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Fostering Innovation in Survey Systems 

with Human-Centered Design

Jean E. Fox

Scott Arden

Tod Sirois

US Bureau of Labor Statistics

2022 FCSM Research and Policy Conference

October 26, 2022
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Main Theme

 Human-Centered Design methods are great approaches to 

fostering innovation 

In government survey systems

And beyond
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Agenda

 What is Human-Centered Design / User Experience?

 Methods that foster innovation

 Two BLS case studies

Data review for the Current Employment Statistics – State and Area 

(CES-SA) program

Data collection for the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
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What is Human-Centered Design (HCD)?

 An approach to design and development that focuses on the 

users’ concerns throughout the process

From understanding the users and their tasks before starting any 

design work to usability testing just before deployment

 Requires the application of User Experience (UX) methods

 Other related terms: Customer Experience (CX), Usability, 

Human Factors
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From https://www.gsa.gov/cdnstatic/

HCD-Discovery-Guide-Interagency-v12-1.pdf

“Traditional” HCD vs HCD for Innovation

 UX methods before any 

development begins

 Goal is to determine what 

system to build

 UX methods throughout development

 Goal is to make the system better meet users’ needs

HCD for Innovation Traditional HCD work
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UX Methods that Foster Innovation

 Methods done early in the process

Design thinking

Interviews

Focus groups

Field observations

Usability testing of a previous version

 Generally, more qualitative methods
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How HCD Supports Innovation

 You get ideas from people actually using your tools/products/services

 Their experience, ideas, and priorities may be different from management

 It minimizes risk

 Building the right product the right way for the right people

 It helps to build trust, buy-in, and greater adoption among user groups

 Can improve Products, Services, Procedures, and Policies 

 An agency may need to revise procedures and policies to improve the UX

 Provides evidence for users’ actual needs and desires

 Can streamline discussions about prioritizing and designing features
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Using HCD to Innovate at BLS: 

Two Case Studies
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Case Study 1

Data Review for the Current Employment 

Statistics –State and Area Program
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CES State and Area Background

 A federal and state cooperative program 

 Provides employment, hours, and earnings estimates for states 

and metropolitan areas
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Goals

 Innovate improvements to State and Area data review systems

Target audience is BLS analysts

 Start by understanding how analysts currently do data review

Identify pain points, gaps, and other opportunities to improve the 

process

 Continue to get feedback from analysts throughout 

development
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Methods

 Start with a usability test of the current system

See how people are currently doing review

Get input on improvements and priorities

 Design prototypes to address priorities

 Continue to get feedback from analysts throughout 

development

Focus groups and interviews to discuss paper prototypes, then higher 

fidelity prototypes

 Involve the whole team in the process
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Benefits of this Approach

 We learned how people were conducting review.

Tools they use within the system

Procedures they follow

 We identified priorities for improvements.

Keep future ideas in mind

 The team members were more aligned with a common 

understanding of the users.
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Case Study 2

Data Collection for 

the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
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CPI Background

 Measure of inflation

 CPI Surveys

Housing 

Commodities and Services 
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Goals

 “How might we improve data collection for the CPI Commodities 

and Services survey?”

Small tweaks to revolutionary ideas

Encouraged new, creative, innovative, outside-the-box ideas

Without considering feasibility (for now)

 Hear from all groups involved in data collection

 Analyze and summarize ideas to present a path forward
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Method

 Design Thinking approach

 Interviews with Stakeholders

What works

What doesn’t

What can be improved

 Involve the whole team in the interviews
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Design Thinking

 A structured process for problem solving

Jeanne Liedtka

University of Virginia
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By the Numbers

 Our process

70 interviews across 9 user groups

>1,600 findings

61 recommendations

5 next steps
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Benefits of this Approach

 Good news: Overall, things were going pretty well.

 We identified many opportunities, from small tweaks to system 

overhauls.

Technical (requiring IT work)

Non-technical (e.g., changes in procedures, new training, and 

improvements using existing systems)

 Results provided evidence to guide long-term decisions about 

priorities for projects and resources.
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How to Get Started with HCD

 Conduct UX methods to observe and listen to users and other 

stakeholders before determining a project’s scope

 Make the personal connection to empathize with users

 Involve the whole team

 Focus on the priorities you uncover
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Resources

 The Lab@OPM: https://lab.opm.gov/

 Jeanne Liedtka: https://jeanneliedtka.com/

 IDEO Design Thinking: https://designthinking.ideo.com/
Contact Information

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Jean Fox

Fox.Jean@bls.gov

Scott Arden

Arden.Scott@bls.gov

Tod Sirois

Sirois.Tod@bls.gov