Modernizing a platform to democratize data

Name: Modernizing a platform to democratize data
Start: 2020-10-29

Hosted on October 29, 2020

A conversation about modernizing platforms in order to remove technical barriers for the people who use them.

About this Webinar

It’s important for design, business, and community leaders to have easily-accessible data to turn to when facing big challenges and initiatives. PolicyMap—a tool that enables users to apply data to online maps in order to gain insights on business and policy issues—is doing just that.

PolicyMap asked Think Company for help in modernizing their mapping technology and interface in order to grow the business without disrupting users. Keeping in mind that we wanted to maintain the look and feel of PolicyMap while improving the overall user experience by incorporating UX best practices, together we built on PolicyMap’s already powerful tool to expose more features and make it easier for more people to access important data.

Lizzie Manning, Senior Experience Designer at Think Company, and Craig Henderson, Chief Product Development Officer at PolicyMap, explored practices we used that led to insightful data in key areas of the interface and increased performance. Craig shared more about PolicyMap’s robust platform and how they can help your organization find the right data for their research, market studies, business planning, and impact analysis needs.

This is a part of our ongoing webinar series on tackling design and technology challenges.

About the Speakers

Elizabeth Manning

Principal Researcher

The “go-getter” of Think Company, Lizzie comes from the fast-paced startup world and is a Venture for America Fellow who fortunately landed in Philadelphia! With a knack for using psychology, design, & technology to problem solve and adapting to new environments quickly, she’s also a former DI swimmer (still active!) and diligently working on her green thumb.

Craig Henderson

Chief Product Development Officer, PolicyMap

Craig Henderson has over 25 years experience leading software initiatives that support a wide range of business objectives. Starting in the e-learning space, he led or collaborated on the design and development of pioneering applications for Fortune 500 companies such as Lexus, FedEx, and United Airlines. He was Vice President of Strategy for that organization before becoming an independent consultant for seven years.

During that time, one of his clients exposed him to the power of web-based mapping applications. He eventually joined that company, and after an acquisition, he led a team of developers committed to working on an innovative existing project, PolicyMap—a tool that enables users to apply data to online maps to gain insights on business and policy issues. The team ultimately joined the PolicyMap organization, where Craig is a member of its senior leadership team. In his current role, he oversees the technology, UX, and the overall roadmap for application.

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