The NEW American FactFinder
New Jersey State Data Center (SDC) Meeting
Rutgers University
DADSII Update &
American FactFinder Demonstration
June 17, 2010
1
Agenda
• DADS Program Status
– Jeff Sisson
• Demonstration –
American FactFinder
– Jeremy Melissari
New Look, New Tools, & Easier Access
2
American FactFinder Redesign
Census Bureau’s Primary Web-Based Data
Dissemination Vehicle
– Tabular, Map, or Chart-form Data Products
– Online Access to Archived Data (Through Download)
3
American FactFinder Replacement Schedule
• American FactFinder Development Schedule:
– Project Activities are On Schedule
– System Deployment:
• Release 1: January 2011
• Release 2: Fall 2011
• Legacy and Replacement Systems will run in parallel
– Legacy AFF retired sometime after September 2011
(following final release of 2007 Economic Census)
4
American FactFinder Release 1: January 2011
Enhanced Legacy System Core Functionality:
•
•
•
•
Improved Look, Feel & Layout
Consistent Structure
Improved Search & Navigation
Table Services:
– Basic Table Manipulations
• Sort
• Filter
• Reorder Rows/Columns
• Show/Hide Rows Columns
• Transpose Rows/Columns
– Mapping Services
• Thematic mapping on the fly
– Basic Embargo capability
5
American FactFinder Release 2: Fall 2011
• Table Services Update
– Display errata and link to geographic change
notes
– Calculate statistical significance
– Sorting of multiple columns
• Charting Services
• Archiving of Older Data
• Enhanced Embargo Capability
6
American FactFinder: Other Activities
• Tabulation of 2010 Census
• Preparation for:
–
Migration and Full Release of Population
Estimates Data (Oct 2012)
– Release of 2010 Census Printed Reports
– 2010 PUMS system to create PUMs File Products
– Island Areas Dissemination Activities
• Develop Web Services Support
–
(future enhancement)
7
Future Milestones
8
American FactFinder Feedback
•Analysis of Legacy American FactFinder:
–
–
–
–
Stakeholder Feedback
User Feedback
Usability Studies
Usability Audit
•Areas for Improvement Include:
–
–
–
–
–
Usability and Customer Satisfaction
Visual Elements
Conventional Layout
Consistent Structure
Layering of Information
9
American FactFinder Usability Audit
Areas for Improvement
•Visual Elements
- Homepage Should be More Visual
to Improve Visitor Expectations,
Reduce Perceived Complexity, and to
Improve the Look and Feel of the Site.
•Easier to Absorb and Assess through
Better Balance of Text and Visuals.
•Use of Images, Color and Negative
Space can Help Convey what to Expect
and Make the Page Easier to Digest.
Source: ForeSee Results
American FactFinder Usability Audit Review, January 2010
10
American FactFinder Usability Audit
Areas for Improvement
•Conventional Layout
-Search Should be Presented in the
Best Practice Format as a Text Box
Directly on the Homepage.
•Prevents Visitors from Going through a
Multi-Step Process to Perform a Query.
•Search is Less Likely to be Overlooked
or to Blend in with Other Links/Options
Surrounding it.
Source: ForeSee Results
American FactFinder Usability Audit Review, January 2010
11
American FactFinder Usability Audit
Areas for Improvement
•Consistent Structure
- Navigation Options Should Appear
in the Same Location throughout the
Site so Visitors Don’t have to Search
for Them or Use Their Browser’s
Back Button.
Source: ForeSee Results
American FactFinder Usability Audit Review, January 2010
12
American FactFinder Usability Audit
Areas for Improvement
•Layering Information
- Should
Improve Content Management
and Reduce Scrolling by More
Effectively Layering Page Information.
•Less Scrolling gives Visitors the
Impression that the Information is Much
Easier to Absorb.
•Layering Ensures More Information is
Presented Higher Up on the Page—and
Avoids Overwhelming Visitors with too
Much Content at Once.
Source: ForeSee Results
American FactFinder Usability Audit Review, January 2010
13
New
Look
New
Tools
Easier
Access