Developing a Digital Mindset The transition from print

Developing a Digital Mindset: The transition from print to web publishing by Rachel Meese Presented by Laura Dewis

Introduction • First website launched 2000 (pdf/xls only) • Latest website launched August 2011 • Publish approx. 730 releases a year • Decentralised model: • 347 CMS users plus central support team of 11 • 20% of releases published by support team on behalf of owners • Remaining 80% published by 347 CMS users

Drivers for digital transformation • Expanding the reach of our statistics is at the heart of the ONS vision • User needs/demands – print no longer appropriate or useful • Potential for wider audience in contrast to falling print usage and demand

New dissemination opportunities • 40 million web users • 24/7 access to our data • Richer content – interactive, videos, infographics, audio • Greater exposure = greater reuse • Shorter publishing production times = ability to react quickly to trends and environmental/societal issues

Challenges and outcomes • Large project – 60, 000 content items migrated, hundreds of staff trained, support services established • Devolved publishing model = need to embed a digital mindset amongst hundreds of staff • Dispelling myths about digital content • Breaking through decades of good practice and expertise for print publishing to make content fit for the web • Emerging successes – theme pages and infographics

Theme page redesign After Before

Infographic

Lessons learnt • Too much focus on technical change and not enough on cultural change • Web dissemination does not guarantee accessibility • Writing for the web and developing rich content is an expert/professional skill • Professional dissemination must be given equal billing with statistical quality • The technical complexities of a devolved publishing system can detract from the quality/development of web content

Conclusion Investment in the physical transition from print to web publishing can only be realised with adequate investment in business change and specialist skills, bolstered by a commitment to invest in continuous improvement The transition from print to web publishing is a cultural shift that requires those involved to develop a digital mindset