An end-to-end, mixed-methods study for the Open Data Institute exploring Personal Data Store adoption, spanning quantitative survey research, iterative low-to-high-fi prototyping, expert reviews, and usability testing.
To support the Open Data Institute (ODI) in driving the adoption of Personal Data Store (PDS) technology, we investigated the key drivers and barriers to user adoption across four everyday application domains. Partnering with industry leaders including Randstad (HR) and public broadcaster VRT (Media), we explored user attitudes and translated insights into high-fidelity prototypes which were used for usability testing and as a tool to inspire potential clients.
The project began by defining four promising Personal Data Store (PDS) use cases across distinct application domains. Designed to give users full agency, a PDS allows individuals to centralize their personal data in one secure location, giving them control over who accesses their information. The following four use cases were defined in collaboration with the industry partners:
To gain initial insights into users’ adoption potential and willingness to share data, we conducted a large-scale survey with 2,335 respondents, in which participants evaluated the four Personal Data Store use cases based on written scenario descriptions.
The survey revealed that the Health use case showed the highest adoption potential among respondents. In contrast, the likelihood of adopting Personal Data Stores decreased significantly with age across all domains, as illustrated in the image below.
Willingness to share data differed strongly across domains. Remakably, Health data was shared most readily (over 80% for medical history and medication), followed by HR data such as diplomas and work experience (around 70%). Media and especially Finance data were met with more hesitation, particularly for sensitive details like transactions or social media activity. Overall, users were more willing to share data when its relevance and benefit were clear.
Following an initial sketching and wireframing phase, the first iteration of the Personal Data Store and its use case interfaces was developed in Figma, leveraging existing design systems to accelerate the process.
Before user testing, the prototype was refined through a series of expert reviews with ten professionals from fields including UX design, product development, and privacy. Each expert navigated the prototype using a guided walkthrough. Their observations were organized through in an affinity diagram, which helped identify recurring themes and actionable insights.
These findings from the expert reviews directly informed the second iteration of the interactive prototype, which was used for the user testing.
Personal Data Store interface
HR
Media
Finance
Health
To evaluate the refined prototype, 17 participants took part in one-hour online sessions. Each session followed a structured flow combining think-aloud walkthroughs, a semi-structured interview, and a short post-test survey.
Qualitative feedback revealed a generally positive reception across all four use cases. Participants valued efficiency and simplicity in HR and Health scenarios, while trust and perceived relevance shaped their attitudes toward Media and Finance. The Personal Data Store interface itself was praised for its clarity and centralization, though some users voiced concerns about security and information overload. Overall, the tests confirmed that hands-on interaction with a prototype increased both understanding and acceptance of Personal Data Stores.
“Interesting to have that in one location instead of having 456 different apps for it."
VS
“If they have the one password from that platform, they can get to all yourdata, but really everything. To your medical records, to your banking details, to your music preferences.Where you live, what newspaper you read. Yeah, you do not want that.”
Quantitative insights showed that participants who interacted with the prototype reported significantly higher behavioural intention and willingness to share data compared to those who only evaluated written scenarios. This increase was particularly strong for the HR and Health domains, confirming the value of making abstract concepts like data vaults tangible through interactive design. Additionally, also users' willingness to share increased when they interacted with the prototype.
The findings highlight the importance of designing for gradual trust-building; starting with low-stakes data sharing, clearly communicating the purpose of each request, and emphasizing transparency and data minimization. Above all, introducing Personal Data Stores should follow a “show, don’t tell” approach: offering tangible, well-designed experiences that help users understand the value of PDSs in practice, build confidence, and ultimately drive adoption.
The final prototype now serves as an active business development and educational tool for the Open Data Institute. It is used to align stakeholders, inspire new use cases, and provide software teams with a library of reusable, expert-reviewed design patterns for consent requests, dashboards, and permission management. Highlighting the scalable nature of this framework, three additional use cases have already been added to the publicly available platform:
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