Dan Sutch from CAST describes what the project teams have been doing over the summer, and explains the Discover, Define, Develop model that they’ve been using.
In October we’ll be sharing some q&a videos we made with the project teams.
Blog
Why It’s Wrong to Shirk Your Users Needs
User needs are what make your TfG boat rock. Fudge the needs and you’ll sink. Nail them and you’ll be cresting a wave of user value from here to Tech for Good Bay.
Warning: There are a fair few ‘musts‘ and ‘shoulds‘ in this article. Stop reading now if you don’t want to be told what you ‘should’ do…
Every feature must meet a user need
Every part of your digital service. Whether it’s app, website or something else. Not just some. All.
[Read more…] about Why It’s Wrong to Shirk Your Users Needs
7 Pearls of Wisdom from the Tech for Good Old Timers
The Tech for Good movement isn’t new anymore. There’s folk who’ve already walked the path, who’ve dived into its depths and retrieved it’s pearls. We should listen to these old timers.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. It’s precious as a pearl. But when its wisdom belongs to [Read more…] about 7 Pearls of Wisdom from the Tech for Good Old Timers
How to Know If Your Early Stage Tech for Good Project Is Being Successful
Understand what early stage success looks like and you’ll be well placed to set the right expectations for your team and funders.
If you’re a funder then understand that definitions of success for these projects can’t be measured by number of users or volume of impact, not even by size of product delivered.
We asked nine of our current project cohort to define what success might look like when their grant ends.
Did they say “a finished product“? Did they say “a fully launched digital service“?
No. The majority described success as [Read more…] about How to Know If Your Early Stage Tech for Good Project Is Being Successful
3 Tragic Reasons Why Tech for Good Projects Fail
If you understand the common reasons why tech for good projects fail then you’ll feel more confident about how to avoid them.
Many charities fear failing at tech projects. That’s not surprising given the amount of money historically squandered on digital projects (NHS IT system anyone?).
But we’ve got to try. Or risk going to the wall if we don’t.
Trying starts by taking small steps and learning as you go. It means building digital services and organisational capacity to solve user problems aswell as social ones. It’s a journey every charity is going to have to make over the next decade. So it’s inevitable there will be failures. That’s OK. [Read more…] about 3 Tragic Reasons Why Tech for Good Projects Fail
What Dorothy Gale Can Teach Us About Running a New Tech for Good Project
Imagine being a new Tech for Good project about to embark on your first exciting digital development journey. One day it could be you. For now though, it’s the thirteen projects that we’ve just funded. Here’s what they are going through.
Once upon a time Dorothy Gale was just like the rest of us.
She lived a quiet, simple life. She had no big adventures.
But then a strange wind stirred and spun her and Toto off into an amazing adventure.
Just like Dorothy you’re about to begin a big adventure, not to Oz, but into the world of Tech for Good. [Read more…] about What Dorothy Gale Can Teach Us About Running a New Tech for Good Project