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Comparison: “Get to an answer” service vs Riddle, for Care Leavers

Summary

  • Recommendation: Migrate to “Get to an answer” for improved accessibility, integration, control, and cost-efficiency, with a simpler authoring model aligned to GOV.UK and DfE standards.

1) Purpose and fit - Riddle: General-purpose quiz/survey/assessment builder with hosted deployment and embed options. Optimized for marketing and lead capture; adaptable for decision trees but not purpose-built. - Get to an answer: Purpose-built decision/triage flow tool aligned to GOV.UK patterns, designed to guide users to actionable outcomes within DfE services and sites.

2) Accessibility - Riddle: Claims WCAG support but varies by theme and embed; customization can introduce accessibility debt; limited control over underlying markup. - Get to an answer: Uses GDS Design System components/patterns, supports AAA-aligned implementations, standard keyboard navigation, ARIA semantics, error summaries, and consistent heading structures.

3) Integration and rendering - Riddle: Primarily iframe/embed or hosted links; limited server-side rendering control; translation typically handled outside with duplicated flows or per-variant content. - Get to an answer: API-first; render natively in product/site (SSR-friendly). Enables: - Central content model with on-site rendering - Integrated translation/localisation pipelines (potentially) - Shared analytics, consent, and cookies policies - Consistent design system and routing

4) Auth and management - Riddle: Separate account system; SSO varies by plan; admin management outside DfE tenant. - Get to an answer: Integrates with DfE O365 login (Azure AD), enabling: - Centralised account lifecycle - Role-based access with DfE groups - Reduced onboarding/offboarding friction - Audit and compliance within DfE

5) Costs and licensing - Riddle: Ongoing per-seat or tiered plan costs; additional charges for advanced features/SSO; vendor lock-in. - Get to an answer: Reduced ongoing licensing; internal hosting and open standards; costs primarily in development and platform ops, amortised across services.

6) Flow design and authoring - Riddle: Visual builder for quizzes/surveys; branching supported but can be complex; decision logic embedded in tool-specific UI; portability limited. - Get to an answer: Simplified flow model aligned to GOV.UK decision tree conventions: - Clear node/edge content model - Reusable components, conditional logic, and outcomes - Versioning and change control suited to service design - Easier maintenance by service teams

7) Content governance and versioning - Riddle: Version history varies; publishing workflows basic; content export limited to vendor formats. - Get to an answer: Designed to work with DfE workflows: - Git-backed or API-based versioning - Environments (dev/test/prod) - Review/approval gates and audit trails

8) Data, privacy, and compliance - Riddle: Data processed within vendor infrastructure; DPIA and DPA required; cookie and analytics vary by embed mode. - Get to an answer: Data remains within DfE boundaries; simpler DPIA; conforms to existing cookies/analytics frameworks; easier to meet GOV.UK and DfE data policies.

9) Performance and reliability - Riddle: Dependent on third-party uptime and CDN; performance of embeds can vary. - Get to an answer: First-party hosting and caching; tighter control of performance budgets, error handling, and observability.

10) Analytics and insights - Riddle: Built-in analytics biased toward marketing metrics; custom events require workarounds. - Get to an answer: Native integration with DfE/GOV.UK analytics; granular event tracking aligned to service KPIs; easier funnel analysis across journeys.

11) Theming and UX consistency - Riddle: Theming via templates; limited fidelity to GOV.UK standards; risk of “non-GOV” look/feel. - Get to an answer: Native GOV.UK styles and components; consistent typography, spacing, and error states.

12) Internationalisation and translation - Riddle: Usually duplicate flows per language; limited translation workflow integration. - Get to an answer: API-driven rendering enables language switching on-site; integrate with translation memory and content pipelines; single source with locale overlays.

13) Vendor lock-in and portability - Riddle: Logic and content locked to vendor; exports partial. - Get to an answer: Content and logic represented in open, internal formats; portable across DfE services.

14) Risks and mitigations - Ongoing maintenance: This will sit under DesignOps so technical documentation needs to be robust. - Initial migration effort: Mitigate with staged migration, parity checks, and dual-run testing. - Authoring training: Provide concise guidance and templates aligned to GOV.UK patterns.

Decision drivers (from Care Leavers)

  • AAA accessibility via GDS components
  • API rendering for on-site integration and translation
  • DfE O365 SSO for simple management
  • Reduced licensing costs
  • Simplified, maintainable flow system

Recommendation

  • Proceed with migration to “Get to an answer.”
  • Pilot: Migrate one representative Care Leavers flow end-to-end, validate accessibility, analytics, and translation.
  • Rollout: Migrate remaining flows with a standardised template, shared components, and a deprecation plan for Riddle embeds.
  • Governance: Establish content versioning, release process, and ownership within the Care Leavers team.

Glossary

  • SSR: Server-side rendering
  • API: Application Programming Interface
  • SSO: Single Sign-On
  • AAA: Accessibility, Usability, and Accessibility
  • GDS: Government Digital Service
  • DfE: Department for Education
  • DPA: Data Protection Act
  • DPIA: Data Protection Impact Assessment
  • DPA: Data Protection Act
  • DPIA: Data Protection Impact Assessment