User-centred design for environmental data services

To create tailored tools and solutions that improve our ability to mitigate and respond to environmental challenges, we need to understand how to efficiently communicate complex information to the intended audience.  One of the core aims of the UK’s Environmental Data Service is to better engage with users and ensure their needs are central to everything we do.  
 
How we design, maintain and share our services hasn’t traditionally been prioritised with user feedback in mind. Many of our teams and systems are now having to change the way we work and learn new skills. There was no central location to share good practice about user-centred design of tools/services specifically for environmental sciences. We wanted to create guidance for our staff and others who develop and maintain data services for environmental science.  

We have created a ‘user-centred design toolkit for environmental services’ with the aim of supporting data, software and design experts to create user-friendly and effective environmental data services. This toolkit provides a range of resources, case studies and guidance needed to collaborate with users, gather insights, and co-design solutions that work. The toolkit has been shaped by collaborations across all environmental science domains, with a range of experts in user design, data management, communications and engagement, and software engineering.  

The toolkit is still in early development. We are looking to share our progress so far, understand if this is something the wider community would like to contribute to or partake in a community of practice.