A case study of how the Digital Transformation team created a user experience strategy for the European Commission between 2013 and 2015. Created and presented two years into the programme for an audience of UX and business strategists.

1. BUILDING A UX STRATEGY
FOR EUROPE
A case study of the Digital Transformation
programme of the European Commission.
Annie Stewart | annie.stewart@internetarchitects.be | @AnnieStewart

2. CHALLENGE
1.

3. THE BRUSSELS BUBBLE
Challenge…

4. A POLITICAL INSTITUTION
Challenge…

5. DECENTRALISED AND SILOD
Challenge…

6. CONTENT CHAOS
Challenge…

7. BRIEF
2.

8. THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
TEAM
We are here.
Brief…

9. 9
Brief
A digital platform for the Commission
› Relevant to users
› Coherent
› Cost-efficient

10. STRATEGY…
3.

11. HOW WE WORK
3.

12. Strategy:
“An adaptation that serves an
important function in achieving
evolutionary success.”

13. BOTTOM-UP AND TOP-DOWN
How we work…

14. METHODICAL AND AGILE
How we work…

15. BROAD AND NARROW SCOPE
How we work…

16. 16
How we work
ENTIRE COMMISSION

17. 17
How we work
Product, service, UX Governance, process Vision, culture
ENTIRE COMMISSION

18. 18
How we work
Product, service, UX Governance, process Vision, culture
ENTIRE COMMISSION
5 Digital is at the heart of policy and strategy. Services are digital by default. Digital culture is strong: agile, user-centred, innovative, responsive.
4 Senior management have made significant progress in delivering the vision and plan, implementing new capability and trialling it successfully by re-engineering a
range of services to be digital by default.
3 Senior management in place with a remit to set targets, develop over-arching vision and plan, and develop necessary capability and culture. Digital is seen as a key
transformation and advocacy is strong at key parts of the organisation.
2 Some digital services, but often of limited quality. Digital teams in place but tend to be siloed in business units or service/programme teams and have limited
budget and remit. Senior (board level) digital management not in place.
1 No awareness of digital capability, no resources allocated, no digital strategy, plan or metrics, no understanding of best practice, no digital services.

19. APPROACH
4.

20. USER TASKS AND BUSINESS GOALS
Approach…

22. 22
Approach
Rank the user tasks

23. 23
Approach
Structure the content
Top tasks methodology
Teaching the Commission to let users lead
Education
News,
Publications,
Events
EU Regional &
Urban
Investment
Research &
Innovation
About the EU
Food &
Farming
Funding &
Tenders
Business,
economy
Jobs at the
European
Commission
Strategy
Live, Work,
Travel in EU
Statistics
Law Environment
Aid, Human
Rights

24. 24
Approach
Content strategy: tasks + goals
USER
TASKS
BUSINESS
GOALS

25. DEMONSTRATE AND EDUCATE
Approach…

26. 26
Approach
Commissioner pages

27. 27
Approach
Public beta

28. 28
Approach
Own the success metrics
› Don’t compete with existing metrics, make your own
› Make sucess a publishing criteria

29. STRATEGY
5.

30. 3030
Strategy
The relationship between the
Commission and its users
› This is our audience
› This is what they want
› This is how the Commission needs to see themselves

31. CITIZENS
Assumed online audience…

32. PROFESSIONALS
Actual online audience…

33. 3333
What the users want
Assumed and actual user needs
EC EMPLOYEES
Funding, grants, subsidies
Working in an EU country
Jobs, traineeships
Complaints
About the EC

34. 3434
What the users want
Assumed and actual user needs
EC EMPLOYEES USERS
Funding, grants, subsidies EU Law
Working in an EU country Research and innovation
Jobs, traineeships Funding, grants, subsidies
Complaints Education and training
About the EC Strategy, political priorities

35. SERVICE PROVIDERS
Position…

36. 3636
Strategy
Set the programme strategy
› Focus on architecture and audience, then on services
› Create governance around user tasks
› Align vision and culture around correct audience and
positioning

37. 3737
Strategy
From information to services
Content transition
User research
Service design
Digital maturity 1 2 3 4 5

38. If you want to build a strategy,
don’t start with strategy.