2. Participating citizens
Writer
Architecht
Graphic designer
Eye tracking expert
Activist
New apartment owner
Cartoonist
Nurse
School teacher
Christianit (living in the free town of Christiania)
Priest
Rhetorician
Poet
Numerologist
4. School teacher
I let a child in 5th grade read the text, and after
text,
reading it he crupled it and threw it out. I feel the same
way. …The boy said: You have to be an adult to
way. said:
understand this. I thought: There are not many of us
this. thought:
who are not adults. … I feel like putting my fingers into
adults.
my ears and saying lalalalalalalala. It is paternalistic
lalalalalalalala.
and parent like so you feel like not listening. You do
listening.
not see the care for the society in this letter.
5. Cartoonist
I was startled at the
corrected assesment.
First you have read
through 1½ pages of
numbers that you can
understand the origin
of and then comes
this strange amount
where suddenly the
house is worth less.
What do they mean
by that?? What is
happening?
6. Writer
I tried to understand why it is
so difficult to understand
these kind of writings from
the public sector. It is difficult
because they refer to some
vanishing points where there
is no argumentation for why
things are as they are –
where the author does not
have to explain. Why these
numbers? Who made up
these numbers?
7. Architecht
It is a bit sad now – I
noticed the word
”asbestos” – but once it
was someones dream.
Perhaps they build the
house themselves.
Someone loved it once. …
Architechts have a strange
mix of creative and very
square. The creative
makes it difficult for us to
deal with text so I have
ignored page 1. Page 2
with descriptions inspired
some pictures in me.
8. Graphic designer
I have called it ”Dreams that build houses that break down dreams”. …
The property estimation seems very square and practical but it could
have something to do with emotions. I’m thinking about my own
situation. I have a house and the last 7 years we have put a lot of blood,
sweat and tears into building this dream house. But now the house ties
us down to Denmark and makes it difficult for us to realize our present
dream and dreams of the future: moving to another country.
She turns out the light on the installation.
9. Eye tracking expert
I have focused on what the eyes
fall on. I have taken the places
where the text breaks down for
me. I have put in latin words
where I have to do something.
Because I get nervous when it
states that I have to do
something. When you
communicate something that
people have to act on it has to be
precise. You have made a
document I do not understand. …
You have made a document I
have to be able to act on and I
can’t. It is my responsibility!
10. New apartment owner
As a new owner I am very
unexperienced. But I have
some experience with
ensurance. My dad says that
I have to read all the fine
print. … With the fine print I
give up. You are not
supposed to understand it.
… I desperately try to find
the important words that
can shed some light, but it is
impossible to find
coherence. You do not have
to read the fine print but it is
very important, and then
you feel cheated because
you do not understand it. I
don’t know if I owe 50.000
dkr or if SKAT owes me
50.000?!
11. Activist
My problem is the top-down
control. Someone wants
something from me
regardless of who I am and
where I am in my life. … And
they expect that I act on it.
So I chose not to. It does not
open up for dialogue. …
Some kind of life nerve has
been pressed into a locked
and square system that
shows a snapshot. It is a
society that does not
engage in dialogue with its
citizens. A pseudo life. It is
as if it comes out of a
machine.
25. Conceptual clarification
DATA FINDING THEME INSIGHT
Themes are patterns of Insights are cognitions or
Data is the amount of data Findings are condensed data and
findings. Gathering findings in revelations that transcends
(interviews and quotes, field still true to what was actually said
themes is the first step of data, findings and themes.
notes, desk research, etc.) that and done – that is they are not
analyzing and interpreting. Insights are reached through
is generated during the analyzed and interpreted.
the analysis and interpretation
learning process.
process.
Findings are elements of your
data that you pick out as relevant
An insight describes the
and interesting.
reason why a given situation is
as it is and identifies the actual
challenge that you are facing.
27. The citizens want an authority at eye level
The citizens regard letters and information from SKAT as a threat,
something you have to pull yourself together for, something that is
not fun. The reason for this is that the citizens feel that SKAT is
communicating in a paternalistic and inside language – a we that
writes to a you. What the citizens want is an authority but at eye
level.
How might SKAT become an authority at eye
level?
28. SKAT is a machine that hits people in the
middle of their life dream, their blood, sweat
and tears
The property estimation letter is perceived as mechanical as if a
machine has written it, and with impersonal and incomprehensible
legal language and numbers that do not make sense to the reader. It
frustrates the reader because it is their home, their dream, their blod,
sweat and tears that SKAT is writing about in a very mechanical
language.
How might SKAT create some understanding
between the ”machine” SKAT and the citizen as
a unique and emotional human being?
29. Written information is not always enough in
order for the receiver to understand the
message
SKAT’s communications strategy prioritizes contact via internet and
phone but the citizens feel that they need more than a letter or a
homepage – they need to feel that we know exactly their case so that
we can help them.
How might SKAT make sure that the citizens
understand our communication and feel
confident that we know exactly their case?
30. The overflood of written information makes
the message invisible to the citizen
SKAT’s focus on rule of law and the strong tradition of much writing is
reflected in the communication toward the citizens. SKAT wants the
citizens to know everything and default is to put it in writing – all
information in one text. And so the message drowns in a flood of
words.
How might SKAT work with communications
towards the citizens so that we embrace all
kinds of understanding (visual, auditive,
kinesthetic)?
31. The possibilities for the citizens to act
disappear in a bermuda-triangle
The citizens acknowledte their responsibility and they want to act but
they do not know how. The form and content of the letter reinforces
their doubt:
1. Why have I received this letter?
2. Why this facit?
3. When can I file a complaint?
How might SKAT apply our visions of rule of
law and openness better in this letter?
