Aligning privacy-by-design principles with real-world usability
The Federation Wallonia-Brussels aimed to facilitate citizens’ access to diverse media and cultural content, beyond social platforms.
The DCouvr project is a three-year research and innovation initiative (from January 2023 to January 2026) aimed at developing digital tools to enhance the discoverability of content from cultural and media operators within the Federation Wallonia-Brussels (FWB).
Media, Culture
Public Sector
01. Challenge
Dcouvr wanted to design a citizen-centered solution that ensures the sovereignty of personal data and adopted by all stakeholders (media, citizens, institutions).
02. Approach
We implemented a comprehensive design thinking approach:
- In-depth user research (interviews, focus groups)
- Mental model development, ideation workshops, wireframes
- Moderated user testing to validate concepts
03. Impact
As a result, we achieved :
- Designing a viable and desirable prototype for all stakeholders
- Defining a sovereign personalized experience
- Strong stakeholder engagement from the early phases
01. Challenge
Dcouvr set out to design a citizen-centered digital identity solution that guarantees personal data sovereignty, while securing the trust and adoption of a diverse ecosystem — from media players to public institutions and everyday users.
The challenge lay in aligning privacy-by-design principles with real-world usability and ensuring the platform could respond to the needs and concerns of all stakeholders involved.
02. Approach
To address this multi-stakeholder challenge, we implemented a comprehensive design thinking approach grounded in user empathy and iterative validation.
We began with in-depth qualitative research, including interviews and focus groups, to understand citizens’ expectations around data ownership and digital identity. This input fed into the development of mental models and co-creation workshops, helping us align diverse perspectives into clear design principles. We then translated these insights into wireframes and prototypes, which we tested with users in moderated sessions to iteratively refine the experience and ensure clarity, trust, and accessibility.
03. Impact
As a result, we achieved :
A sovereign and user-centric experience
We defined a personalized identity model that gives citizens control over their data without compromising usability or trust.
Alignment across diverse stakeholders
The collaborative process fostered early engagement from institutions, media, and users — ensuring buy-in and shared ownership of the solution.
A validated, scalable prototype
Through iterative design and testing, we delivered a functional prototype that meets real-world expectations and sets the foundation for future development.
