2020 Census data tool
UX + UI / DATA VISUALIZATION
An interactive data feature that explores how certain risk factors could lead to inaccurate data on states and historically at-risk demographic groups in the 2020 Census.
Winner of the Urban Institute’s 2019/2020 President’s Award for Communications Innovation
Project Duration
4 months (released June 2019)
Continues to receive media attention
Role + Team
Allison Feldman (Design)
Emily Peiffer (Writing)
Ben Chartoff (Development)
AGENCY
The Urban Institute
Washington, DC
Overview
The problem: An undercount in the 2020 Census is likely inevitable. But by how much?
The 2020 Census faces unprecedented challenges and threats to its accuracy. Demographic changes over the past decade will make the population harder to count. And underfunding, undertested process changes (and the last-minute introduction of a citizenship question) could result in serious miscounts, potentially diminishing communities’ political voice and rightful share of funding.
The goal: To create an interactive tool that advances the public’s understanding of the census and underscores the tremendous impact these changes will have on states and demographic groups.
Discover and define
Our aim was to develop an interactive data feature and execute a robust outreach strategy.
We needed a tool that a broad, non-technical audience could understand, but that would also serve as a vital resource to our data-savvy stakeholders. With this goal in mind, we chose a tiered content approach, allowing our target users to dig as deep into the data as their expertise allows.
It was also imperative to stress the sensitive, and often emotional, nature of the census, and to underscore that these data represent more than just cells in a spreadsheet. Strong visuals and approachable language would be essential to our goal of personifying these data.
Prototype and test
Wireframes: Our designs created a clear hierarchy, weaving the 2020 Census’s unique story with interactive data. The user could easily filter results by state or demographic group to see who’s at risk of being miscounted.
Mockups and hi-fi prototype: In our large-screen mockup designs, we emphasized the human element of the census through illustrations, icons, and accessible language choices, demonstrating that these data represent real people.
Mobile: Paying close attention to responsive design was important because of our varied audience, much of which wanted something easy to scan and digest on the go. Our mobile designs featured cards that were simple to filter and sort based on user preferences but didn’t compromise on content.
Final product
Impact
This project elevates the census debate and raises the profile of Urban experts. It continues to receive media and stakeholder attention 18 months after its launch.
We timed the release of the feature and report to come right before the census printing deadline and before the Supreme Court citizenship decision. This timing made the findings incredibly relevant to the national debate and to local groups’ efforts to ensure their communities were accurately counted.
With this project, we demonstrated not only the potential for a miscount, but also why a fair and accurate census matters for everyone. This project shows how a simple data tool that clearly answers one key question can have a significant impact.
Media and press attention
Over 13,000 pageviews
Cited over 1,400 times in the media, including in the Associated Press, Axios, BBC, Bloomberg, CBS, CNN, The Guardian, HBO’s Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, MSNBC, NBC, the New York Times, Newsweek, NPR, PBS Newshour, Politico, Telemundo, Univision, VICE, Vox, the Washington Post, and many more state and local media outlets.
Significant social media attention, with tweets from Kamala Harris, NYT Opinion, and the US Committee on Education & Labor.
We developed this feature with the media in mind, making sure the data tool was easy to use and ensuring people could find their own stories in the data. The flood of visits, shares, and sparked conversations shows that we reached our target audience. By focusing on media outreach that led to hundreds of articles, we were able to get our critical findings in front of the policymakers and community groups who could take action to bolster their census outreach efforts.
Key takeaways
Teamwork was critical to the success of this project. This project was a great example of the Urban Institute’s build and outreach teams collaborating early to ensure a product was tailored to the target audience. The research, build, and outreach teams also worked together for months to take advantage of everyone’s strengths and to create the best product. All team members prioritized this project, communicated effectively, and trusted each other’s expertise—all while staying on schedule to release the feature on time.