
“Ask Seattle e-Park what is near Pike Place?”  …Convention Center, PSP Cobb,…

All who participated say it was a good, but grueling experience and a great way to network with government employees who are in the same field.

During the week of May 7-11, 2018, Seattle Information Technology joined 300 affiliated organizations in 38 states for a nationwide online event to recognize Digital Inclusion Week. The purpose is to amplify the message that all individuals and communities, including the most disadvantaged, need equitable access to use the internet. We know digital inclusion requires intentional strategies and investments to reduce and eliminate historical, institutional, and structural barriers to access and use technology. The work to attain these goals is outlined in the City’s Digital Equity Initiative.

During this week we have used social media to amplify the message of digital inclusion week:

Our Twitter handle came alive with the faces of Seattle IT staff who are passionate about #DigitalEquityIs

• Our Facebook page also helped call attention to the importance of digital equity

We were honored to have Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan write a guest post on our Tech Talk blog where she talked about Seattle’s long history of leading the way on digital innovation. She also humbly acknowledged that not everyone in our city has benefitted from the technological revolution. She discussed the challenges for many of finding a job online, having access to the internet, or helping their children with online homework when access to the internet, technology, and devices are a challenge. She also highlighted the City’s efforts to close the digital divide in Seattle.

Community Technology Manager Chance Hunt blogged about the problem of being “Under Connected.” Although 93% of Seattleites have the internet, not all have strong data or speed. Some have cost barriers, insufficient devices, and don’t have the tech support. The post outlined solutions and the work Seattle is doing to improve digital equity.

It’s been an enjoyable and successful week. We were happy to highlight our Seattle IT employees and share their feelings on digital equity. We look forward sharing even more next year!

To sign up for future announcements on about our Digital Equity program, join our listserv featured on our Digital Equity page.

Guest blog by Community Technology Manager Chance Hunt

*under-connected = limited data or speed, cost barriers, or insufficient devices, tech support or skills

It’s Digital Inclusion Week! Every Seattle resident should have the technologies they need to participate fully in society. Whether they are looking for a job, connecting to family and friends, doing homework, or accessing government services.

According to the 2016 American Communities Survey 93% of Seattle residents have internet at home. However, this does not mean that all residents can afford a level of access or online speeds that meet their needs. Fully 7%, or 50,000 residents, either have no internet connection at home at all or are reliant on cell phone data plans to get online. Taken together, we are seeing a situation where Seattle residents are “under-connected.”

National studies have found a link between home broadband internet adoption and educational success, greater household income, and improved access to government and health resources. This is especially true for vulnerable populations including low-income residents, limited-English speakers, seniors and people with disabilities.

Low-income people are more likely to use a smart phone to create resume and cover letter. These “smartphone only” job seekers report problems entering a large amount of text on their smartphone while searching for a job. They also say they have problems submitting required files or other supporting documents needed to apply for a job

Many low-income parents with home internet access report that their connection is too slow to do the things they wish to do online, especially homework requiring streaming. Households that share a single computer or had their internet cut off due to non-payment puts their students at a disadvantage.

Solutions to address these issues are being found right here in Seattle. In 2017, City of Seattle investments, coupled with private and non-profit support, resulted in:

• Over 1.9 Million people accessed public Wi-Fi connections at 27 libraries, 29 community centers and other public buildings
• Broadband internet for non-profit organizations: 314 community sites received free cable broadband service through Comcast and Wave Broadband (valued at $376K)
• 2,922 residents received digital skills training through City of Seattle investments in community organizations.
• 6,584 internet “hot spots” were checked out from The Seattle Public LibrarySo, as we celebrate Digital Inclusion Week in 2018, we will continue to seek out solutions to get everyone online in Seattle. Working together as a community we will get people connected, get them the computer devices they need, and offer support for the skills necessary to be successful in life.

Guest Blog Post by Mayor Jenny A. Durkan

Seattle has always been the city that invents the future. We have a long history of leading the way on digital innovation, from the personal computing revolution, to e-commerce and the cloud. For so long, we have re-built, re-invented and re-imagined the digital future.

But not everyone in Seattle has benefitted equally from the technological revolution. Imagine not being able to find a job, not because you weren’t a skilled worker, but because you simply didn’t have access to the internet to post your resume online. Or if you couldn’t help your fifth grader with her history report, all because you depend on public Wi-Fi and the library is closed. Or if you couldn’t find affordable housing, with no computer access to complete a rental application.

Sounds hard to imagine in our city – home to tech giants with household names and one of the most “plugged in” communities – but this is a fact many of our residents face every day.

And it’s a fact I believe we need to change.

May 7 through 11, marks national Digital Inclusion Week. We are joining with other cities across the country to shed light on the work being done to make sure all Americans have access to the technology needed to succeed in our fast moving, technology savvy world. With the #digitalequityis, we’re holding this conversation across all platforms.

Digital equity is essential in our society.

Many of us might not even think about how difficult it can be to function without access to technology until we don’t have it. We get frustrated when we can’t access a connection to check email, social media, or stream a video. For some, this is an everyday reality. Seven percent of Seattle residents don’t have internet at home, are “under-connected,” meaning their internet access is slow, drops out, buffers, or have only one computer internet access for their family’s needs. Seven percent might seem low to you – but that number translates to nearly 50,000 Seattle residents according to the American Community Survey. I think it’s seven percent too many.

Working to achieve digital equity is one way that we can help close the opportunity gap for low income families and communities of color. Many of these “under-connected” homes are in lower income neighborhoods. As a 2015 Pew Research Center report noted, those families are more likely to struggle finding jobs as they face challenges filling out forms and submitting resumes on their phones. For those parents whose only access is on their phones, many hit their data limit quickly while helping kids with online homework. Or worse, their phones are disconnected because they can’t pay their bills.

It’s these digital inequity challenges that vulnerable populations are facing on a daily basis.  This includes low-income residents, seniors, people with disabilities and residents with limited-English skills.

In Seattle, we’re working diligently to close the digital divide. Together with investors and providers, we’re connecting the community. With programs such as Wi-Fi devices for homeless residents, or ConnectHome, which provides public housing families with refurbished computer and internet access, or the Technology Matching Fund program, which supports non-profits teaching digital skills and equipping residents, we can help eliminate that high number of seven percent. In Seattle, we have more than 300 community sites that receive free broadband service through our partnerships with Comcast and Wave Broadband. The City also offers free Wi-Fi at all libraries, community centers and public buildings.

But we can’t do it alone. We must continue building partnerships and a community that cares enough to eliminate the inequities that challenge us as a City. By working towards true digital equity, we can make Seattle a more affordable, inclusive and welcoming place for all.