Don’t Waste a Crisis:
2020 was a year when COVID-19
changed the world.
Many of the things that populations across the globe previously took for granted, about how they lived and the way in which they accessed key services, have been questioned and overturned.
Put simply, it is already clear that COVID has been a transformative event, which has accelerated a fundamental channel shift in the way that all organizations, companies, governments and NGOs, provide services to users.
This is not just a temporary shift. As the vaccine rollout opens up the prospect of a return to normality, it is clear that some of the changes we have seen may well stick around for a lot longer than the virus itself.
In particular, the way that government departments rapidly had to develop better digital infrastructure to facilitate remote delivery, is something that will now form part of the ‘new normal’ for future service provision.
What Have Government Agencies Learned?
A key feature of the pandemic response is that it isn’t just businesses and corporations that have undergone a transformative shift in working methods and delivery channels. The government sector, which has been at the center of the crisis response, has also been transformed.
Digital innovation for government agencies is, of course, a trend that we have seen over a number of years, but there is no doubt that COVID has accelerated progress and embedded digital design and delivery at the heart of the way that governments across the world provide services.
Digital innovation for government agencies is, of course, a trend that we have seen over a number of years, but there is no doubt that COVID has accelerated progress and embedded digital design and delivery at the heart of the way that governments across the world provide services.
From Corporate
to Civic
At Spark, we have many years of experience in talking to clients about issues such as ‘user experience’, ‘immersive brands’ and ‘customer journeys.’
Until recently, we were much more likely to have these conversations with corporate clients than government agencies. However, as an agency, we are increasingly seeing these conversations across all of our work, with the latest thinking from the corporate world starting to shape and influence the way in which governments connect with, engage, and deliver core services to citizens.
At the heart of this has been a drive to make digital design and innovation central to the way that government engages with, and provides services for, its citizens.
In particular, we have identified three key trends which, we believe, will shape the government sector’s approach to engagement and delivery as we move forward into a post-COVID world.
01
Users at the Heart
One lesson which government has learned in this crisis has been the importance of user-centric design.
During the pandemic, the quality and accessibility of technology for citizens literally became a life and death issue. Put simply, intuitive, easy to use, well-designed digital platforms saved lives.
Good quality design and seamless user experiences are no longer a “nice to have”. They are now rightly regarded as critical components within any system.
Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the way that health services are delivered. Digital solutions have now become an essential part of delivering healthcare, as around the world we have witnessed a channel shift, with up to three-quarters of consultations now taking place virtually.
Many of these solutions have been developed quickly in response to the crisis. However, as we now return to a new normal, there is the opportunity for government agencies to embed these new ways of working, and to learn from the experience of other sectors about the importance of user-focused design.
02
Data Led Solutions
The entire COVID crisis response has centered on the collection and intelligent use of data, whether that is data on levels of infections in a particular area, or the ability to track individual users to identify who they have been in contact with.
At Spark, we believe that this could provide a key learning opportunity for the government sector. As many major private corporations have already realized, the intelligent use of data can be used to provide a better, more seamless user experience for customers.
The same principles apply to government. Knowing citizens as individuals, will allow services to be delivered in a truly modern way which reflects and responds to the needs of individuals.
03
Towards Digital Identity
One trend which COVID has hastened, is the move towards a more cohesive approach to the way in which digital identity will operate within the new post-pandemic environment.
Digital identity is likely to become the cornerstone of future delivery, – where businesses, citizens, and users can securely store their needs and preferences, and their entitlement to government services.
This is likely to form the foundation for new processes, for businesses and for government, that will now be able to match products, services and support to the individual journey of each user. This will enable government to meet citizens’ needs and improve their experiences.
How Spark Can Help
As we move into a new post-pandemic world, high-quality user experience and digital service design is going to be a critical part of how we rebuild.
The government sector now has the opportunity to use the data and insight it has gathered during the crisis, to embed new approaches that put the individual journeys of citizens as users at the heart of delivery.
At Spark, we have worked with clients such as xxx and yyy, to help them develop new and innovative approaches to user experience and digital delivery. We believe that one outcome of the COVID crisis will be a much wider adoption of similar approaches.
Contact us to find out how we can help you to harness data and intelligent design to support a shift to a new world of digital delivery.
