Animal and Plant Health Agency

Mentoring and coaching staff in essential UCD methods at the Animal and Plant Health Agency

  • Coaching
  • Mentoring
  • Interaction design
  • User research analysis
  • Workshop facilitation
  • Service design
I was tasked with both redesigning a web aplication that could provide geospatial data to Bovine TB analysts, whilst coaching and mentoring 3 APHA team members in basic user centred design methods and techniques.
Person in mask looking at a computer screen

User research

In the first initial weeks, I familiarised myself with the problem,by speaking with APHA policy leads, data analysts and other stakeholders. Whilst doing this, I ran small introductory workshops in user centred design with a number of colleagues to educate and inform around the benefits.

As a group, my new team and I travelled to the main lab to undertake research with lab staff, finding out how samples and taken and examined before being processed.

The findings from the interviews were broken down into user needs, taking a practicle approach around prioritising what to prototype and test first as part of Alpha.

Design

Using a Defra branded GOV prototype kit, and Figma, I explored ways the data could be surfaced to analysts in an easier way than present. Once a first version was ready for testing, I recruited users to test with.

Observation

I invited my mentees to observe the user research, ask participants questions and take notes. I then ran analysis sessions with the team to show them how to extract key findings, and prioritise them.

Coaching and mentoring

I arranged weekly one hour sessions with my 3 mentees, making sure they understodd what their responsibilities were.

Outcomes

I left the team with a tested alpha, to form the basis of the new web spplication, and several colleagues trained in basic UCD nethods, one of which went on to form a new career as a user researcher.