Welcome

Welcome to the council website usability dashboard!

The purpose of this site is to build up a picture of the usability of different council websites in England, Scotland, and Wales - but doing so by letting users carry out a series of task-based tests, to gradually build up a comprehensive objective picture of the usability of the sites across a much broader range of tasks than other methodologies do, by crowdsourcing the data.

Anybody can view the test results by following the links below - if you are registered and logged in you can then join in with the testing as well. You can carry out as many tests as you like at any time, on any council - though we encourage you to test your own council's website first!

This site is currently very much a work in progress, with plenty of rough edges right now - future developments include more sophisticated analysis tools to compare councils against each other, and to see how different levels of computer literacy show up different usability levels. See the roadmap for more details!

Latest news: Results now viewable by task as well as by council!

If your council isn't listed here, please do contact us to let us know and we'll add it for you.

Currently the system has 513 users who between them have run 1649 tests against 70 tasks.

Recent tests

• Social media accounts - find them at City of Edinburgh Council on 2015-02-26 and it was very difficult.
• Broken street lights - report at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-12 and it was easy.
• Councillors - find who mine are at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-12 and it was difficult.
• Pothole - report one at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-12 and it was difficult.
• Broken street lights - report at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-12 and it was easy.
• Trading Standards - complain about a dodgy item from a shop at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-12 and it was very difficult.
• Leisure centres close to me - find one at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-12 and it was easy.
• Voting - register to at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-11 and it was easy.
• Parking - find out how much it costs at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Telephone number - find the main one at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-11 and it was very difficult.
• Council meeting - read the last full council minutes at Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Missed bin collection - complain about one at Preston City Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Supplying the council - find out how at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Meals on Wheels - find information at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-11 and it was easy.
• Population and census information - find it at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-11 and it was easy.
• Public toilets - find them at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Small business support - find information at Tandridge District Council on 2015-02-11 and it was difficult.
• Council meeting - read the last full council minutes at London Borough of Waltham Forest on 2015-02-10 and it was easy.
• Pothole - report one at Newcastle City Council on 2015-02-10 and it was easy.
• Regulation of children on stage, film, and television - find information at Copeland Borough Council on 2015-02-10 and it was very difficult.