The Framework

I decided to create a draft of the final project using Shorthand so I could get a better feel for how to use the site’s many functions. It is certainly challenging to see how it will all fit together (and I’m realizing how useful it would be if I were more fluent in HTML), but I appreciate how intuitive it is!

While building out this draft, I realized just how challenging it was to isolate data about gig economy workers from that of other contingent workers—much of the data collected are quite new and missing key information (such as demographics) that would be easier to find if studying another group of workers.

Part of what I hoped to gain through my user feedback was a sense of whether or not the story still felt coherent and impactful without those details. The answer, as it turned out, was that it did, but that the absence of those details was keenly felt.

The Process

Identifying My Audience

My audience for this project would be the general, working populace. While we cannot, and should not, try to “design for everyone,” my argument relies on the common thread that labor protections are good for all of us in the workforce – and that we must start by leveraging our voices to protect these exploited workers at home. I do hope that my overview of the gig worker experience is accessible enough that someone completely new to the topic will feel comfortable advocating for improved conditions. I will admit that someone who is already very familiar with this topic is unlikely to gain much from what I have currently produced, but experts are not my audience here.

Finding Users to Interview

My goal was to select representatives with varying (1) levels of knowledge around the topic of gig economy workers; (2) professional environments (tech workers, freelancers, etc.); and (3) senses of “aesthetics.” I had also hoped to rope in a few representatives who are notoriously terrible at understanding visual cues, or are easily overwhelmed by data, but I was unable to determine mutual availability for this round of feedback. However, I will be certain to speak with them before the final product is turned in.

The representatives I spoke to were:

Interviewee 1: A graphic designer who focuses on UI/UX and comes from a low-income background! It did feel a little bit like cheating to ask someone with design expertise for feedback, but she has a sharp eye and is quick to provide constructive feedback. In addition, though she does not have extensive knowledge on the gig economy, I thought the topic might be of interest to her as an individual who cares about workers’ rights.

Interviewee 2: A software engineer at a big tech firm. He had extensive knowledge on the topic, is very familiar with the tech space, and is also colorblind (and therefore highly critical of any of my preferred color schemes). Politically, this individual is a bit more moderate and would take more persuading to mobilize around this issue.

Interviewee 3: A recent college graduate who is not particularly politically aware. I thought this individual would be an excellent baseline to determine whether or not the story was clear, informative, and compelling.

The Script

I wanted the conversation to be more organic and open-ended, rather than making the process feel like an interrogation. As such, I only came prepared with a few questions:

What were your initial reactions and high level thoughts?
Skimming through it once, how did it make you feel? What argument was being conveyed here?
What did you find distracting or confusing?
Did you feel like there were components missing? (What additional data would make this story feel more complete?)
Does this motivate you to want to do something? If so, what?

The Feedback and Next Steps

Overall, the reception was quite positive—moreso than I anticipated! In terms of positive feedback, the participants noted:

The information made them feel exactly how I hoped they would. Two of the three participants explicitly mentioned that they found these data “disappointing,” and “saddening.”
The narrative arc makes sense, and it feels like we’re watching a chronological story unfold (the historic conditions, the current snapshot of users, and the bleak future for those in this work). Ending on a lack of retirement funds felt like a particularly impactful “gut punch.”
The color scheme was overall clear and provided sufficient contrast.
The story evoked a strong desire to “do right by others” if there were clear solutions or alternatives.

There was, however, significant feedback that I will be taking into account as I assemble the final product.

Feedback on the visuals included:

Highlighting some of the key data points more effectively – it is not always clear where the eye is supposed to be drawn or what is being conveyed.
The dollar / expenses visual is not particularly clear. One representative described it as “cute, but hard to decipher” and that they felt it “played tricks on the eyes.” Another participant noted that perhaps labeling it more clearly, or representing the breakdown in coins below, would help provide a clearer sense of understanding.
More contrasting colors / more effective use of colors to highlight important information. While users enjoyed the color scheme overall, they felt they bled together a bit too much, particularly in the doughnut charts.
Actually showing data points instead of just smooth trends.
Clearer labels on all of the charts; not relying on individuals to read the title to understand what’s being conveyed or its magnitude.
Sometimes an unclear sense of time – the data aren’t all from one year, so making it clear that we are looking at a range, not a snapshot of one particular point in time.

Feedback on the content included:

More information about the demographics of gig economy workers and more absolute values, rather than percentages. Readers desperately wanted visualize the impact on individual people, and found that the percentages / averages made it difficult to visualize the scale of the issues.
Rearranging the flow of information just a bit, particularly around who works in the gig economy. If we are going to use absolute numbers, they should be by the first pie chart.
More information about how the pandemic has changed the playing field. How has the situation worsened or improved? With increased use of these services, what’s changed?
One individual remarked that if they were not already familiar with the topic, they would not understand quite how all this information tied together, or what my argument was. They noted it felt “too general” and lacked the teeth needed to mobilize others.

Updating the visuals should be relatively straightforward, as most of the feedback was about making them a bit neater, adding clearer labels, and contrasting the colors. Users did not seem to think that another type of visual would make the information unclear, so hopefully the visuals themselves will need minimal adjustments. Regarding the dollar visual, I may consider replacing it with a tree map instead to see if that makes the point more clearly.

I will also be sure to create a more cohesive color scheme throughout – one user and I discussed the possibility of evoking imagery of a “technological dystopia from a sci-fi film” to really hammer in the point (this possibly includes switching the colors from green to red on my visuals as well).

The framing of the content, however, will need some work. I will rearrange the information to create a greater sense of thematic cohesion; include absolute numbers when they would be appropriate or helpful (particularly around whatever demographic information I am able to find); and ensure that the text provides the necessary scaffolding to create greater cohesion between disparate elements. In addition, I will frame the narrative with the end goal of “classifying gig economy workers as employees” in mind, such that the call to action is almost obvious upon arriving at the end of the presentation. My call to action will also include both personal and legislative approaches to rectifying the problem.

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