Invited presentation given to a cross government audience attending the Get Online Week 2020 events hosted by HMRC's Digital Inclusion, Accessibility and Standards team.

1. Using data to
inform inclusive
service design
Dr Al Mathers
@Al_Mathers

2. It’s easy to make
assumptions
about
how others
see the
world

3. Presentation Overview
1. Introduction to Good Things Foundation
2. UK digital inclusion landscape in 2020
3. COVID-19, people and needs
4. Design recommendations
5. Call to action

4. Good Things Foundation
● Good Things Foundation is a social change charity
● Our vision is a world where everyone benefits from
digital
● We’ve supported 3,332,527 people since 2010
● Over 2,800 of these people are socially excluded

5. What we do
● We help people to lead better lives through digital
● Through our Network of community partners work with
people and organisations on the ground and at scale.
● We partner with Government, the private sector and
philanthropists to make a better world

6. 2500+ network partners+4000 network partners 61 library network partners
UK KenyaAustralia
Where we work

7. What is digital inclusion?
Access + Skills +
Motivation

8. In the UK
9 million can’t use the
internet and their
device independently
7 million have no
internet access
in their home

9. Our world used to look
like this

10. And this...

11. And this.

12. And then it changedAnd then it was silent

13. “They keep asking me, ‘what's going to happen after
this?’ ‘are you still going to be there for us?’ It’s so
hard.”
Good Things Foundation community partner

15. Limited Users
The digital divide is not simply between those who are
offline or online. We must also consider those who use
digital for limited purposes or have only limited digital
skills.

16. Characteristics of Limited Users
● Lower educational attainment
● Increased age
● Living in rural locations
● Living with a health condition or disability
● Social media only users

17. Complicated lives
Unemployed
Universal credit
Online
DWP
Divorce
HMCTS
Assisted
digital
Online/Tel
Child
Maintenance
CSA
Online
GOV.UK
Abusive
Ex
Police
Tel
Children poorly
NHS Choices
No GP appointment
Online
Poorly child
Patient
Record
Online
NHS
Council House
Council Housing
Service
Online
Council Website
Substance misuse
Addiction Services
Council
Face to Face / Tel
Social Worker
Local council
Letter / Tel

18. Why does this matter?
● Government services are going online e.g. health,
benefits and tax.
● Private services are going online e.g. banking, shopping
● Jobs are predominately advertised online
● Digital skills will be key in the future of work

19. Social
exclusion
Loneliness Financial
exclusion
Digital health
provision
COVID-19 and the digital divide

20. Lack of personal access
● 1.9m UK households are
without access to internet
and devices
● Cost is a big problem
● Data poverty
● Lack of suitable devices
● Smart phone only users

21. Regions containing areas in initial Tier 2 or 3
lockdowns
Regions containing areas added to Tier 2
lockdowns 17th October
Regions with all areas in Tier 1
Regions containing areas in initial Tier 2 or 3
lockdowns have higher proportions of people
who are limited and non users of the internet.
They also have higher proportions of households
with school age children who are limited and non
users.
Updated: w/c 12/10/2020
Regional inequality

22. Lack of digital skills
● 9 million UK adults struggle to
use the internet and their
device independently
● If you have an impairment you
are three times more likely to
not have the skills to access
devices and get online
● 17.1 million (52%) people in the
workforce lack digital skills in
the workplace
● Only 70% of those in
households earning less than
£17,499 have foundational
digital skills, compared with
97% of those in households
earning £50,000 or more
● 7% of over 70s lack the digital
skills to shop and manage
their money online

23. Lack of motivation
● 40% of benefit claimants have
very low digital engagement
● Over one-third of the offline
population report that the
internet doesn't interest them
● 77% of people over 70 have
very low digital engagement
● 48% of digitally excluded
people said ‘nothing’ could
motivate them to get online
● Working age adults in the
lowest socio-economic group
are three times more likely to
be non-users

24. People in need
Two distinct audience groups:
● Group 1: digitally excluded, vulnerable, shielding,
accessing critical support.
● Group 2: higher digital skills, in work, furloughed,
motivated, educated.

25. Michael
Michael is a single man living in isolation in a rural area. The pandemic has had
a severe impact on his mental health as he is totally restricted to his house.
He has a language barrier in communicating with others, low confidence and
underlying health issues. He needs access, and having a device would not
only help him with his English, but if it were to come with data, could help
tackle his loneliness as he does not even have a TV. (Male 25-44)

26. Lucy
Lucy is a Universal Credit claimant who is keen to learn digital skills but cannot
do so from home as she relied on the Job Centre for this before lockdown. In
addition, she suffers from arthritis and has been advised to self-isolate. This
all means she is really struggling and is in pain when she has to go shopping.
Having access at home and a device would help her with online ordering and
allow her to keep in touch with a number of health professionals and video
conferencing with her GP to help her to manage her condition. She also has
children and wants to help them with schooling. (Female 25-44)

27. Armin
Amin is an asylum seeker who suffers from mental health problems, very low
mood, is at high risk of suicide and self harm and is on various medication. He
is on a low income and cannot afford a device or internet. Having home
access and a device will let him talk to his friends at the Centre, allow him to
continue with his learning and keep him entertained. (Male 25-44)

28. Our Collective Response
● Our community partners adapted to provide critical
frontline support and remote learning.
● We launched DevicesDotNow to get data enabled
devices to people who need them most.
● We worked with community partners to co-design
resources for remote delivery.
● We agreed with funding partners to relax performance
measures

29. ● 29% delivered food and medicines to
people self-isolating
● 64% made emotional support calls
● 71% provided advice
● 72% delivered learning and technical
support to help people get online and
remain online, including helping them
learn how to work remotely.
The community frontline

31. Aspire Sussex
"COVID-19 has made us develop an online delivery model...the pandemic
has made us face that challenge head on and it is something we want to
continue. We realise that it will make many of our courses more accessible
in future, especially for those on shift patterns and those who are more
isolated and for whom face to face provision is more challenging."
Community innovation case study

32. Remote delivery resources

33. How research and design can help
● Design with not for people
● Understand underlying behaviour
● Focus on relationships
● Base decisions on evidence not assumptions
● Track in real-time on the ground feedback and
insight
● Interrogate the link between scale and stories

34. People who use digital to meet their goals
People who work with others to develop skills
People who are willing to engage
People who are open to using digital
People who are aware
Limited Users 1. Behaviour change
2. Informed adoption
3. Critical application
4. Achievement of goals
5. Lasting demand
6. Meaningful (realistic)
attribution
Know your audience and goals

35. Design recommendations
1. User involvement in design from start to finish - will ensure a balance
between achieving behaviour change and meeting people’s needs.
2. Focus on simple design - don’t take people down different paths that it’s
difficult to find their way back from.
3. Reduce user information needed - so people can successfully transact more
easily.
4. Ensure user flexibility - allow people to return and complete.
5. Inspire user confidence - regarding the information people input.
6. Create user trust - about the personal data you’re asking for and how it will be
used.
7. Aim for user satisfaction and ownership - completing a transaction should
make people feel good about their decision to use the service.

36. Final thoughts
● Covid-19 has awoken awareness for the need for
digital inclusion - but it’s not a new need.
● Research and design have a critical role in ensuring
we are not just reactive at this time.
● We have a responsibility to design with people.
● People will need good digital services more than ever
now.

37. Further reading
● Good Things Foundation COVID-19 Response Report
● Good Things Foundation UK Digital Nation 2020
● Blueprint for a digitally included nation
● Digital Motivation: Exploring the reasons people are
offline
● Routes to Inclusion
● Good Things Theory of Change
● A national wake up call on digital skills
● Apps, appointments, panic and people
● Lloyds UK Consumer Digital Index 2020
● Ofcom Adults' Media Use & Attitudes Report 2020

38. #GetOnlineWeek
Thank you
Dr Al Mathers
alice@goodthingsfoundation.org
@Al_Mathers