Government Digital Service plans research on international user needs in wake of Brexit

GDS international research team - Image credit: GDS

The UK Government Digital Service (GDS) is to carry out research into the needs of GOV.UK’s international users and how they might change as the UK negotiates its exit from the European Union. 

The six-week discovery project was prompted by an initial assessment of existing research on international users and international content, which identified “a few gaps”.

According to a post on the GOV.UK blog, more work is needed to improve the team’s understanding of what international users’ needs are, how well GOV.UK meets those needs and what areas should be a priority.

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To address this, GDS is planning its own user research with British people living overseas and non-British people living in the UK.

“Having a fuller picture will be particularly useful once our research starts to focus, in part, on how needs of international citizens might have changed as a result of the EU referendum,” the post said.

“We’ll also be working closely with international facing departments to see how or if their priorities have shifted.

“We’ll set up potential ways for us to work together to meet international user needs as Brexit unfolds.”

At the end of the work, the team will publish a strategy report that will be used to inform the 2017 GOV.UK roadmap.

It will also act as a resource for GOV.UK teams and departments working with international users.