Designing for Digital Inclusion in the Belgian Government
Summary
Key Insights
-
•
41% of Belgian citizens with internet access avoid digital government services, showing digital exclusion is not only about access.
-
•
Digital exclusion depends more on context and support than individual digital skills or resources.
-
•
Smartphones are widely accessible, but Belgian government services remain designed primarily for desktop use.
-
•
Diverse visual identities across government services cause confusion; cross-platform consistency is key to inclusion.
-
•
Trust in government and digital channels fundamentally affects digital inclusion; personal assistance remains crucial.
-
•
Small, simple artifacts like inclusion brochures can ripple across organizations and raise awareness effectively.
-
•
Building networks among those working on inclusion helps overcome loneliness and fragmentation within government.
-
•
Digital inclusion requires ecosystem partnerships beyond government, involving local organizations that provide access and coaching.
-
•
Inclusive civic design is an agile, ongoing process that benefits from empowering ambassadors from varied disciplines.
-
•
Civic designers play a key role in translating inclusion commitments into measurable actions and accountability.
Notable Quotes
"Digital exclusion is not a fixed status and can affect anyone at different points in life."
"Belgian government services are still really designing with desktop use in mind, even though smartphones are more accessible."
"Working towards cross-platform coherence is crucial so people can have similar reference points wherever they are."
"A big challenge is that a lot of governmental sites are filled with legally correct but totally incomprehensible content."
"People need to trust governments before they can trust digital governments."
"Digitizing doesn’t mean removing your frontline; frontline workers must be empowered to assist less digital citizens."
"There’s no magic solution for digital exclusion; small complementary efforts can make significant impact."
"It’s very important to set up a network of people already working on inclusion to share learnings and build mutual understanding."
"Inclusive civic design doesn’t mean only designers should do it; it requires ambassadors across policy, business, tech, and communications."
"As a civic designer, it’s really up to you to hold managers accountable for their promises on inclusion."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Everyone goes through quite an extensive application process, but it was stress-free and informal."
Marc Fonteijn Ru ButlerIncrease your confidence, influence, and impact (through a Professional Community)
December 3, 2024
"AI is just a tool. If AI is just a tool, what is behind it? Technology working with complex data models."
Dem Gerolemou Alexis Oh Neef RehmanClimate technology fundamentals
May 15, 2024
"Mobile users gave Amazon a higher Net Promoter Score than desktop users, indicating a better mobile experience."
Daniela Magaña Flores Ariane Rahn Jeff Ephraim BanderAhead of Competition: Learn What UX Benchmarking Can Do for Your Business Today
March 10, 2022
"Not growing the team was disheartening but led me to create training for partners to start taking a user-centered approach themselves."
Abbey Smalley Sylas SouzaScaling UX Past the Size of Your Team
January 8, 2024
"We automated everything — now we click a button weekly to produce updated staffing and priority alignment scores."
Patrick CommarfordDesign Staffing for Impact
January 8, 2024
"The use of dovetail helps organize diverse information without losing the author’s voice or connection to original data."
Xenia Adjoubei Sean BruceEmpowering Communities Through the Researcher in Residence Program
March 29, 2023
"If going from no design system to a system, you should see an increase in product development efficiency by at least 25%."
Craig VillamorDesign Systems for Ethical Design
January 26, 2023
"We don’t need a north star, we need a constellation that allows us to see the full picture."
Jon Fukuda Ellie KryslDesign Planning and Management Support
October 3, 2023
"If you’re not embarrassed by what you share, you’ll share too late."
Iain McMaster IHan ChengDesign and Product: from Frenemy to Harmony
November 29, 2023
