The
digital
transformation
of
government
and
housing
information
Vlaamse Overheid

The
digital
transformation
of
government
and
housing
information

Vlaamse Overheid
Context
When the Flemish government set out a plan to digitalise their services and make all Belgian housing energy efficient, we worked with them to process data structures, implement design thinking, and contribute to their overall digital transformation.
Vlaanderen Radicaal Digitaal & Renovation Pact
Making every house in Flanders energy efficient by 2050 is no small task. But that’s exactly what the Flemish government has set out to do with their recent renovation pact. This goal, alongside their aspiration for a more innovative and digitalised service offering, led to the conception of Woningpas.
Woningpas
Woningpas is a web platform that centralises all relevant information for your home, creating a detailed digital passport to assist you in the process of buying, selling, or renovating properties in Belgium.

Woningpas
Woningpas is a web platform that centralises all relevant information for your home, creating a detailed digital passport to assist you in the process of buying, selling, or renovating properties in Belgium.
The first step in building this tool was to assemble all relevant stakeholders, including Wonen-Vlaanderen, Vlaams Energieagenschap, Openbare Vlaamse Afvalstoffenmaatschappij and Departement Omgeving, and several private entities. We carried out multiple co-creation workshops with all parties aimed at getting everyone properly informed and aligned toward a common goal.
Next, we needed to gather and analyse all national housing data, which was scattered across a multitude of various public and private domains, in different formats and levels of detail.
The importance of iterative user testing
Processing and re-organising all the necessary information into a consistent, user-friendly output was a significant task. Service design helped us keep all stakeholders well informed and iterative user-testing ensured our end product was human-centric, built to be easily understood and inherently helpful. We involved a large and diverse user base in the process.




Beyond digital with EPC
While co-creating and designing Woningpas, we also got the opportunity to revise the official EPC document that informs citizens on the energy efficiency of their home.
Together with the VEA (Vlaams Energieagentschap), we analysed the information and co-created a new design that helps people understand what the EPC rating is all about. As always, we tested our designs with users and iterated to get the best result.
Our work with the Flemish government on centralising housing information won both the Agoria e-Gov award for usability and the Henry van de Velde award for digital products. We continue to expand on the platform to improve functionality and user-experience.
Don't take our word for it.
By bringing together different government agencies, an external organisation and frequent feedback from the user, we co-created a digital tool that presents scattered and complex data in a user-friendly way.
Tine Vande Casteele
Projectleider Woningpas, VEA