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 Before After

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