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 408 users who between them have run 1218 tests against 70 tasks.

Recent tests

• Council tax - pay it at Brent Council on 2014-07-25 and it was easy.
• Market stall trading - find information about at Brent Council on 2014-07-25 and it was difficult.
• Missed bin collection - complain about one at Brent Council on 2014-07-25 and it was easy.
• Planning permission - apply for it at Brent Council on 2014-07-25 and it was very easy.
• Employment help for people with disabilities - find information on at Brent Council on 2014-07-24 and it was easy.
• Telephone number - find the main one at Brent Council on 2014-07-24 and it was difficult.
• Parking - find out how much it costs at Brent Council on 2014-07-24 and it was easy.
• Cycling strategy - find it at Brent Council on 2014-07-24 and it was very difficult.
• Pothole - report one at Brent Council on 2014-07-24 and it was difficult.
• Planning or building control violation - report one at Great Yarmouth Borough Council on 2014-07-23 and it was easy.
• Senior staff and politicians in the council - find their names at North Lincolnshire Council on 2014-07-22 and it was difficult.
• Missed bin collection - complain about one at North Lincolnshire Council on 2014-07-22 and it was very easy.
• Sustainability and climate change - find information on at North Lincolnshire Council on 2014-07-22 and it was difficult.
• Stopping smoking services - find information at Leicestershire County Council on 2014-07-22 and it was difficult.
• Meals on Wheels - find information at Leicestershire County Council on 2014-07-22 and it was easy.
• Market stall trading - find information about at Leicestershire County Council on 2014-07-22 and it was very difficult.
• Flood protection - find information at Cheshire East Council on 2014-07-21 and it was difficult.
• Pothole - report one at Brent Council on 2014-07-17 and it was very difficult.
• Address - change mine on council systems at Brent Council on 2014-07-16 and it was very difficult.
• Missed bin collection - complain about one at Brent Council on 2014-07-16 and it was easy.