Office for National Statistics A digital‑first census

Overview

The Office for National Statistics embarked on an initiative to digitally transform the census, replacing the traditional paper-based approach that involved posting questionnaires to millions of households.

The primary objective was to attain a high completion rate of 90% from approximately 27 million households. It was crucial that the survey be inclusive and accessible to the entire population. The design of the survey had to ensure that every single household was accurately accounted for, as incomplete or inaccurate data could have significant impacts on many aspects of society.

A questionnaire to used by everyone

I was contracted to lead the build of the UI for the electronic questionire. As the census would be required to be completed by everyone from all backgrounds, technical abilities, and disabilities, a new design systemwas built and made available for all future questionnaires and services.

To aid with the design and testing of the census a prototyping kit was built on top of the design system. This allowed the team to rapidly test and iterate on the design of the questionaire using real UI components.

Test and test again

Within the design and development process, we adopted a progressive enhancement model and a mobile-first approach. We collaborated with the Digital Accessibility Centre to conduct accessibility testing of the question patterns. While the employees at the centre are proficient in using assistive technologies such as screen readers and voice-activated software, we recognised the importance of inclusivity and accessibility for all users. To ensure that our service and question patterns met these standards, we conducted prototype testing with participants in their own homes. You can read more about this approach in a blog post Making online questionnaires inclusive and accessible by Charlotte Hirst.

After completing the iterative design and research cycles, the prototypes were then published in the ONS Design System, which we originally developed to document survey design.

A digital‑first census

The Census was hailed as the first truly digital-first census with 89% of all households receiving an invitation by post to complete the census online. 11% of households were sent paper questionnaires however 46.4% of those completed it online. You can read more about Designing a digital-first census on the ONS website.