Putting the consumer at the heart of the Consumer Data Rights
Client: Data61
Sector: Government/Finance
Tobias was engaged to support the work of Data61 in developing standards for the upcoming Consumer Data Right (CDR). Under these standards, consumers will be able to access and safely transfer their banking data to trusted parties. It will put people in control of the data that is shared about them. These rules mean that organisations need to be transparent about how they use a person’s data, informing them every step of the way. The financial sector will be the first industry to implement these rules. Consumers will have to consent to their financial data being shared with other third parties. All banks will need to comply with the standards by 1 July 2020.
Challenge
The goal was to provide financial institutes and third parties with a trusted and usable consent experience for the end consumer sharing their data.
This means developing a foundational pattern for consent from the consumer’s perspective. Setting best practice designs, language and guidelines for the financial institutes to follow when the CDR is released.
Approach
To develop the patterns and guidelines, we undertook both qualitative research and prototype testing.
The qualitative (ethnographic) methods made sure we had generative research that explored areas such as trust, privacy, comfort and willingness to share. We also explored language to see if the consumers could understand the proposed data and structure.
The prototype evaluated potential design patterns, looking at areas of usability, accessibility, task completion and comprehension. This testing was done in an iterative way, getting our improvements in front of users again and again.
We used Choice - the consumer advocacy group - to help us recruit participants, so we could access at risk cohorts. We then tested with a wide demographic, with high and low tech literacy, across all of Australia.
Outcome
We provided clear recommendations for implementing design patterns for the banks and third parties who share data.
This included comprehensive insights about usability, language and comprehension. In addition, providing guidance on friction areas that would cause trust or privacy issues for the consumer.
We also provided clear recommendations for changes in the standards and rules to ensure a seamless customer experience.
Lastly, there were areas for strategic consideration that the project needed to focus on. This will ensure the Consumer Data Rights are rolled out smoothly across the financial sector and beyond. The long term vision that all consumers will have informed consent and a greater awareness of data value exchange.