The letter

Participating citizens

Writer

Architecht

Graphic designer

Eye tracking expert

Activist

New apartment owner

CartoonistCartoonist

Nurse

School teacher

Christianit (living in the free town of Christiania)

Priest

Rhetorician

Poet

Numerologist

Individual interpretations

The current letter

School teacher

I let a I let a I let a I let a childchildchildchild in 5th grade in 5th grade in 5th grade in 5th grade readreadreadread the the the the texttexttexttext, and , and , and , and afterafterafterafter

readingreadingreadingreading it it it it hehehehe crupledcrupledcrupledcrupled it and it and it and it and threwthrewthrewthrew it out. I it out. I it out. I it out. I feelfeelfeelfeel the same the same the same the same

waywaywayway. …The . …The . …The . …The boyboyboyboy saidsaidsaidsaid: : : : YouYouYouYou have to have to have to have to bebebebe an an an an adultadultadultadult to to to to

understand understand understand understand thisthisthisthis. I . I . I . I thoughtthoughtthoughtthought: : : : ThereThereThereThere areareareare not not not not manymanymanymany of of of of usususus

whowhowhowho areareareare not not not not adultsadultsadultsadults. … I . … I . … I . … I feelfeelfeelfeel likelikelikelike puttingputtingputtingputting mymymymy fingers fingers fingers fingers intointointointo

mymymymy earsearsearsears and and and and sayingsayingsayingsaying lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala. It is . It is . It is . It is paternalisticpaternalisticpaternalisticpaternalistic

and and and and parentparentparentparent likelikelikelike so so so so youyouyouyou feelfeelfeelfeel likelikelikelike not not not not listeninglisteninglisteninglistening. . . . YouYouYouYou do do do do

not not not not seeseeseesee the the the the carecarecarecare for the society in for the society in for the society in for the society in thisthisthisthis letter. letter. letter. letter.

Cartoonist

I was startled at the

corrected assesment.

First you have read

through 1½ pages of

numbers that you can

understand the originunderstand the origin

of and then comes

this strange amount

where suddenly the

house is worth less.

What do they mean

by that?? What is

happening?

Writer

I tried to understand why it is

so difficult to understand

these kind of writings from

the public sector. It is difficult

because they refer to some

vanishing points where there

is no argumentation for why

things are as they are –

where the author does not

have to explain. Why thesehave to explain. Why these

numbers? Who made up

these numbers?

Architecht

It is a bit sad now – I

noticed the word

”asbestos” – but once it

was someones dream.

Perhaps they build the

house themselves.

Someone loved it once. … Someone loved it once. …

Architechts have a strange

mix of creative and very

square. The creative

makes it difficult for us to

deal with text so I have

ignored page 1. Page 2

with descriptions inspired

some pictures in me.

Graphic designer

I have called it ”Dreams that build houses that break down dreams”. …

The property estimation seems very square and practical but it could

have something to do with emotions. I’m thinking about my own

situation. I have a house and the last 7 years we have put a lot of blood,

sweat and tears into building this dream house. But now the house ties

us down to Denmark and makes it difficult for us to realize our present

dream and dreams of the future: moving to another country.

She turns out the light on the installation.

Eye tracking expert

I have focused on what the eyes

fall on. I have taken the places

where the text breaks down for

me. I have put in latin words

where I have to do something. where I have to do something.

Because I get nervous when it

states that I have to do

something. When you

communicate something that

people have to act on it has to be

precise. You have made a

document I do not understand. …

You have made a document I

have to be able to act on and I

can’t. It is my responsibility!

New apartment owner

As a new owner I am very

unexperienced. But I have

some experience with

ensurance. My dad says that

I have to read all the fine

print. … With the fine print I

give up. You are not

supposed to understand it. supposed to understand it.

… I desperately try to find

the important words that

can shed some light, but it is

impossible to find

coherence. You do not have

to read the fine print but it is

very important, and then

you feel cheated because

you do not understand it. I

don’t know if I owe 50.000

dkr or if SKAT owes me

50.000?!

Activist

My problem is the top-down

control. Someone wants

something from me

regardless of who I am and

where I am in my life. … And

they expect that I act on it.

So I chose not to. It does not

open up for dialogue. … open up for dialogue. …

Some kind of life nerve has

been pressed into a locked

and square system that

shows a snapshot. It is a

society that does not

engage in dialogue with its

citizens. A pseudo life. It is

as if it comes out of a

machine.

Group work

The future form

Analysis

From data to insight

DATA FINDING THEME INSIGHT

Conceptual clarification

DATA FINDING THEME INSIGHT

Data is the amount of data

(interviews and quotes, field

notes, desk research, etc.) that

is generated during the

learning process.

Findings are condensed data and

still true to what was actually said

and done – that is they are not

analyzed and interpreted.

Findings are elements of your

data that you pick out as relevant

and interesting.

Themes are patterns of

findings. Gathering findings in

themes is the first step of

analyzing and interpreting.

Insights are cognitions or

revelations that transcends

data, findings and themes.

Insights are reached through

the analysis and interpretation

process.

An insight describes the

reason why a given situation is

as it is and identifies the actual

challenge that you are facing.

Insights

The citizens want an authority at eye level

The citizens regard letters and information from SKAT as a threat,

something you have to pull yourself together for, something that is

not fun. The reason for this is that the citizens feel that SKAT is

communicating in a paternalistic and inside language – a we thatcommunicating in a paternalistic and inside language – a we that

writes to a you. What the citizens want is an authority but at eye

level.

How might SKAT become an authority at eye

level?

SKAT is a machine that hits people in the

middle of their life dream, their blood, sweat

and tears

The property estimation letter is perceived as mechanical as if a

machine has written it, and with impersonal and incomprehensible

legal language and numbers that do not make sense to the reader. It

frustrates the reader because it is their home, their dream, their blod, frustrates the reader because it is their home, their dream, their blod,

sweat and tears that SKAT is writing about in a very mechanical

language.

How might SKAT create some understanding

between the ”machine” SKAT and the citizen as

a unique and emotional human being?

Written information is not always enough in

order for the receiver to understand the

message

SKAT’s communications strategy prioritizes contact via internet and

phone but the citizens feel that they need more than a letter or a

homepage – they need to feel that we know exactly their case so thathomepage – they need to feel that we know exactly their case so that

we can help them.

How might SKAT make sure that the citizens

understand our communication and feel

confident that we know exactly their case?

The overflood of written information makes

the message invisible to the citizen

SKAT’s focus on rule of law and the strong tradition of much writing is

reflected in the communication toward the citizens. SKAT wants the

citizens to know everything and default is to put it in writing – all

information in one text. And so the message drowns in a flood of

words.words.

How might SKAT work with communications

towards the citizens so that we embrace all

kinds of understanding (visual, auditive,

kinesthetic)?

The possibilities for the citizens to act

disappear in a bermuda-triangle

The citizens acknowledte their responsibility and they want to act but

they do not know how. The form and content of the letter reinforces

their doubt:

1. Why have I received this letter? 1. Why have I received this letter?

2. Why this facit?

3. When can I file a complaint?

How might SKAT apply our visions of rule of

law and openness better in this letter?

Method learnings

Fast, deep and cheap

insight into the

comprehension and comprehension and

feelings of the users

Physical expressions are

easier to talk fromeasier to talk from

Physical expressions make

communication of insightscommunication of insights

much more effective

Most people enjoy

expressing themselves and

having their say – so it’s a having their say – so it’s a

fun process for all