No-code civic data, years before no-code was mainstream.

I led 0-to-1 product development of a Squarespace-like platform that let non-technical government users build and share data-driven reports and dashboards, pioneering a systematic approach to data democratization years before mainstream no-code adoption.

Complex workflow UX

Role: Design Director
Team: Design, engineering and civic partners
Users: Government agencies and community organizations
Timeline: 2016 – 2020

A published place-based initiative dashboard, on desktop, tablet and phone.

Summary · 2 minutes

The short version.

4phases, from single reports to a full dashboard platform

3–5 yrsahead of mainstream no-code adoption

WCAG 2and ADA compliant, responsive dashboards

The problem

Government agencies and community organizations needed to make data-driven policy decisions but lacked accessible tools for non-technical users. Existing data analysis required technical expertise, creating barriers between community insights and the people who needed them.

The approach

1Components as building blocksData Library → Components → Reports → Dashboards → Shared Content.
2Grow capability in phasesStart with single-page reports, then build up to full dashboard platforms.
3Built for civic usePolicy analysis, community engagement and public data sharing, not generic BI.

What we did

01Single-page reportsData visualizations combined with narrative.

02Component systemCharts, maps, tables and text, combined freely.

03Advanced visualizationsMapping, statistical charts, comparisons and time series.

04Dashboard platformReports as building blocks for public-facing sites.

The full story

8 chapters.

01The challenge

Data decisions without data tools.

Government agencies and community organizations needed to make data-driven policy decisions but lacked accessible tools for non-technical users. The market needed a solution that could democratize complex data analysis while maintaining the sophistication required for government decision-making.

02Platform strategy

Component-based platform design.

01Data LibraryStandardized datasets feed the system

02ComponentsReusable visualization building blocks

03ReportsFocused analytical narratives

04DashboardsMany reports, one platform

05Shared contentCollaboration and template reuse

The foundational product strategy that enabled progressive user empowerment.

03Phase 1

Single-page data reports.

Started with a focused solution allowing users to create single-page reports combining data visualizations with narrative content. This established core user workflows and validated market demand for accessible civic data tools.

Page editing with component and global page options

04Phase 2

A component system.

Evolved single reports into a modular component system, enabling users to combine charts, maps, tables, and narrative elements. This laid the foundation for more complex dashboard capabilities.

Custom component editing UI and the data viz icon set.

05Phase 3

Geographic and statistical analysis.

Interactive mapping for geographic policy analysis
Statistical charting for demographic and economic insights
Comparative analysis tools for multi-jurisdictional studies
Time-series visualization for trend analysis and forecasting

Customizing and creating spatial visualizations

Advanced data filtering and distribution

06Phase 4

The dashboard platform.

Individual reports became building blocks for complete dashboard experiences. Users could combine multiple reports into cohesive narratives, create website wrappers for public-facing civic engagement, and collaborate across government departments.