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Evidence and context-based design expectations

For designers in DWP.

Expectations at associate level

  • work closely with the user researcher and content designer on your team
  • document your work. link design decisions back to research and evidence
  • focus on outcomes, rather than solutions and activities
  • consider many ideas to solve a problem but be clear about which to test
  • understand how to work using an iterative cycle (discover, build, test and iterate)
  • learn to see the whole journey for a user, including the non-digital parts
  • be familiar with the service standards and the guidance in the gov.uk service manual

Expectations at working level

  • encourage other members of the team to be involved in the design and research process
  • help the team to create hypotheses and identify assumptions
  • encourage the team to test different solutions
  • design for the non-digital parts of the journey
  • suggest how services should work for those with low digital skills and limited access to technology
  • apply the government service design standards to your work. you should help the other people in your team understand and follow them

Expectations at senior level

  • ensure teams use an iterative cycle and follow an evidence driven design approach
  • ensure teams understand the importance to test many ideas
  • encourage teams to take a joined-up approach to helping those with low digital skills or limited access to technology
  • act as service standard ambassadors. help teams to meet the standards and offer advice across all points. promote the benefits of the service design standards to senior stakeholders