How do we create great applications with open data in the face of inconsistent data quality and limited citizen-government collaboration?

1. MAKING USEFUL APPS
WITH OPEN DATA
Adam Schwabe

2. Amazing
MAKING USEFUL APPS
WITH OPEN DATA
Adam Schwabe

3. INSPIRATION & OBSERVATION
Never stop paying attention

4. “THERE ARE GREAT REWARDS IN GIVING IN TO
CURIOSITY ABOUT BEHAVIOR.”
— Jane Fulton Suri

17. WHERE THE HELL IS MY STREETCAR?

19. CREATING THE APP
Otherwise known as ‘the fun part’

20. SOLVE ONE PROBLEM

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27. ROW
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ALL ORMAN
PER
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pag
,
day
dnes , s.ca
We ary o new
u
Jan .metr
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w orth
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Newring.
sha
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ud re’
O
ONT
D e
h tcar?
w ee ome
tr
nt rs c his
sista ope
s
s
in.
As d evel ne say can
rita are O it
B s s o w ology tem as
at a hn sys ars
r th tion tec ssion’s streetc s ar
e
s fo ma i per these
app r mm slow lo e
re’s TC info nsit co iously eve t
n d o crea we’re
The th T a r atio es t , so
i n tr noto plic n e
ut w ter tha city’s
C
“Ap best o the TT anyon ance
o et e an e t
th s, no eneve to enr h
is b k all th
c
ars
eetc
s str app py wh thing ce.”
ac y’ be en
tr that
the cit y has
unit rt- hap s some perien focu
s
doe TTC ex RAD ROSS
et m a e
secr com ping sm ieve ar et- a rrowolve
no tech evelo le bel t-stre ry n to s
theSPOKESMAN
B
It’s low. to’s d p x a ve g hat
I
b e s t Toron mark e peo wn ne TTC
has n tryin t app t feed
t it tha
Bu ff the at som TC’s o a ir s ta
9 by n th ather o the f pen da abe, .
ko s th eT ps i s
quic ne app d of th dD
ec. 2 or e
r o
C ap rpose, . It’s al city’s id Sch treetca
TT pu
w r
a f lem ses the on,” sa ueen s er who
pho ets ahe ools. unche st app hen th op. and y prob at u i
t a
stre rrival adar, l the late users w their st gle icat eQ
ever w of th al appl r on th re deve pp, Wh of
lop ere
ca ocr-a ket R e is lls ive at
te rr in ,
a s re o actic la ftwa his a d
b
R Schwa uickly ill a kn pr gu so n
with you a a re ed e ki
m at q sw app e ll in a ho is new, a launch was th
Ada nes th reetcar ng the d wher tcar wi r- w s Ag car
27, me i t ,200
i
iPho t few st launch will fin t stree n the c
o g use e. ut 1
x Ja e Kin r, beca ight us as abo e or
nex Just by Radar the ne nd eve s th tca m th or
“ t a car- ride y Stree red he tober, i by “m ter. It
Ro cke when t stop abe. n ext- Is M ig u c
O essib le pu route
s
tap, tell you e close d Schw its own nsmit he f d in c com e to
nd at th n,” sai ched rs tra nd tool aunche nd is ac one or long th r them
a e n e a w L s a art ph s are a take fo
v o d
arri directi has lau lets ri lphone m kno wer ar
t e follo any sme the c oing to .
rect he TTC em tha via cel ting th
GES
IM A
ucts GET
TY s” er
les s wh ng it’ ar s g stop
y T st mber let .
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ntor
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SCA
ss he c
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age e
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a nd at a p SERVICE
ve
r x s p b n a
f lla thei ive a te ext car ys his a e num n any i ve
n in
S
te o sterda
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es n ke ye rece n the n abe sa need th to key d out RS
omak e w t
wh ut Sch u don’ r need n to f in TO
eye
ta
Ryan l stock B e yo o io ing. of
n
gela annua tops locat crop
e
e ca ngs
s
ecaueetcar s your are comurrent
clos
r An ’s b
ke epe n Zoo r on s c
p
Zoo Londo at st ation ext car an the
sa ct tany thi girl
ZSL m he n nt th
for n t
eep
the ere
Du ma et.
whe It’s diff
k udg
ma
s “
inet do g gettinhoGorl
Lla ade b by
and
f e re d
is of
ab
TM
ing
g
ey
e Bank
pag Onli
ne
RBC
n c ada.

28. ROW
O C
ALL ORMAN
PER
F C
000
e
pag
,
day
dnes , s.ca
We ary o new
u
Jan .metr
ww
w orth
sw
TM
Newring.
sha
e, s my
ud re’
O
ONT
D e
h tcar?
w ee ome
tr
nt rs c his
sista ope
s
s
in.
As d evel ne say can
rita are O it
B s s o w ology tem as
at a hn sys ars
r th tion tec ssion’s streetc s ar
e
s fo ma i per these
app r mm slow lo e
re’s TC info nsit co iously eve t
n d o crea we’re
The th T a r atio es t , so
i n tr noto plic n e
ut w ter tha city’s
C
“Ap best o the TT anyon ance
o et e an e t
th s, no eneve to enr h
is b k all th
c
ars
eetc
s str app py wh thing ce.”
ac y’ be en
tr that
the cit y has
unit rt- hap s some perien focu
s
doe TTC ex RAD ROSS
et m a e
secr com ping sm ieve ar et- a rrowolve
no tech evelo le bel t-stre ry n to s
theSPOKESMAN
B
It’s low. to’s d p x a ve g hat
I
b e s t Toron mark e peo wn ne TTC
has n tryin t app t feed
t it tha
Bu ff the at som TC’s o a ir s ta
9 by n th ather o the f pen da abe, .
ko s th eT ps i s
quic ne app d of th dD
ec. 2 or e
r o
C ap rpose, . It’s al city’s id Sch treetca
TT pu
w r
a f lem ses the on,” sa ueen s er who
pho ets ahe ools. unche st app hen th op. and y prob at u i
t a
stre rrival adar, l the late users w their st gle icat eQ
ever w of th al appl r on th re deve pp, Wh of
lop ere
ca ocr-a ket R e is lls ive at
te rr in ,
a s re o actic la ftwa his a d
b
R Schwa uickly ill a kn pr gu so n
with you a a re ed e ki
m at q sw app e ll in a ho is new, a launch was th
Ada nes th reetcar ng the d wher tcar wi r- w s Ag car
27, me i t ,200
i
iPho t few st launch will fin t stree n the c
o g use e. ut 1
x Ja e Kin r, beca ight us as abo e or
nex Just by Radar the ne nd eve s th tca m th or
“ t a car- ride y Stree red he tober, i by “m ter. It
Ro cke when t stop abe. n ext- Is M ig u c
O essib le pu route
s
tap, tell you e close d Schw its own nsmit he f d in c com e to
nd at th n,” sai ched rs tra nd tool aunche nd is ac one or long th r them
a e n e a w L s a art ph s are a take fo
v o d
arri directi has lau lets ri lphone m kno wer ar
t e follo any sme the c oing to .
rect he TTC em tha via cel ting th
GES
IM A
ucts GET
TY s” er
les s wh ng it’ ar s g stop
y T st mber let .
/
ond
RFF
ntor
al sy tter l
SCA
ss he c
OLI
age e
rriv stop nu t mess are du p is be er post -
ed map how lo articu
a
mas .
a nd at a p SERVICE
ve
r x s p b n a
f lla thei ive a te ext car ys his a e num n any i ve
n in
S
te o sterda
y i arri TAR NEW
o
es n ke ye rece n the n abe sa need th to key d out RS
omak e w t
wh ut Sch u don’ r need n to f in TO
eye
ta
Ryan l stock B e yo o io ing. of
n
gela annua tops locat crop
e
e ca ngs
s
ecaueetcar s your are comurrent
clos
r An ’s b
ke epe n Zoo r on s c
p
Zoo Londo at st ation ext car an the
sa ct tany thi girl
ZSL m he n nt th
for n t
eep
the ere
Du ma et.
whe It’s diff
k udg
ma
s “
inet do g gettinhoGorl
Lla ade b by
and
f e re d
is of
ab
TM
ing
g
ey
e Bank
pag Onli
ne
RBC
n c ada.

29. “WE BOTH LET OUT A GIANT CHEER, LIKE WE
SAW THE FIRST SPACE SHUTTLE EVER BLAST
INTO ORBIT. IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST
AMAZING MOMENTS OF MY LIFE.”
— John Downs

30. MAKING IT WORK
‘The tough part’

33. QUEEN STREET WEST AT STRACHAN AVENUE
STRACHAN

34. APR
6

35. “ACHIEVING PRODUCT/MARKET FIT REQUIRES
AT LEAST 40% OF USERS SAYING THEY
WOULD BE ‘VERY DISAPPOINTED’ WITHOUT
YOUR PRODUCT.”
— Sean Ellis

39. Rocket Radar
IMPROVES THE TRANSIT EXPERIENCE

40. 1
We screwed up.

41. 1 2
We screwed up. Suck it up.

42. VISUAL DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Jason Sao Bento Mohammad Kurabi
Jeremy Koch

43. Want more design bits?
TEEHANLAX.COM/BLOG/OPENDATA

44. Adam Schwabe
@ADAMSCHWABE
HELLO@ADAMSCHWABE.COM