The challenge
UK government services were spread across hundreds of confusing websites.
The case
Set up in 2011 after a review called for 'revolution, not evolution' in UK government online services, the Government Digital Service built GOV.UK, launched in 2012, to replace hundreds of separate department and agency websites. It used small in-house teams, plain language, open-source code and constant user testing, and published design principles other governments copied. GOV.UK won the Design Museum's Design of the Year award in 2013, and GDS-style units spread to the US, Australia and elsewhere.
Why it worked
Bringing digital skills in-house and designing around users rather than departments made services simpler. Its influence waned when central authority over departments weakened.
Sources
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