Part 4 - Button Lessons Learned & Team Testimonials

In part 4 of our community sharing, we wanted to talk about a few projects and share a couple of Button team testimonials. We value you and this community and want to share our experiences on a personal level. The “real” experiences of our people.

In this issue, our areas of learning include; impact assessment & evaluation, public speaking & advocacy, and cultural & contextual understanding,

Before starting to build anything, it's important to first understand what you're working on. Evaluating projects requires a thorough impact assessment and evaluation process. Through this, you can learn how to effectively measure the outcomes, efficiency, and effectiveness of your projects. This knowledge will empower you to make data-driven decisions and continuously enhance your digital solutions.

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Button Team Testimonial

Project Name: The Public Reporting Project. CleanBC Industrial Incentive Program (CIIP) operating under the Province of British Columbia’s Climate Action Secretariat

First Name: Jaimie

What I Learned: I conducted exploratory research with diverse stakeholder groups (industry, government,  academia, and public) to understand how well people understand BC’s emissions data. Brainstorming & ideating solutions for how we can make our BC emissions data more transparent and accessible as part of our ongoing process. This work was important because we can’t take action without first understanding the current state of things - and if data isn’t accessible, we can’t generate important insights & understanding. I learned that there were many similarities in the opinions between diverse stakeholders, and I learned just how important access to emissions data is for industry - lack of accessibility for BC’s emissions data was preventing industry operators from making comprehensive emissions reductions & Net Zero plans, ultimately hindering their ability to meet climate change goals.

Our experiences have opened up the opportunity for public speaking and advocacy, we’ve become an industry-trusted advisor. As we work on digital projects we regularly have opportunities to present our work, advocate for varied projects, and participate in public speaking engagements. These experiences enhance our communication and presentation skills.

Button Team Testimonial

Project Name: Connecting Communities BC (CCBC). Canadian Federal Government launched the Universal Broadband Fund as part of a $3.225 billion initiative to connect all Canadian households to 50/10 internet by 2030. As part of the Stronger BC Economic Plan, BC's Minister of Citizens' Services pledged to match the $415 million in federal funding allocated to BC to achieve a combined federal-provincial funding of $830 million and to connect all BC households by 2027.

First Name: Eduardo

What I Learned: I participated in this project as the Scrum Master, helping the team and the client go through the process of evaluating to expected outcomes for each piece of work, which consequentially drove a better prioritization of the upcoming work. My learning outcome from this engagement is that employees in the public sector want to help as much as possible citizens. By working on this project, I developed strong stakeholder management skills, improving the effectiveness of my communication techniques and negotiation strategies and how to manage the expectations of government officials, citizens, and other organizations involved in the project. This skill set enabled me to foster collaboration, build consensus, and navigate through complex stakeholder landscapes in future projects.

Our eyes have been opened up to many different cultural and contextual understandings in varied digital environments. Digital projects operate in diverse cultural, social, and political contexts. We have learned to navigate these contexts, adapt our approaches, and develop a deeper appreciation for diversity and inclusion.

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Button Team Testimonial

Project Name: The CleanBC Industry Fund. CleanBC Industrial Incentive Program (CIIP), operating under the Province of British Columbia’s Climate Action Secretariat

First Name: Suha

What I Learned: My work involved creating an application for CleanBC Industry Fund's Operations and Technical Team. I contributed my expertise in User Experience Design and Research to create a UI for the eventual web application. The goal of the application was to allow the internal team to efficiently manage projects, track due dates, and enhance internal collaboration and external communication with Industry Operators who applied for funding. Through usability testing and developing an understanding of the complexity of the funding program and the day-to-day of the internal team, I was able to help create an intuitive interface that reduces the menial aspects of the internal team’s job.

From this experience, I learned how to build the client's trust by demonstrating care and attention to their needs. I also learned how to incrementally deliver design and research needs in an Agile environment to deliver the maximum possible value. Collaborating with my team, I figured out an efficient way to share knowledge. I gained knowledge about the government structure and its funding programs and developed the ability to adapt quickly to change.

If I were to share a takeaway with fellow designers from my experience on this project, it would be to always consider the long-term view of the work that you do. This way, when and if the project work switches hands, the next generation of the team can build on top of the work you helped to create.

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