We should design around those — not around the way the ‘official process’ is at the moment. Have they never used the web before?A service is something that helps people to do something.
If we think about those people at the beginning we should make a better site for everyone.We’re not designing for a screen, we’re designing for people. If someone else is doing it — link to it. The more eyes there are on a service the better it gets â howlers are spotted, better alternatives are pointed out, the bar is raised.Much of what weâre doing is only possible because of open source code and the generosity of the web design community. Are they on a phone? If someone else is doing it — link to it. Are they only really familiar with Facebook?
When we find patterns that work we should share them, and talk about why we use them. Letâs think about those people from the start.Weâre not designing for a screen, weâre designing for people. With colleagues, with users, with the world. So our users will have a reasonable chance of guessing what they’re supposed to do.This isn’t a straitjacket or a rule book. And we need to recognise that some day, before we know it, it’ll be about different digital services again.We shouldn’t be about websites, we should be about digital services.
Ten key design principles developed by the UK Government Digital Service to champion a culture that puts the user first and delivers the best, low-cost public services possible.Join the O'Reilly online learning platform.
Published 3 April 2012 Last updated 10 September 2019 — see all updates In fact, the people who most need our services are often the people who find them hardest to use. We should concentrate on the irreducible core.We’ll make better services and save more money by focusing resources where they’ll do the most good.Normally, we’re not starting from scratch — users are already using our services.
For a government organisation, GDS show some progressive thinking and their design principles come close to principles to which I could subscribe. We can’t imagine every scenario and write rules for it.
We should concentrate on the irreducible core.In most cases, we can learn from real world behaviour by looking at how existing services are used. Do research, analyse data, talk to users.
Are they only really familiar with Facebook?
These are the Design Principles of the Government Digital Service which is a team within Cabinet Office of the Government in UK. Have empathy for users, and remember that what they ask for isn’t always what they need.Government should only do what only government can do. Are they on a phone? The more eyes there are on a service the better it gets -
But mostly because more openness makes for better services — better understood and better scrutinised. Comparing page designs from both of these projects gives you a good visual example of what we mean in this principle.
This means building platforms and registers others can build upon, providing resources (like APIs) that others can use, and linking to the work of others.
We should do this, but we should make sure we continue this into the build and development process — prototyping and testing with real users on the live web.
Of course much of that will be pages on the web, but we’re not here to build websites. It’s usually more and harder work to make things simple, but it’s the right thing to do.The best way to build good services is to start small and iterate wildly. Share code, share designs, share ideas, share intentions, share failures. Are they in a library? If we give away our code, we’ll be repaid in better code. If you donât know what the user needs are, you wonât build the right thing. Keep doing that after taking your service live, prototyping and testing with users then iterating in response. They’re not a list of bad things to be avoided, they’re a set of principles to inspire you, accompanied by examples which explain things further and code and resources which will make the principles easier to follow…. But, when this isn’t possible, we should make sure our underlying approach is consistent.
So we should pay that back. But, when this isn’t possible, we should make sure our underlying approach is consistent. Share code, share designs, share … Organization. Share code, share designs, share ideas, share intentions, share failures. Listed below are their design principles. What unites things, therefore, should be a consistent approach — one that users will hopefully come to understand and trust — even as we move into new digital spaces.We should share what we’re doing whenever we can. GOV.UK Elements: is no longer maintained; will only be updated for major bug fixes and security patches; does not meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 level AA) accessibility standard; This framework will remain available in case you’re currently using it. Ten key design principles developed by the UK Government Digital Service to champion a culture that puts the user first and delivers the best, low-cost public services possible.Listed below are our design principles and examples of how weâve used them so far.Service design starts with identifying user needs. With colleagues, with users, with the world.
Design Principles for Digital Services - Ben Terrett and Mike Bracken This is one of the best resources I’ve seen in a very long time, and absolutely worth 20 or 30 minutes of your day to check out (and bookmark)! Don’t make assumptions. We’re designing for the whole country, not just the ones who are used to using the web. The UK government's design principles and examples of how they've been used. Let data drive decision-making, not hunches or guesswork. Are they only really familiar with Facebook? The people who most need our services are often the people who find them hardest to use. The people who most need our services are often the people who find them hardest to use. With colleagues, with users, with the world. The design process must start with identifying and thinking about real user needs. If we don’t work hard to make them simple and usable we’re abusing that power, and wasting people’s time.The best way to build effective services is to start small and iterate wildly.