At Statistics Canada, a venerable institution providing crucial statistical information to Canadians for over a century, I was immersed in the transformative “Data Analytics as a Service” (DAaaS) platform project. This five-year initiative aimed to revolutionize the dissemination of data, analytical tools, and software, extending accessibility beyond internal stakeholders to a broader audience.

The ambitious goal was to overhaul the way Statistics Canada presents data globally, addressing the challenges posed by vast yet underutilized data holdings. With the exponential growth of available data, existing information management systems became cost-prohibitive and sluggish in responding to user needs. The project sought to overcome these hurdles, making data more accessible, coherent, and valuable for evidence-based decision-making and policy formulation.

In my capacity as a user experience researcher, I played a pivotal role in this modernization effort. My daily activities involved conducting insightful user interviews—both remotely and in-person—crafting and refining interview protocols, and producing research artifacts such as personas, journey maps, affinity maps, and comprehensive reports. Additionally, I contributed to the orchestration of workshops, ensuring effective collaboration, and conducted contextual inquiries through job shadowing, gaining a deep understanding of user workflows and needs.

This immersive experience allowed me to contribute significantly to the evolution of Statistics Canada's data delivery mechanisms, ensuring a user-centric approach to modernizing their systems for greater accessibility and impact.