Final cut group-5-chicago-worksforyou-report

CUTGroup 5 – ChicagoWorksforYou.com
Remote Test on November 25, 2013

Overview:
For our Civic User Testing session, we tested ChicagoWorksforYou.com. This was our first remote
CUTGroup test.
ChicagoWorksforYou.com provides citywide information about city service requests.
Target Group:
 All members of CUTGroup as of 11/23/2013 – 565 total
 No additional segmentation – we see this as a broadly useful tool that we want everyone to
use. Serves also as a marketing and public relations tool—we want all of these people
(since they are Chicagoans) to use this Web site
 We also have a large amount of gift cards that were about to expire and wanted to reach a
large group of people
Test Type:
 Remote test for 90 participants
 Once users respond saying that they could do a remote test on November 25, we randomly
select 90 participants to send this e-mail with the test (via Wufoo form) and instructions.
 We ask participants to visit the Web site for 20 uninterrupted minutes on one day
(November 25, 2013) and answer questions about the Web site
 We created a Wufoo form which asked “yes” or “no” questions to gather quantitative
results. We also want to ask open-ended questions to see what users were interested in
when visiting the site. Finally, we will ask users to click on specific links of the Web site, and
discuss their experience
 We want to conduct a screen share 5 people through Google Hangouts to monitor their
actions.
Due to technical problems, we were unable to do the screen share. In the future, we would
like to provide more technical instructions on how to screen share and give extra time
Questions:
 Will regular Chicago residents find this Web site interesting?
 How do users use the site? What do they have difficulties with?
 Are users interested in the Web site’s content?
 Do users want to share information from Web site through social media/e-mail?


Results:
84 users tested the Web site and gave us feedback, below are some key highlights for each
question.
What browser are you using?
52% (44) of testers use Chrome
21% (18) of testers use Firefox
15% (13) of testers use Safari
11% (9) of testers use Internet Explorer
Have you ever made a service request through 311?
62% (52) - Yes
38% (32) - No
Care to explain [re: 311]?
Here are some responses:
“Phone Call: I called to report a pot hole that was not marked by the city and wanted to
make sure they knew it was there. About three months had gone by and it was getting
harder to navigate on my bike.” Tester #82, Uptown 365 Cycler
“I could not find my car and had to call to find out if it had been towed. (phone call). Have
called to report a traffic signal being out. Both were helpful, they told me where my car had
been towed. Not sure how quickly the light issue was resolved.” –Tester #18, Lifetime
student
“I have only tried it a few times to get in touch with a government office. Most times it was a
failure.” –Tester #15, WRPtester
“Not aware of the website before.” –Tester #20, IT lover
Do you attend any of these types of meetings?
67% (56) - Other
19% (16) - Aldermanic Ward Nights
15% (13) - Block Club
13% (11) - Local School Council
13% (11) - Neighborhood Watch
1% (1) - Safe Passage
Review the homepage. What do you think this site does?
Note: When we corresponded with our CUTGroup participants about the test, we did mention that
this was a city service delivery Web site that provides “citywide information about city services
requests.” This has impacted our responses.
Here are some reviews:
“From what I can tell so far, it gives a snapshot of what the city is doing to solve basic
residential problems. I am interested in it just because it's the first time I'm looking at it but
I don't think it's something I'd check once a week or on a regular basis. It would be a good

resource for people who are choosing what parts of the city to move to perhaps.” –Tester
#1, Srtap
“1) I think the site is a way to track 311 requests and city service requests in a "gee whiz"
way -- also a very slow and difficult way to view that data across the city. 2) I'm somewhat
interested in viewing 311 requests and improving response but this website has a very low
density of information and is not clearly focused on showing service request statuses. How
does this website do a better job of communicating information than a table with the same
information? You can't view by week or month. Don't you think tracking tree debris
complaints on a daily basis across a 300 square mile map is missing the forest for the tree
debris? 3) It also does not appear to have any way to submit a 311 request -- which is the
#1 priority of people who would give a damn about this kind of info. This looks like a way for
the Chicago pols to say, "look at me!", not a way to improve performance or make
submitting requests (and following up) easier.” –Tester #59, 46th Ward Pigeon
“It looks like it's a site to report "quality of life" type complaints around the city. With graphs
that i think show how many of those complains have been resolved? The graphs to be
honest on a few pages were a bit confusing to immediately know what I was looking at.” –
Tester #60, Just a normal guy
“This page reports on different services that the city responded to over a period of time by
neighborhood. It is something I'm interested in because it could show why I would want to
live in one neighborhood over another” –Tester #62, PlaysWithSquirrels
“Community alert website that notifies users of type and amount of crime/activity in your
neighborhood.” -Tester #67, I love red wine
“It initially seems to be a way for Ward leaders to compete against each other for the best
service rankings.” -Tester #24, Fairweather 311 Caller
Explore the site. What's the first thing you do?
29% (24) – Service Type Listed Today
27% (23) – Area of the map
23% (19) – “Services”
8% (7) – “About”
7% (6) – “Wards”
4% (3) – Other
1% (1) – “Photos”
1% (1) – Chose the date
0% (0) – “Annotations”
Tell us more about the first thing you did.
A tester who selected a service type:
“It's cool that this information is available, but since it is broken down by ward, then I
immediately become interested in my own ward first, and the Chicago aggregate second.
Just by clicking through the requests, I didn't see the opportunity to filter down to my ward.
Also, the per day request seems strange. I'd like to get more of a trend of requests, not
necessarily things that happen today.” Tester #13, eggysmithers

A tester who selected an area on the map:
“I went right to my ward to see how my Alderman is doing and what my neighbors are
requesting from her.” –Tester #15, WRPtester
A tester who selected “Services”:
“I clicked on services and decided to explore each option. I reviewed all the data on alley
lights out, potholes, etc. It's really interesting to see how many requests are submitted on a
daily basis -- nice to see our Chicagoans looking out for our city! One thing I expect is being
able to submit an issue online -- I'm currently unsure if it's on another part of the site or if
this site is just a data-collection point.” –Tester #6, Part-Time Chicagoan Thanks to Work
Did this meet your expectations [re: first thing you did]?
76% (64) – “Yes”
20% (17) – “No”
4% (3) – No Response
Please find your own ward and tell us about this experience.
33% (28) of testers mentioned the Alderman’s links to their contact information, social
media, or Councilmatic. 17 of these 28 testers had a positive response to the Alderman’s
information, while 11 of these 28 testers thought more information needed to be added to
website or more prominent on the page.
46% (39) of testers mentioned their experience in finding their ward. 28 of these 39 testers
knew their ward of found the experience easy, while 11 of these 39 testers found it difficult
to find their ward.
Here are some responses to this question:
“I am in Ward 1. I couldn't find out which ward I was in on the website, but found it on the
city website. I then went to Ward 1 on this website to see what info was there. I'm not sure
I understand the Days with the most requests page. There are dates on some of the bars,
but not all of them, and some of the dates are old. I guess when I look again, it sort of
makes sense, but I don't understand the point of it...” –Tester #2, City dude
“I was able to find my ward easily. Was surprised to see all the social media links easily for
my alderman. The charts make sense, I understood how many were made and that the
check mark indicated how many were closed. I would like to be able to click the chart
information to find out more about the locations of the requests.” Tester #31, Rogers
Parker
“Again, I can't understand why data from 2008 and 2009 are relevant. These data are no
indication that the has become more responsive.” Tester #42, it’s 20 minutes
“Horrible. Just a map wish there were more pics to show us the severity of our ward” –
Tester #61, funny
“It's not a straight up no. It somewhat met my expectations. The site seems pretty polished
looks-wise. I'm just having trouble processing the information that is given to me through
this site. I also do like the color coordination. I assume that the darker the color the more
complaints in that area for that particular issue. Although it does seem strange to me that

there are only really 0-4 "requests". I'm also not quite sure how "request" is defined, or what
exactly a "request" is in this context. Also another question I have is who is submitting these
so called requests? I was able to find my ward, and I couldn't find the contact information,
but the charts make somewhat sense.” –Tester #46, 3rd Year Student
Find the "Share this" links on the ward page. Would you want to share this page on Twitter,
Facebook, or Email?
48% (43) – “Yes”
51% (40) – “No”
Why or why not? [re: “Share this”]
Here are responses from people who said “No”:
“The autotweets are not specific, funny or cool enough. I guess I could editorialize.” –Tester
#4, Looking for justice
“I don't think the data is meaningful, it takes time to figure out and the average person
won't spend too much time deciphering.” –Tester #12, Website Tester
“I don't know many people on social media who live in my ward.” –Tester #22, Pasta Maker
“Don't use social media” –Tester #53, vthky6
Here are responses from people who said “Yes”:
“I think it would be useful for people living in the same ward.” –Tester #49, Nube Tester
“I have a decent number of friends who live in my hood who would find it interesting.” –
Tester #48, Feeling like an uninvolved Chicagoan.
“It's important that most of the idiots I'm connected to on facebook understand where they
live. Plus, it makes me look good by knowing where to find this info.” –Tester #62,
PlayswithSquirrels
Please choose one service type and tell us about this experience.
Here are some responses:
“I picked graffiti removal. The picture is neat, and I actually read the blurb, which surprised
me (it look liked something I'd skip). It's the first place I've seen duplicates mentioned, and
it says there not in the system. This seems particularly thorny with graffiti — what if
somebody reports graffiti and before it's serviced, someone has added to it? Is that a dupe?
I could see how that would matter to a building owner, etc (many people participating
versus isolated incident). The Ward data is same as above. I don't know the wards. I can't
tell if the calendar is coded to show volume intensity or if it's just coded in descending order
for read-ability. I think it's the former, but after the color was used for different purposes on
the ward map, I dunno. It'd be clearer if it didn't go in exactly descending. I don't get the
checks. Ward 6 had one graffiti request this week and closed 102? Where did the 101
come from? Feels like someone batched processed — reading the description, I can't
imagine you could do 20 of these removals a day.” Tester #14, Long-distance Commuter

“Honestly, I clicked around the site and didn't find anything too useful for my needs. Or
maybe it's because I currently do not have a problem with potholes or lights. I would find it
really useful if the site had some information about landlord complaints in my ward. This
would definitely help me find a nice apartment. I did click on Rodent Bating Complaint and
I saw how many cases were opened. i will definitely contact 311. Maybe you should make
the box at the bottom of the brief information another color. I just realized that is where I
can access information and view city data.” Tester #19, Test Taker, Test 1
“So, now I realize this is not a tool to submit service requests, which dramatically lowers it's
usefulness. This reminds me of the "health options" site I tested which was essentially a
data aggregator with no value add per se. Unless you're an academician or statistician,
knowing this information is basically irrelevant. I clicked on graffiti and did see a way to link
to the city to report graffiti so that's good, but, unless the city itself used this site as a point
of entry to their services I see no use for it, again, unless I'm a researcher, reporter or some
other information gatherer....as a resident I don't really care about the minutiae of the data,
I just want it requests done as quickly as possible and I want to be able to communicate my
requests quickly and easily. I would say that if the citi of chicago used this as their entry
point, then a global snapshot of stats doesn't hurt, but, the primary feature I note is city
definitions of each service and links to deal with them.” –Tester #43, NWsider MACKro and
MIKEro
“I liked the graphic and I LOVED the text that describes and explains the purpose and goal
of that request category. I really like the additional links for other requests so it's
immediately useful. I really like the photo option as well. The charts are easy to
understand and compare. I would like a monthly and/or annual option as well.” –Tester
#81, Avowed rooster-hater
Do you like the service type page?
79% (66) - “Yes”
18% (15) - “No”
Please click "Photos" and tell us about this experience.
“This was cooler than I thought it would be. This could also be interesting for reporters. Can
they use these photos (rights)? Alternately the photos could be organized on a map, like
Google maps does. The link to the service tracker is great.” –Tester #4, Looking for justice
“The photo feature is smart for the person submitting. HOWEVER, I think its a bit silly to
show everyone the photos. PLUS they aren't even sorted by ward, so it's pointless to try to
find them.. Isr anyone even monitoring the content. I could imagine stupid kids uploading
questionable/tasteless photos if there is no control on this.” –Tester #10, Leopard9983
“I LOVE THIS PAGE! Page is concise, clean, easy to navigate, and make the site feel active
and vibrant (people are helping to make the city better). I especially love the timeline that
appears after clicking a photo, it assured me that someone is taking actions toward these
request, and from the records those actions have been taken promptly. The details about
the place where the request is at great.” –Tester #20, IT Lover

“This is a really cool section. I assume the pictures came from the residents making the city
request. I would use it in the future.” –Tester #40, AllisonRae
“I found the photos section a little cluttered. There should be some separation between
photos, maybe organized by ward or something.” –Tester #83, Baller
Do you like the Photos page?
89% (75) – “Yes”
11% (9) – “No”
Will you use this website again, on your own?
82% (69) – “Yes”
18% (15) – “No”
More information:
32 out of 84 of testers said they never used 311 in a previous question, and 75% of those
32 testers said they would use this site again.
52 out of 84 of testers have used 311 in a previous question, and 87% of those 52 testers
would use the site again.
Do you like this website?
87% (73) – “Yes”
12% (10) – “No”
1% (1) of testers did not select an option
15 out of 84 of our testers would not use the website again on their own, but 6 of those people like
the website. Here is what they say:
“I like the website, but I don't know if I'll use it again. I've never reported any of these things
before. That being said, I never knew how to or really thought about it. I might be more
likely to know that I know this exists. Especially because I could actually see if my request
was followed up on and taken care of. That would be worth the effort. I do wish there was a
submit request button more prominently located. though. Those are kind of buried and I
didn't initially realize I could do that.” – Tester #63, Aspiring Batgirl
“I like the website, but it doesn't have much of a purpose for me, unfortunately. It's
collecting and displaying data, but as a resident, I am most interested in submitting issues
or seeing if an issue has already been submitted.” – Tester#56, Ketchup Ketchup
Tell us more. [re: Do you like the website?]
“I would like to see the source of the order. Example: 311, 311 online, Commissioner,
Mayor. It is important to note that in MOST ghetto neighborhoods there are fewer calls for
service because calling for service did not provide service, only frustration. How??? Will
services be ordered in neighborhoods where demoralized occupants don't call anymore?
That should fall under the ALDERMANS' scope and perhaps a RATE YOUR ALDERMAN
should be tallied on this site. You tally and RANK service. There should be a way for this
site to ZING aldermen and make it competitive for them to improve their numerical
Rankng! That would be fun to incite competition between aldermen to go from say rank 33
to rank 5 :-)” –Tester #34, Fanatic in ordering Service for East Garfield Park, or anywhere
else in the city

“I think it will be a good tool for neighborhood organizations who struggle with Aldermen
offices to get things done. It might also provide a monitoring tool for things such as
graffiti.” Tester #42, it's 20 minutes
“More data and more analysis would be great. But it's useful, and I can see myself coming
back if there's something I want to know more about, or if I were doing research on a
related topic. Also: the Annotations page was my favorite. I would follow it just as a blog,
honestly. The post on various angles of graffitti and the fact that street crews will repair all
potholes on a street they're responding to were both of interest to me.” –Tester #44,
Northside Transplant
“I don't see how it gives you any information that is useful as a citizen. You can't see trends
or individual requests very clearly. Data isn't information. Tree debris by ward daily tells me
what exactly? Can I watch the map light up after a windstorm? Yippee!” –Tester #59, 46th
Ward Pigeon
Do you like the CUTGroup?
99% (83) – “Yes”
1% (1) – “No”
Did you like this CUTGroup test?
99% (83) – “Yes”
1% (1) – “No”
Anything else you want to add?
“I do like the remote survey better than the one I had to go to the library for. The particular
public library I had to go to was in a very dangerous area and I didn't know before I went...
Other than that it has been a pretty good experience being a part of the CUTGroup thus far
and I'm definitely willing to give my input on multiple websites.” –Tester #46, 3rd Year
Student
“I liked this test because I learned quite a few new things today that I never knew about,
such as what specific services are offered by 311.” –Tester #54, Non-frequent 311 caller
“The CUTGroup is great! I feel like I'm contributing and it doesn't feel useless like voting
does.” Tester #62, PlaysWithSquirrels
“unsubscribe me” – Tester #37, logancircler
“An online test is a better form of testing a website or app. It is done within the comfort of
one's home, with flexible times. It allows more people to participate and allows for a more
natural environment.” –Tester #77, Elizabeth07


Conclusions
Initial Questions:
 Will regular Chicago residents find this Web site interesting?
We learned that Chicago residents are interested in learning about the service requests in their own
ward, and see how their Alderman is doing. 82% of our 84 testers said they would use the website
again.
Our impression is that most testers are not focused on specific data points, and some find the data
difficult to understand. Even so, most testers are able to access information about requests and
equate that to how their ward and Alderman are doing. We learned that some testers want more of
a discrepancy in the graphs and gradients of the map, and generally how the data is displayed.
Other testers mentioned they only were concerned with requests happening now, not in the past.
This Web site features data from January 1, 2008.


How do users use the site? What do they have difficulties with?

A lot of testers do not know their ward, and had to search for other sites to find their ward or
double-check their ward number. Testers want to search by their address or neighborhood. We will
add this link to this Web site: http://boundaries.tribapps.com/ This will help users easily learn
about their own ward.
Github issue: https://github.com/smartchicago/chicagoworksforyou/issues/310


Are users interested in the Web site’s content?

Testers are interested in submitting 311 requests directly from this site. While we do have links to
submitting requests on each of the “Services” types, we want to make this a bigger feature, and
one of the first things people see when they visit a service type.
We received a lot of positive response to the Photos page. However, only 1 person clicked on
“Photos” first when they visited the site. When directed, 89% of people liked the “Photos” page. We
are considering these steps:
1. We are interested in making the “Photos” page more prominent and the first thing that
people look at.
Github: https://github.com/smartchicago/chicagoworksforyou/issues/312
2. We want to take advantage of our own social media sharing features, and tweet about
photos on a regular basis. Smart Chicago’s Twitter account: @SmartChicago
3. We want to give users the option to organize the photos by ward
Github: https://github.com/smartchicago/chicagoworksforyou/issues/311
4. Create a call to action to allow users to submit 311 requests.


Do users want to share information from Web site through social media/e-mail?

We learned that sharing information through social media is based a lot on a user’s general use of
social media, and not necessarily on the site’s content. Testers were more likely to share with
people in their own ward about their ward’s service request. We will not be changing this feature
on the site.

Tester #:
1

Tester Profile (given by tester):
Srtap

Chrome
Have you ever made a
service request through
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I witnessed a hit and run on a bunch of cars recently. I called because
I got a license plate number.

Do you attend any of these types of meetings? (check all that apply)
Local school council

From what I can tell so far, it gives a snapshot of what the city is doing to solve basic residential
problems. I am interested in it just because it's the first time I'm looking at it but I don't think it's
something I'd check once a week or on a regular basis. It would be a good resource for people who are
choosing what parts of the city to move to perhaps.
Click "Services"
I clicked on restaurant reports because I dine out a lot. I wish that it reported where these reports
were made. Same with graffiti, rat baiting etc. More specifics.
Did this meet your expectations?
No
I forgot which ward number I was, I knew I was in the 40's but I know James Cappleman is my alderman
because he does a good job of staying visible so I was able to easily locate his name. Perhaps search
could be cross-referenced with alderman name as well. What I mean is have a drop down that allows
you to search by ward number or by alderman's name. The charts make sense.

Find the "Share this" links
on the ward page. Would
you want to share this page
on Twitter, Facebook, or
Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I'd rather tell people about it in person.

I chose graffiti removal because I have called about this service before. The charts make sense. It took

me a minute to figure out the checks but I see that they're for completed cases. I find the information
interesting but I'm not sure it's valuable. I can't tell if my particular street's graffiti has been handled or
not. It's just raw data not disaggregated data.
Yes
I really like the photos page. This is the kind of detail I hoped for in the other pages. I get to see the
address of where this is and the outcome. I clicked on a picture of an abandoned white car and I could
see it was on Hoyne, that the issue was reported and that the tow report was completed on Nov 22.
Hopefully this will be updated again when/if the car is actually towed. I would use this feature in the
future to either track my own requests or to check up on things I've seen in my neighborhood.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I wish there was a choice of "maybe". I belong to a neighborhood
book club and we always chat about neighborhood happenings. This
is something I would mention at book club to see if others knew
about the website and found it useful. I don't see a function where I
can make a service request through this site so I assume this is a 3rd
party working with the city to track their work. I just noticed the
email update available to stay up to date with a certain request. I filled
it out just to see if it's a functional update system. That is appealing to
me.

Yes
Yes
I hope you get good feedback because I think this could be a valuable site.
2013-11-25 07:12:25

Tester #:
2

City dude

Internet Explorer
311?
No

Care to explain?
N/A

Other

I think it allows users to ask for a city service and to see what problems are in different parts of the city
Click "Services"
I clicked on Tree Removal and looked at the results.
Yes
I am in Ward 1. I couldn't find out which ward I was in on the website, but found it on the city website. I
then went to Ward 1 on this website to see what info was there. I'm not sure I understand the Days
with the most requests page. There are dates on some of the bars, but not all of them, and some of the
dates are old. I guess when I look again, it sort of makes sense, but I don't understand the point of it...

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
Is the site still being tested?

Pothole. I found it. The chart makes sense. It took me a few seconds to see where to submit a
request...way at the bottom. I was hoping I could click in to the date bar graph to see WHERE the
potholes were and which ones were closed and which ones weren't.

Yes
pretty cool that you can click in to see the actual request and info. Are these all of the requests that had
pics or just select ones? I clicked into the Service Tracker which is cool. I like the interface of this site.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I think you need to make it easier to submit a request. Make a big
button that says "Submit City Service" or something like that...you
sort of have to dig. I don't really care about the history of requests
and numbers...if there's an issue, I want to report it and see it taken
care of.

Yes
Yes
nope
2013-11-25 07:38:28

Tester #:
3

Teri52

Safari
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
Have made many requests over the years

Block club

Allows customer to submit requests and check on the services requested plus check stats on all
requests made
Click on a service type listed today
I made a request because that is what I current have done.
Yes
45th ward I just put on a request for a light out. Went smoothly.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
It was just a test request

Everything was very smooth and logical
Yes

Loved the photos page. Liked that you could see duplicates
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
Looks like the site is getting friendlier

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 07:49:26

Tester #:
4

Looking for justice

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I've called 311 when 911 seemed like too much firepower. For
example, one day a truck was blocking traffic on Wellington for over
1/2 hour.

Other

The site is a heatmap by ward of different types of service requests for each day.
I clicked through different types of service requests to see how the heat map changed. I don't
understand the symbols in the key for "above average" and "greatest change"
Yes
Clicking through gets to a snapshot of the ward, where I clicked through Ward 44 and saw Alderman
Tunney did not get a lot of service requests. When I tried to go back, the site did not go back to the big
map immediately. It went through every click I had just made. I like that I can see "All Service
Requests" here, which you cannot see on the big heatmap. Love the councilmatic! And the best part
ironically is finally being able to see current and future boundaries of each ward. I don't so much get
the "Days with the most requests" chart. I assume that's for the entire city, not the ward, and it seems
unmoored from any context. I don't think there should be check marks when the level of response is
"zero" - just omit the checkmark.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
The autotweets are not specific, funny or cool enough. I guess I could
editorialize.

I chose Restaurant Complaint. I was surprised because it seemed like this goes to a whole new website
(not really but perception). Could this info slide in and leave the homepage visible? I was confused as to
how the numbers on the homepage align with the drill down page. 5 requests vs 7.1 average (is that
average for the day? Is that unduplicated?) And 34 opened <checkmark> closed. I guess that should be a
zero. I guess users are left to guess which restaurant got the complaint.
Yes
This was cooler than I thought it would be. This could also be interesting for reporters. Can they use
these photos (rights)? Alternately the photos could be organized on a map, like Google maps does.
The link to the service tracker is great.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I haven't tested it out on mobile -- wondering what this looks like?
The nosy neighbor in me wonders where all this complaint activity is
happening within the Wards.

Yes
Yes
I accidentally closed the tab with the survey and had to start all over again. Maybe use something more
robust like Qualtrics?
2013-11-25 08:02:35

Tester #:
5

311 user

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I used it to get some non emergency information

Other

Its a map and as I start scrolling I see number
I clicked on the type of services to see what they were
No
I found my ward. Nothing seemed to be really going on

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
Because it is informative to others of what is going on in the area

Building violations. I was trying to see if there were any issues in the area and there were not any
No
What if a person doesn't know their ward is there a way to create a legend that will provide them with

the information that they need to find the ward in their area
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I think it is nice but if you would help those who are not informed
about their ward in their area

Yes
Yes
N/a
2013-11-25 08:08:06

Tester #:
6

Part-Time Chicagoan Thanks to Work

Firefox
311?
No

Care to explain?
Have never needed to contact.

Neighborhood watch

This looks great. It seems like you can view if an issue you're aware of has already been reported, and if
so what the status is on having that issue fixed!
Click "Services"
I clicked on services and decided to explore each option. I reviewed all the data on alley lights out,
potholes, etc. It's really interesting to see how many requests are submitted on a daily basis -- nice to
see our Chicagoans looking out for our city! One thing I expect is being able to submit an issue online - I'm currently unsure if it's on another part of the site or if this site is just a data-collection point.
Yes
My ward seems to be very active! There have been many requests. I also like being able to see exactly
who my alderman is (I know Joe, but it's useful for others) and seeing the actual boundary of my ward.
Everything on the page seems straightforward and well laid out.

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
This page seems very useful so I would definitely want to share with
civic minded friends.

I chose graffiti removal requests. The information for my ward is absolutely compelling -- it gives an
average time for closing the issue (ie, average time for removal) and shows how my ward compares to

other wards in the city. It's great seeing this information because I feel like it gives supporting evidence
at what sort of job my alderman is doing.
Yes
This is a fantastic feature. User submitted photos show issues in the city. If you click on the photo, it
will actually show a timeline of the situation from report day to close date, and gives all of the
information of the steps taken to handle the request. This is really really cool and probably my favorite
thing on the website. This page also made me aware of the Open311 system which I now want to look
into and learn more about. This is really fascinating.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
This is a great website and the only thing I'd like to see if some sort
of access to the city open 311 system so that you can directly report
something by accessing this website. I think it would tie the whole
thing together and this website has a lot of potential to be an
absolutely fantastic thing. Great work!

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 08:29:19

Tester #:
7

purple

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
No heat in my apartment

Safe passage

Provides information on different service requests and photos like city problems in any form
You choose the type of service needed. I did this first because it stated to choose a service type
Select one
I click on wards but nothing came up

Email?
Select on

Why or why not?
Twitter because its more live with a lot of people and you can tweet
and retweet

Building violation but could not see the charts.
Yes

The photo feature is a great attribute because you can attach your photos regarding your service type
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I believe I could like it if I could be able to view everything because I
ran into some difficulties where I couldn't view when I click on certain
options like the ward page

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 08:56:05

Tester #:
8

javama

Internet Explorer
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
potholes, tree trimming

Aldermanic ward night
Neighborhood watch
Other

gives info about 311 requests
Click a area on the map
interesting and best map I've seen esp about ward changes
Yes
surprised there weren't more requests

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
gives info that is easy to see

graffiti
liked the graph that shows ward and resolution charts were clear and good inforamtion
Yes

good visual of problems
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
very good site, lots of info to use for how the ward is and to tell
when problems start, like gang graffetti

Yes
Yes
keep up the excellent work!!
2013-11-25 09:02:36

Tester #:
9

athlete and active commuter

Chrome
311?
No

Care to explain?
no necessity yet

Block club

It provides a lot of information on the city, infrastructure, security. yes, i am highly interested in this
because I am an active part of my city, my ward, my neighborhood. I want to know more about the
challenges of a city, both from a micro and macro perspective.
Click "About"
I wanted to know more about the site's mission and exact purpose other than giving data. I chose it to
get context for the map that I was seeing, because the first impression of the homepage was "interested,
but what is this about?"
Yes
Yes, I found my ward easily because I know its number. The contact info wasn't necessarily obvious, as
my first view was distracted by the big graphs. maybe a side bar with contact info would be better. The
charts make sense and give a nice (historic) overview of what the main issues in the ward are.

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
If I know friends are interested in this, absolutely.

I looked at the restaurant complaint data. While the charts made sense, they didn't provide a lot of
information on why complaints were filed ect. But I could learn more about that through clicking the

link to the city's website. So that works. However, I think the repsective bars should probably be linked
to the specific complaints to provide more meaning to the graph.
Yes
I could find it easily and I like the photo feature. While I provides a good overview over which
complaints have already been filed I don't know if it is a very helpful way to work on the issue at hand. i
like it predominantly as it gives me more context about the sorts of complaints the website is about.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I like the website and might use it every now and then to see what is
happening not only in my ward, but also beyond. However, I don't
think i would frequent it very often, e.g. multiple times a week. maybe
it would be nice to have the aldermen say something about how they
want to use this data to give visitors a better context as to what the
website does for them in the end.

Yes
Yes
I think it's great you have users give you direct feedback on your work! keep it up!
2013-11-25 09:06:41

Tester #:
10

Leopard9983

Internet Explorer
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
Potholes and rodents

Aldermanic ward night
Other

This site allows you to log and track statistics for 311 chicago calls, gives you access to your alderman
and check stats of other ward
I clicked on my area, since that is all I care about at this point.. later if I want I can click on other wards.
Yes
It was nice. I really liked the fact that if I didnt know my Alderman ( i did though) that I was able to get
his name, his email, his facebook etc. to connect to him instatntly. The charts make sense although the
scale of them (1 incident of 1) is too huge! scale it back.

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
To send to my friends who live in my ward

I picked pothole. I really liked to avg day to close metric.. It puts crediibility on the city to action them.
Yes

The photo feature is smart for the person submitting. HOWEVER, I think its a bit silly to show everyone
the photos. PLUS they aren't even sorted by ward, so it's pointless to try to find them.. Isr anyone even
monitoring the content. I could imagine stupid kids uploading questionable/tasteless photos if there is no
control on this.
No
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I really like it. It's sleek and gives the city transparency and clear cut
metrics on how it's working.

Yes
Yes
More tests please! this was fun
2013-11-25 09:29:32

Tester #:
11

committtedtoneighborhoodimprovement

Firefox
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
Called to report graffiti in neighborhood and request it be removed.

Other

At first glance, I would say this site is meant to inform and promote the work the city is doing, so
people know city services are happening in their areas.
Looked at graffiti complaints; read how they were measured. Was a little confused about the chart and
how it displayed both reports and actions taken. Seems like actions taken might merit its own graph.
Yes
Interesting to see the map and the ward changes. The graphs make sense, though certainly are
concerning as time to close complaints in my ward is pretty high! Suggestions; not everyone has their
ward memorized; give people a find your ward option. Also, the councilmatic link is not descriptive and
likely will not get clicked on except by those who are exceptionally curious. Maybe just call it alderman
website, or something like that?

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
I would share with neighbors who are impassioned to improve our
neighborhood. Would love if it I could share individual graphs or
content.

This area is set up well, easy to navigate, and provides helpful information. Again, the check mark for
closed inquiries is a little confusing. Say 10 were closed - is that 10 of the inquiries from that particular

timeframe, or predating the timeframe you're on? And why the different colors on the graph? I couldn't
find a key.
Select one
Photos were not what I expected. Thought I would see photos of the wards and parks - more like
tourism photos - then issues photos. I like what's being done, but also am concerned that the graffiti
photos I may have submitted have some marker that would allow gangbangers, etc., to track me down
to my house. Makes me think twice about submitting photos. If it's not possible for folks to track based
on the way you post the photos, perhaps add in a nice, loud disclaimer stating that? Love that you can
click on to the photos and subscribe to receive updates. Might be nice to be able to click on the ward
number and see all the submissions from your area, as well.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I will definitely look to see if others have submitted requests that are
similar to or duplicates of mine; share with neighbors to encourage
them to post; and review for ares of concern in our ward.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 09:36:43

Tester #:
12

Website Tester

Chrome
311?
No

Care to explain?
N/A

Other

Provides an overview of the services requested on a given day per ward. It also shows whether the
request remains open or closed.
I clicked on the service type and noticed that the map changed. I then took note of what the shades of
blue signify. I then clicked on "About" to understand more of the website's objective. It's a bit confusing,
when I click on the map ward 31 for abandoned vehicles it showed 0 requested, however on the map it
when I hover the mouse over it, it says 3.
No
Because I recently emailed my ward about a rodent sighting I checked my ward and service for the date
I emailed my ward. I was a bit disappointed not to find it listed. However I didn't call 311 and I do not
know what procedures my ward takes. Maybe only the 311 calls are logged on this website. The graph
showing days doesn't not show dates.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I don't think the data is meaningful, it takes time to figure out and the
average person won't spend too much time deciphering.

It seem helpful, however when requests show closed that week. There isn't an indication of which

requests from which week were closed. How many are remaining in total? How many have closed in
total?
No
I think these are great, however I would like to be able to see them by ward as well. This gives a better
indication of when the request was made and the procedure that was followed bu the city. I would
definetly use this in the future.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
Some features need work, but this is a good site where residents can
track (if provided a photo) their service request. I would to see a
better way of tracking a request that does not include a photo. In the
past I have emailed my ward directly to request a service, if I had the
option to do it online I would use it as well.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 09:40:57

Tester #:
13

eggysmithers

Chrome
311?
No

Care to explain?
I have never called 311.

Block club

It seems to give statistical information about the different types of requests Chicagoans make to their
city. This might be something I'd be interested in. I don't know how often I'd visit, since there aren't
that many times when I'm curious to know how many times Chicagoans requested particular services.
It's cool that this information is available, but since it is broken down by ward, then I immediately
become interested in my own ward first, and the Chicago aggregate second. Just by clicking through the
requests, I didn't see the opportunity to filter down to my ward. Also, the per day request seems
strange. I'd like to get more of a trend of requests, not necessarily things that happen today.
Yes
The annotations section doesn't have a clear way to return to the home page. I liked the about page. I
thought the information was clear and helped me understand the rest of the pages. I didn't like the
charts because they represent only a small sample of data. It would be more helpful to me to start out
with a larger set of data to get a better trend, and allow me to drill down to a particular date range to
find information.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
The page still seems like a work in progress, not fully ready for
Chicagoans to take advantage of yet.

I chose the Traffic signal out service. I live in Ward 41, so I am most concerned with that. I looked at
the data for traffic signals which are out in my ward, and the data presented looks cool, but I'm trying to
get more information from it. I'd like to know which lights were out, and which ones were fixed. I
would like to be able to click each service request and see more details about it. Also, when I hover
over each request, it seems like each box represents a day that the request was made, and the checkbox
represents the number of requests closed. When I hover across the data from left to right, it is not
clear what each hover cloud means. (The requests per day and requests closed kind of run into each
other)
Yes
Please provide a photos by Ward, not by service type. I don't know where ward 11 is in regards to
ward 41, so I don't understand how to find it.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
As soon as chicagoworksforyou.com is centered towards my Ward,
and gives me aggregate data for my ward which I can then choose to
narrow down to a date range, then I think it will be much more
helpful to me. Right now, it is presented as 'here's all the data for
each ward, please click anywhere you would like'. I'd like to be able
to narrow it down so its focused more on the ward I'm interested in.

Yes
Yes
Hopefully you appreciate my feedback. I tried to be as critical as possible, knowing that my feedback will
improve the site, or give you a different perspective. Keep up the great work! With a few tweaks, this
could be very helpful to all Chicago citizens!
2013-11-25 09:41:06

Tester #:
14

Long-Distance Commuter

Safari
311?
No

Care to explain?
Probably what everyone says — don't really know what 311 is
responsible for, assume that other people have made requests I
would notice, etc. The urgency I'd feel around, like, a pothole does
not match my perception of the work/reward it'd take to make a 311
request. That probably sounds terrible, but I'm trying to be honest.
It's probably influenced by the fact that I don't live near street level
(high-rise), not responsible for a lawn/curb, so things like street
debris or abandoned cars aren't as much on my radar for being
eyesores, pains, etc. Also, I commute to California most weeks,
leaving M and returning F. When I return, 311 requests aren't high on
the priority list versus being with family, friends, pressing errands, etc
On the question after this one, my answer is "none", but I had to
select "other."

Other

It's a map that allows me to see the volume and types of calls concerning a given request type (i.e.
"Come clear this tree from the road") for a given ward.
I clicked abandoned vehicle, b/c it's the first thing under the short summary I read. I saw that Ward 25
has the most, but I have a lot of trouble telling if the rest of the city is all at 0, all at 1, or all at 0 or 1.
I'm pretty decent with Chicago (I've lived here 7 years and been in nearly every neighborhood), but the
ward system confuses me. As a result, I could kind of tell what Ward 25 is — maybe Pilsen? LV? My best
guess as to why it might have had an abandoned car surfeit is that the interstate runs through it. Then I
realized — is this the number of abandoned cars, or the number of requests to remove one? I think it's
the latter, which means this could be a number of people calling about one car. So, this map is really
telling me which Ward leads the city for a given day in prominently placed abandoned cars. Or maybe
this Ward leads the city in people who like to call 311 on Sundays? I guess that's interesting, but I'd
have to think about what that means. I clicked on Ward 25 to figure out exactly where it was. I was
basically right (I figured that was Danny Solis), but the next map confused me — Initially, I thought, "So
this is where the calls came from within ward 25?" I read more and realized that the same colors were
being used to indicate a new, non-311-request, type of information. Now it was showing me how the
ward was going to change in future. I couldn't figure out what that meant vis a vis 311 request. What
does the ward boundary in 2015 tell me about 311 requests from last week? The trendline is stuck at 0
for "week in review." I don't know what's being reviewed — I thought it'd be abandoned car incidents,

but the first map said there were 3 on Sunday, and this Sunday has it at 0. I also can't figure out the
time-to-close chart — It's using a scale that goes all the way to 15, with some data being plotted to
there. The only number on the first page was 3, and the line above it only has 0, so I don't know what
the 15 is. No labels on any axes on this page. The title for the chart seems to say it has to do with the
"time-to-close" ranking as in the number of days it takes to close an abandoned vehicle request. But the
two bars, one is at 1, one is at 15. I don't know what this is — is this the two incidents? If one was made
over 15 days ago, was it even on the previous map (which said 3)? I've got no idea what the horizontal
axis is. The third chart is clearer, but I don't know what to do with it. It's sort of neat that I know 10
abandoned vehicle requests were made in october of 2008, but it's not contextualized in any way. The
raw data is probably interesting — could see long-term cyclical trends, etc. The single day highs, though
— there's not enough in these six data points for me to figure out what's interesting. Maybe if I lived in
the neighborhood, I could remember what happened in October 2008? I guess my expectations were
that this would be about service requests; instead, there's a lot of data about geographic boundaries, as
well as some additional charts
No
It's always hard to find my ward because the shapes are so unnatural and the number doesn't mean
anything (unrelated to street number grid, for instance, which is the only Chicago "numbers" that really
exist in context for me). I did it in one shot, though (probably because I've been reading about the
police districts within my ward, so had some vague idea of the number). It defaulted me to "all
requests", and some of the chart language makes some more sense now. I see that the checks and the
circles are different icons now, and I can mouse over them. It's still not super data rich, as I can't tell
what the gaps mean — if 13 were opened and 12 closed, what's the open one? Is it a downed tree I
should be avoiding? I also see that the time-to-close ranking is a cross-ward chart. But, the metrics
seem silly — my Ward is 17th because it took 0.06 days to close a request? So it took an hour and half
to close requests, on average? That seems small enough to be influenced by things like traffic, confusing
by the caller, availability of city workers, etc — it doesn't feel like a measure of 311 efficiency. Also —
why do I care? Is this so I can realize how badly my ward is being served vs another? I'm more interested
in my ward — it doesn't mean anything to me to know that Ward 21 had 6 requests. Like I wrote
above, the Ward system is pretty confusing for me, so I don't even know where that is. Same thought
about the historic highs. No idea what to do with this. I'd rather see the same chart for recent data so I
had some idea of what had happened over the last month. Also, I have the same thought about
"requests" vs "events" — let's take Street Cut Complaints. First off, I don't know what this means — I
don't know what a street cut is. And why is it a "complaint" while others are more objective "Traffic
Light Out." Do we have a greater assurance that "traffic light out" is being reported correctly, while
"street cut" is a complaint, something that may be fine? Like a noise complaint — ear of the beholder,
right? Anyway, I learn that the most street cut complaints was in December 2008. OK. What I'd rather
know is the data affecting me now — were there more street cut complaints than graffiti complaints last
week? Do I have a ward where I should be aware of street cuts more than traffic light outages? Knowing
what was going on six years ago doesn't let me consider my own behavior.


Why or why not?
It's possible. If I saw something really neat I might email it to a few
friends, or maybe even tweet it. I don't have FB. Mostly, though, I'd
probably send my friends the general link and tell them to explore.

Email?
Nah
I picked graffiti removal. The picture is neat, and I actually read the blurb, which surprised me (it look
liked something I'd skip). It's the first place I've seen duplicates mentioned, and it says there not in the
system. This seems particularly thorny with graffiti — what if somebody reports graffiti and before it's
serviced, someone has added to it? Is that a dupe? I could see how that would matter to a building
owner, etc (many people participating versus isolated incident). The Ward data is same as above. I
don't know the wards. I can't tell if the calendar is coded to show volume intensity or if it's just coded
in descending order for read-ability. I think it's the former, but after the color was used for different
purposes on the ward map, I dunno. It'd be clearer if it didn't go in exactly descending. I don't get the
checks. Ward 6 had one graffiti request this week and closed 102? Where did the 101 come from? Feels
like someone batched processed — reading the description, I can't imagine you could do 20 of these
removals a day.
Yes
Oh, this is cool. And I get it. I wish I could just see my ward, though. Again, I don't know where the
wards are — if it were my ward, I could probably know if I'd walked by it, etc, which is fun (in a weird
sort of way). Maybe if I could hover over and see address? I don't want to click through. I was able to
ctrl—F for Ward 44, but there was only one photo. I guess the other requests didn't have photos? It
was tree debris on Clifton, which was pretty dull.
Yes
No

Yes

Tell us more.
"Like" is a really difficult word, y'all. I'm not really sure what that
means. I do think it's cool, and if Ward 44 had had, like, a dozen
photos from last week, I might've bookmarked. Seeing what's going
on in my neighborhood like that would be interesting. The photos are
much more interesting than the data, which is decontextualized and
hard for me to get much from. I guess I like the photos b/c I'd find
them inherently interesting. The rest of it — I'm not sure what to do
with it. Complain to an alderman? Figure out if a request I might make
has already been made? I don't know — neither of those feel like real
use cases. If I am compelled to make a request, I doubt I'm going to
check this site first. As for complaining to an Alderman — complain
that he speed up the service? I don't really understand what power
Alderman have, but their access to city workers, cops, etc is part of a
larger budget picture (as I understand it), and I'm not sure the
Alderman can (or should) be held accountable for the city cutting
back on graffiti blasters.

Yes
Yes
This was interesting, thanks. Sorry if I was a bit long.
2013-11-25 09:48:17

Tester #:
15

WRPtester

Firefox
311?
No

Care to explain?
I have only tried it a few times to get in touch with a government
office. Most times it was a failure.

Other

The site allows people to track 311 service requests.
I went right to my ward to see how my Alderman is doing and what my neighbors are requesting from
her.
Yes
The map was a little hard to read. The shading made it hard to read the streets to make sure I was in
the correct ward. But more importantly I wanted to make sure that I was not being drawn out of my
ward. I then went through the list of services my neighbors are requesting.

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
I like to share!

Graffiti -- It was great to see how many photos are taken and submitted with their requests. Some look
more artsy than graffiti and it makes me wonder if we need space (or if there already is!) where street
artists can work.

Yes
I liked to see what services are being requested, not just in my ward, but around the city.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
Those are soft yeses. I still think that more can be done. I can't quite
verbalize what is needed, but there is more to go. Good start though.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 09:53:35

Tester #:
16

Mom Involved

Internet Explorer
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I've called 311 by phone for city info or non emergency issues.


Provide aldermanic, community news and info to residents in the city if chicago. The happenings,
upcoming events, how to report issues, etc.
Click "Services"
To further educate myself on what this site actually does, so I can share with others like myself who are
unaware how to get this type of info.
Yes
I find that there were quite a few requests and reports made weekly, and outweigh the percentage of
how many were actually resolved.

Email?
Sure

Why or why not?
To help those in my ward or ither wards get information.

Yes, to all questions.
Yes

Yes...very displeasing, the photos. I saw one in my ward where trash was on the griubd around the bins
in the alley. A huge issue...the others were full of graffiti. yes...i would use it.
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 09:56:22

Tell us more.

Tester #:
17

Yoonie

Safari
311?
No

Care to explain?
N/A

Other

Displays most current status on issues reported by ward. I'm interested in finding out more, since many
of these issues (safety, traffic, construction) impact my daily commute and quality of life in my
neighborhood. I hope that this could also be an easy way to make 311 reports, and hope this can also
work on my mobile device (iPhone 5).
Click "Wards"
I hovered over each ward to find my ward (26). I expected to be able to zoom in, like you can on
Google Maps, but this feature does not seem available. I found my ward and clicked on it to be taken to
my ward page.
Yes
Zooming in to the map was useful for me to better understand the potential changes to my ward
boundaries. I clicked on every item below the map. The social media links should not be so important
on the page, especially the Facebook link. I expect that the other links provided that prominently on the
page would lead to a direct action (like reporting an issue or to be taken to a contact form for my
Alderman, not to a marketing page). I am unfamiliar with Councilmatic and how it functions. "Next
Week" did not change the page. I expected it to take me to upcoming information. I think it should be
grayed out so that it is clear that you cannot navigate to next week, since data is unavailable. The first
chart helps me understand how active the ward was, but the terms "opened", "closed", and "Time-toclose ranking" seems more technical, than user-friendly. My expectation is also to be able to see a
longer time range than weekly, so I can get a better understanding of overall trends. I'm not very likely
to visit this page often unless I made a report, so I prefer to see the bigger picture, rather than a week
to week synopsis. Also, the week to week charts start to all look the same. I think this is less useful to
me than seeing a longer time range, and then zooming in to the detailed data. The "Time to close
ranking" chart is less important to me than the third chart. I want to know more about my ward's
activities before I compare to other neighborhoods. The last chart, "Days with the most requests" helps

show the trends over longer period of time and the comparison between types of issues acted upon. It
makes the most immediate sense since it shows me the bigger picture.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I prefer to cut and paste the URL than be told to share the page. If
the content is relevant to the user, i.e. a user can see themselves
represented in that data, then people will feel compelled to share it.

I chose Twitter. The subject line "Ward 26 on Nov 10, 2013" is not interesting at all to read (so I would
have to change it to show relevance). It should be a friendlier message that makes it interesting to learn
more about the statistics about my Ward. One possibility is to convey my relationship or participation
regarding issues in my ward. Bottom line: make it friendly and useful.
No
I think it would be more useful if I could filter the images to see my ward's photos only. I think the big
grid of photos showing all ward photos helps compel me to submit photos in the future. I especially like
the feature to filter the photos by service type. This is very clear and useful information. Also, in
general, imagery helps make everything more compelling to the user since the issue is shown in context.
I would definitely come to this page to review issues in my ward.
Yes
Yes

Yes


Tell us more.
I think this website has a lot of potential. I would like to see a
friendlier tone/messaging to make users feel more interested in
participating and following the data. I want to be able to report issues
through this site, not just to track issues. Note: on the Services
pages, the reading content is very congested in the right column.
Maybe an introductory paragraph that can be expanded for complete
view can be offered at the top of the page. The data charted can
continue below, and since it is long, users will be okay with scrolling
down to see all of it. I would prefer not to have to go to another
website to see the actual data portal or to report an issue. I want to
see more details and answer questions about the issues reported that
are directly relevant to me (for example: what type of building code is
violated down the street from me?)

Yes
Yes
I'm a member of two Facebook crime watch groups which are focused on my ward and neighboring
wards (https://www.facebook.com/groups/EastHumboldtParkWatch/ and
https://www.facebook.com/groups/UKVillageWatch/). These groups have organically grown and
provided real-time information, while fostering a greater sense of community and trust between
neighbors. Users are often directed to 311 to report service-related issues from group conversations. I
think there are good lessons to be learned about user participation from this group, to hopefully make
data more relevant and useful. Accessing and understand data should be easy, humanized, and function
as a tool for more engagement with one's community.
2013-11-25 10:19:03

Tester #:
18

Lifetime student

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I could not find my car and had to call to find out if it had been
towed. (phone call). Have called to report a traffic signal being out.
Both were helpful, they told me where my car had been towed. Not
sure how quickly the light issue was resolved.

Other

It tells you where the most frequent 311 call types are and what they are for? I think it is interesting,
but perhaps more telling of how people feel about their need to tell the city about these things or
whether they think the city will actually do anything about it.
I wanted to see what the different service types looked like across the city so I clicked on several. I
always have a problem with Ward maps since my brain just does not mentally layout the city in that
fashion. I am much more familiar with neighborhood names and they are hard to read on this map. I
was surprised to note that the data appears to be laid out by day, I would not have thought there were
that many 311 calls/day.
Yes
I like that it tells you if the 311 call is open or closed. I assume closed means that it was addressed and
taken care of? I found my ward, though I had to look it up again, I have lived in several neighborhoods in
Chicago and can never remember what ward I am in. The charts make sense, but with the individual
ward numbers being so low (mine is Ward 4) and there was only one event in the week which was
graffiti removal, perhaps on the summary graph you could state what types of actions they were.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I'm not sure I would share it unless I had made the service request
and saw it fulfilled.

I picked abandoned vehicles. This information I find very interesting, especially since there are so many
open cases. Again though I don't know which wards are which so I think it would be interesting to
perhaps include a rough neighborhood name. For example my ward (4) could say Ward 4 (Hyde
Park/Kenwood) or something like that to orient people a little. I would be more likely to share this
information on facebook since it would make a point perhaps about the efficiency of the city in general
over my ward specific information.
Yes
I like that you can find out about an individual service and what has been done. This is very helpful, and
you can sign up to get email updates about a particular service request. I would definitely use this in the
future.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I think it is helpful to know when things are getting done and how
timely so that we can try and improve things in the city when they
are not being done efficiently. Like I said previously I think a ward
name but also a general neighborhood name would be useful.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 10:21:59

Tester #:
19

Test Taker, Test 1

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I used 311 to find out about social services one of my students might
be interested in.

Other

I think the site warns people about any automobile problems on the road. And the site brings to light
other issues civilians might find useful like " rodent complaints and sanitation complaints".
The first think i did was click on the traffic signals. however nothing really happened the map slowly
disappeared. I clicked on the traffic signal out b/c i thought I hardly ever see traffic lights out I wonder
where they happen most. I also thought, do you contact the police or 311 when a traffic light is out?
Next I clicked on Street Light 1 out. Why is it titled 1?
Yes
I couldn't remember what ward I lived in. I searched for an area when I could type my zip code and
could not find one. I was pretty bummed out about that. I did a google search instead that took me over
10 MIN! I finally found this https://webapps3.cityofchicago.org/StickerOnlineWeb/getgeoWardLookup.do
and also this http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/about/banners/WardsOverviewMap.pdf
Again, really frustrating. Back to your map of the different districts, landmarks usually help me figure out
where I am at in relation to the lake but the metro stops/ buses all blended in together with the
blue/gray color. I was a little confused about the title at the bottom of the page. it stated the following
"Ward 47 didn't close or more Street Cut Complaints requests this week, so it's not shown on this
chart" I didn't really understand the charts. Who are people sending the requests into. How do i file a
complaint?


Why or why not?
I'll share it b/c i'm sure some one might find it useful.

Email?
Sure
Honestly, I clicked around the site and didn't find anything too useful for my needs. Or maybe it's
because I currently do not have a problem with potholes or lights. I would find it really useful if the site
had some information about landlord complaints in my ward. This would definitely help me find a nice
apartment. I did click on Rodent Bating Complaint and I saw how many cases were opened. i will
definitely contact 311. Maybe you should make the box at the bottom of the brief information another
color. I just realized that is where I can access information and view city data.
No
I loved the photos I love that once you click on a photo it tells you when it was opened, reviewed and
closed. This is simple and clear.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I think this website will probably be more useful for people who live
in wards with many issues like poor roads, often light outage etc.

Yes
Yes
Overall I think it is a good website, I can tell you guys took a lot of time and thought into creating this
website. I will share this link with my coworkers and friends.
2013-11-25 10:23:58

Tester #:
20

IT lover

Chrome
311?
No

Care to explain?
Not aware of the website before.

Other

Provide a tool for Chicago residents to report/view issues within wards and to request the city to
address those issues.
Other
Interact with the map in the background. - Drag the map by holding left mouse button while cursor is on
the map, and move the mouse (worked) - Tried to zoom in the map by rotating the mouse wheel (not
worked)
No
Not being able to zoom in the map to see the streets around the ward boundaries makes it very difficult
for someone not knowing their ward number to find their ward. But since I knew my ward number
before landing on the site, and I know the rough relative location of my ward to the city, I was able to
find my ward (48) and clicked on it.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
It's not obvious to me that what I can share on the social network,
and what positive changes I could help to make by sharing it.

The stats data is not that helpful to me, and data itself seems to be very scarce, making the page feel like
a lonely place.

No
I LOVE THIS PAGE! Page is concise, clean, easy to navigate, and make the site feel active and vibrant
(people are helping to make the city better). I especially love the timeline that appears after clicking a
photo, it assured me that someone is taking actions toward these request, and from the records those
actions have been taken promptly. The details about the place where the request is at great.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
I like the design and philosophy behind the site. The UI looks clean
and modern even compared to the ad agencies' fancy marketing sites.
Definitely a light year's leap from most of the current government
sites (e.g. http://www.treasurer.il.gov/). I also like the communitydriven aspect of the site, the Photos page is the best one I see. Looks
like the site is built by someone that does know modern front-end
techs (bootstrap, angular, html5 boilerplate). Suggestions: - use
require to modularize and load the JS files - enable gzip - try to
concatenate and minify more JS and CSS files - try to come up with a
reasonable caching scheme for the static resources

Yes
Yes
Sites like these can be very helpful if advertised properly and have a central location where people can
easily access. Pages like http://www.smartchicagocollaborative.org/list-of-apps-for-metro-chicagoapplicants/ is not that easy to find by people (long url and low SEO ranking), and the form of the list is
not that user-friendly. A dedicated, well-designed, properly advertised site, with a good domain (e.g.
chicagoapps.com or similar) could be very helpful and worthwhile to promote these great webapps.
Thanks for the opportunity for me to be part of this survey!
2013-11-25 10:30:25

Tester #:
21

Ashley

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
No water pressure in my apartment.

Other

gives you safety information by ward
Click on the date
I clicked on the date, because it was displaying the wrong date. After I clicked on the date, wanted to
know what was going on in my ward, however I did not know my ward number so I clicked on different
wards until I found my ward. I also zoomed into the map (looking for my cross streets), to ensure that I
was viewing my ward. Then I looked at the bottom for the information.
No
The sites tells me that there were 13 cases, I would like to know what the 13 cases are (were). I
scrolled down thinking that information would be there, but it just showed me the history. I also
attempted to click on them, and saw that was not an option.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I don't know what I would be sharing, the history or the number of
events. What is the purpose of sharing? To let people know what is
going on in wards? If I were trying to get someone to live in a building
in the neighborhood I may be more prone to share

Pothole in street, I was able to see where the pothole incidents were called in. I honestly had no idea
that you could call for potholes.

No
I would like the images to be in some kind of order, whether it was by ward or instance. It may also be
an option to show a few pictures (by ward or instance) and click to see more, so that visitors are only
seeing what they want and not scrolling through a bunch of pictures just because,
No
Yes

No

Tell us more.
The website is ok.. It does although give useful information. I would
prefer if it were more user friendly.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 10:57:08

Tester #:
22

Pasta Maker

Safari
311?
No

Care to explain?
N/A

Other

This site connects neighborhoods and what's going on in them with residents. If I owned a business in
Chicago I believe I would be interested in using this site.
I clicked in the restaurant complaint section. I eat dinner away from home often so I wanted to see the
complaint list. I was hoping it would give me insight on the restaurants that practiced cleanliness and
those I should avoid.
Yes
I am in the 44th ward. Tom Tunney is the alderman. I found out that one of the biggest problems in my
neighborhood is graffiti. I think the charts would be more helpful if there was more data to work with.
They seem a little bare.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I don't know many people on social media who live in my ward.

I chose abandoned vehicles. I felt like I already knew a lot about that specific service. The information to
me seems not very interesting.

Yes
This was the best part of the website! I feel like with photos people can actually see what needs to be
done and in what areas. I would use this part about once a week probably.
Yes
Yes

Yes

Tell us more.
For me I would look at the parts that pertained to me and my specific
area of tr neighborhood.

Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 11:48:52

Tester #:
23

monideedustcoupons

Internet Explorer
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I contacted 311 to request the street light be repaired and
potholes.


I think the site breaks down the city of Chicago and shows you what problems people are
reporting in their neighborhoods. Yes, it will inform me of what is going on in my
neighborhood.
Click "Services"
The first thing I did was click services, so that I could see exactly what this site was for. I
then checked my ward to see the percentage of things that had been reported.
Yes
yes, the contact information is very valuable. The. charts were easy to understand.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I don't want people knowing where I reside.

I like being able to see what's going on in my ward.
Yes

The photos provide more detail and insight on what you are researching.
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes

2013-11-25 11:54:00

Tell us more.

Tester #:
24

Fairweather 311 Caller

Chrome
311?
Yes

Care to explain?
I used it via phone to submit a request to have a tree trimmed. We
had to call back a few times to actually have it done. The process was
a little annoying.

Block club
Other

It initially seems to be a way for Ward leaders to compete against each other for the best service
rankings.
Click "About"
I clicked on "About" because I wasn't sure what the site did. Although after clicking on that tab, I still
didn't see a way it would be relevant/helpful to me.
No
At first I had a hard time locating my Ward (1) because I didn't see that there was a "Ward" tab at first
and I was using the map. I don't think the Alderman's name and contact info should be in light gray, as it
doesn't grab your eye as an active contact link. The charts made sense, but aren't that helpful to me
unless I could see them up against, say, the Chicago average.

Email?
Nah

Why or why not?
I only have one or two friends that live in my ward

I chose Restaurant Complaints, but didn't really learn anything. the most recent date was in Sept 13, a
while ago. Also, which restaurants actually had the complaints??

No
I still don't get why all the charts on the Services pages would be helpful to me. There's no
who/what/when/where/why, etc. UNTIL you click the photos. That's the only tab that really held my
interest as I could look up specific complaints with pics. Yes, I understood the photos came from 311
submissions.
Yes
No

No

Tell us more.
It would be nice to have a form on the site to contact your alderman
directly, instead of having to go to their site to do it. I still don't know
what audience would find it helpful "as is." I mean, I don't think people
would use it as a tool to decide which Ward to live in based on the
info given, or decide if their Alderman should be rehired, etc.

Yes
Yes
Nah. Thanks for letting me do the survey!
2013-11-25 11:55:44

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