“Having open channels of communication with colleagues helps me to foster a network of support and trust, enabling me to make effective decisions based on my findings.”
Mike Harrison, Content Designer
What is your role at HM Land Registry?
I’m a Content Designer. My primary goal is to create content that is easy to understand and helps people use our services efficiently. I have worked on end-to-end user journeys and individual content pieces for various digital products and services, creating content for both external and internal services. Currently, I am focused on enhancing end-to-end user journeys for HM Land Registry’s internal delivery systems. You can also find some of my external content across GOV.UK.
What skills do you need to be a Content Designer?
Being a Content Designer involves more than interpreting and creating user-friendly content. It requires collaboration with others to understand user needs and build relationships with various teams and stakeholders. We work in agile environments, so you must be proactive, capable of delivering at pace, use problem-solving skills and be adaptable to change.
Having open channels of communication with colleagues helps me to foster a network of support and trust, enabling me to make effective decisions based on my findings.
Tell us about any projects you’re working on now.
I’m currently working on a project to design and build a new system called Application Processing. My work assists our Service Delivery colleagues in processing applications to update the Land Register. Applications received by HM Land Registry vary from simple ownership transfers to more complex changes in ownership.
When designing any new system, particularly one of this scale, we often encounter technical limitations and make compromises. This is a significant project with many intriguing problems to solve, and we collaborate closely with the team and our users to find solutions. Our most recent work has involved the introduction of a ‘Check your answers’ feature.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I usually begin with our daily stand-up. I work with a multidisciplinary team consisting of a delivery manager, a product owner, designers, user researchers, developers, testers and business analysts. We use the stand-up to share updates on our current work and identify any blockers that may hinder our progress.
I work closely with our interaction designers and user researchers. We regularly share our progress through discussions and workshops, especially when prototyping for user testing.
My job is varied, and no two days are ever the same. I participate in user research sessions, update content, engage with my content community and attend design community workshops. These workshops range from showcase sessions to feedback discussions about our work. They provide a safe and welcoming environment to exchange ideas and learn from each other, and they are an excellent way to enhance my problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
What’s the best thing about being a Content Designer?
I enjoy user testing and observing how our users engage with the designs and products we’ve developed. We conduct this both online and in person. It allows us to pinpoint problems and challenges, validate or challenge assumptions, identify patterns and commonalities, and clarify user needs, goals and mental models.
Another highlight of my role is being part of the design community and the people at HM Land Registry. The design community is a supportive network of service, interaction and content designers who collaborate on various projects that enhance both internal and external services. Our team of content designers regularly meet to discuss our work, share ideas, offer critiques and develop solutions together. This opportunity to share and collaborate enables us to work more effectively as a team.
What made you want to work for HM Land Registry?
Buying a house is one of life’s most significant milestones. It’s an exciting yet often stressful process. I know this first hand after recently purchasing a home myself. I am always motivated to make a meaningful impact, both personally and professionally. With HM Land Registry’s forward-thinking vision of becoming the world’s leading land registry, it felt like the perfect fit for me. I want to contribute to this vision, and I’m eager to be part of shaping the future of our services that will truly support our users.
HM Land Registry has an excellent and supportive community of designers, so I knew that having the opportunity to be part of this community would enable me to enhance my skills and experience and progress my career. It also offers excellent benefits, sports and social activities and a flexible working policy, which helps me maintain a good work-life balance.