DCP Labs
A Proposal
GovTech Projects
Take a long time...
Cost a lot of money...
Can be lacking in user experience...
A Lean Dev Shop
Prototypes Quickly...
Uses Free, Cheap, & Open Source Tools...
Starts with design thinking...
18F is changing the way federal agencies think about tech
18F's Principles
Human-centered Design
Agile Methods
Open Technology
They Build Great Tools
They document the why and how
We can do it here too...
New York City gov ought to have its own @18F
— Chris Whong (@chris_whong) March 17, 2017
Indeed, we already are...
Let's be more deliberate about it
How we build is as important as what we build
DCP Labs is
a small, nimble team
a design partner
a proving ground
a tech evangelist
Core Values
Open by Default
Build With, Not For
Ship Early, Ship Often
Document and Disseminate
The Org Chart
I need but 3 lines to start:
- Director (Yours Truly)
- UI/UX/Graphic Designer
- Full Stack Web Developer
If you're feeling frisky, throw in some interns!
Strict Project Criteria
- 100% Open - No Secret or Political Projects
- Concept to Shipped in 4-6 weeks
- Immediate Value Prop & Use Case for DCP
That's ~10 projects shipped in the first year.
Hold me to it.
Low-Hanging Fruit
- ZOLA/Zoning App
- Census Factfinder
- PLUTO Explorer
- Land Use Clipper for Applicants
OTPS
$15K for hosting and cloud services
3 Unadulterated Mac Laptops w/accoutrements
A Fast, unrestricted internet connection
A Home - A space to be creative in
Messaging & Branding
Techblog - Everyone writes
Twitter - Everyone tweets
Website - labs.planning.nyc.gov
Conferences & Events
Teaching
Regular Skill Shares - Open to Everyone
Promote FOSS and modern practices in ITD and beyond
Inspire & Educate Urban Planners Everywhere
A Typical Project
Week 1 - Kickoff + Design Sprint
Weeks 2-5 - Agile Development Sprints
Week 6 - Documentation, Maintenance, Evangelism, Transition
What's in it for DCP?
Great Ideas => Real Products
Applicants, Citizens, Stakeholders Benefit
Tech Pioneers - Dare to R&D