Design With the User
User-centered design starts with getting to know the people you are designing for through conversation, observation and co-creation.
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Understand the Existing Ecosystem
Well-designed initiatives and digital tools consider the particular structures and needs that exist in each country, region and community.
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Design for Scale
Achieving scale requires adoption beyond an initiatives pilot population and often necessitates securing funding or partners that take the initiative to new communities or regions.
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Build for Sustainability
Building sustainable programs, platforms and digital tools is essential to maintain user and stakeholder support, as well as to maximize long-term impact.
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Be Data Driven
When an initiative is data driven, quality information is available to the right people when they need it, and they are using those data to take action.
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Use Open Standards, Open Data, Open Source, and Open Innovation
An open approach to digital development can help to increase collaboration in the digital development community and avoid duplicating work that has already been done.
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Reuse and Improve
Reusing and improving is about taking the work of the global development community further than any organization or program can do alone.
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Address Privacy & Security
Addressing privacy and security in digital development involves careful consideration of which data are collected and how data are acquired, used, stored and shared.
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Be Collaborative
Being collaborative means sharing information, insights, strategies and resources across projects, organizations and sectors, leading to increased efficiency and impact.
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Explore
The Digital Principles were created in a community-driven effort, the result of many lessons learned through the use of technology in development projects. They are part of an ongoing effort among development practitioners to share knowledge and support continuous learning.
“The Principles are pivotally different from the way development currently is being done. They are effectively building the rationale for a paradigm shift...”