Clients

• Who: London Councils, the collective of local government in London 
• What: Understand the information needs and preferred format of communication around climate change initiatives within London Councils from the target user perspective  
• How: User discovery research 
• Result: Clarity on the key information needs and the solution format for users to engage with climate information 

Background 

London Councils is the collective of Local Government in London. They act as a voice for the 32 London boroughs and the City of London Corporation, advocating for their needs and priorities at the regional, national, and international levels. 

London Councils wished to investigate whether the development of a website focusing on climate change projects and initiatives being undertaken or planned in London Councils would be an effective way to:  

• Engage with specific stakeholder groups   
• Promote these initiatives and raise brand awareness among target audiences 

To explore this overarching aim, it was first necessary to understand the information needs around climate change information first-hand from the target users. 

What we did 

We carried out user discovery research with 17 target users – a mix of senior professionals in local and central government with an interest in climate. Discovery research enabled us to get to the heart of the information these professionals need, the sources they prefer to use and the communication materials from London Councils that most resonated with them.    

The research was conducted remotely on desktop and incorporated two main elements:  

• In the first half of the session, time was spent discussing general information needs around climate change and the current sources they use to get this information. Respondents had a very wide range of information needs, many of which were highly specific to their sector/role. They were then asked about their information needs from London Councils specifically. 
• In the second half of the session, respondents explored various communication materials from London Councils including the main website, climate blog content, newsletters and social media. Prompted by this exploration, respondents were asked what they thought was the best channel for London Councils to provide climate change information. 

Outcomes 

From this research, London Councils gained a clear understanding of what their target audience wanted from their communication around climate change: to act as a consolidator of borough information, and to facilitate discussions and knowledge sharing between boroughs and London organisations. 

This research also showed that their current communication channels are working well and are engaging their users.  

“Everyone found it really useful and we’ll certainly look to incorporate some quick changes to our products”

Katrin Vangelova, Communications Officer – Climate Change