Our User Group Convenes In-Person for the First Time!

To develop the PHQIX website, we are executing a user-centered design process. This means we involve potential users throughout every stage of our software design work. This way, we include user perspectives right from the beginning of the design process, and the end results reflects their preferences, work habits, and values.  We selected users from state, local, and tribal public health organizations to form our “User Group,” (UG) which convened for the first time in Portland, OR at the NNPHI Open Forum Meeting last month.

Mark Koyanagi presenting at the User Group meeting.

The day’s activities included discussions and group activities focused on the use of PHQIX, and how the design of the online tool could support the exchange’s goals and bolster QI efforts in public health. We presented the group with storyboards explaining the exchange’s feature and the group offered feedback to help us refine our ideas.

We identified several new design concepts during the UG meeting. This would be a very long post if we included them all! The recommendations generally fell into a few large categories, including:

• New items to add to our search taxonomy (which organizes the search strategy of the site)
• New communication features that will improve connectivity amongst users
•  Lots of recommendations for the submission process, which site participants will go through when they want to submit one of their QI projects.

Marisa McLaughlin, Julie Sharp, Brian Johnson and Ty Kane at the User Group session.

We’d like to thank our UG members for their enthusiasm and feedback at the meeting, and we look forward to our future work together!