User-centred
design

As an accessibility specialist you will be the voice of disabled users. You’ll provide support, advice and guidance about how to create accessible digital services for everyone.

You’ll test services with screen readers and other assistive tools, check they meet legal requirements, and help teams build accessibility in from the start.

You might suit this role if you:

• are curious about the different ways people use technology
• care about making services that work for everyone
• enjoy problem-solving and finding practical solutions

Where you could start

You could start as a junior accessibility specialist. Or you could join through an apprenticeship, graduate scheme, or by moving from a testing or research role. This is also a good career change if you have experience working with disabled people.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior or lead accessibility specialist. Some accessibility specialists also move into service design, user research or become accessibility consultants.

A content designer makes information and services easy for people to find, understand and use. You will decide what content is needed, where it should appear and what format works best for users. 

You’ll work closely with user researchers and other designers to make sure content meets user needs.

You might suit this role if you:

• find yourself rewriting things to make them clearer
• like working out why people struggle with information and how to fix it
• are curious about how people read, search and make decisions

Where you could start

You could start as an associate or junior content designer. 

Many content designers come from writing, editing, teaching or communications backgrounds. But this is also a good career change if you’re used to making complex information easy to follow.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior content designer or lead content designer.  Many content designers also move into service design, content strategy or leadership roles.

A graphic designer makes government services clear and easy to understand visually. You’ll work with layout, colour, type and icons so that content is readable and people can understand what they need to do.

You’ll make sure services look consistent across different screens and devices, working alongside interaction designers and content designers.

You might suit this role if you:

• enjoy working visually and have a good eye for detail
• like making complex information clear and simple
• are interested in how design choices affect the way people understand things

Where you could start

You could start as an associate or junior graphic designer. 

A background in graphic design, visual communication or a related creative subject is common. But you could also move across from another design or communications role.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior graphic designer, lead graphic designer or head of graphic design. Some graphic designers also move into interaction design or broader service design roles.

An interaction designer designs government services that are easy to use. You’ll decide how a service flows from start to finish and design what users see and do at each step. 

You’ll sketch ideas, build prototypes and test them with real users to make sure services are simple and easy to use.

You might suit this role if you:

• like solving problems by thinking about how people will use something
• enjoy sketching, prototyping or building things to test ideas
• want to understand what makes some services easy to use and others frustrating

Where you could start

You could start as an associate or junior interaction designer. 

Many interaction designers have a background in design, web development or a related subject. But this could also be a good choice if you have experience creating or improving digital products.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior interaction designer, lead interaction designer or head of interaction design. Some interaction designers also move into service design or product management.

A service designer looks at how an entire service works, from the moment someone needs it to the point where they’ve finished using it. You’ll map out every step a user goes through and find ways to make the whole experience better. That includes the parts that happen offline or across different teams. 

You’ll bring together evidence from user research, data and policy to design services that meet both user needs and government goals.

You might suit this role if you:

• think about the bigger picture and how different parts of a system connect
• enjoy working with people from different teams to solve problems
• are curious about why services work well or badly for the people using them

Where you could start

You could start as an associate or junior service designer. 

Many service designers have a background in design, research, policy or project management. This is also a common career move for experienced content designers or interaction designers.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior service designer, lead service designer or head of service design. Some service designers also move into strategic roles, programme management or policy design.

A user researcher finds out what people need from government services and how they experience them. You’ll plan and run research activities, such as interviews, usability tests and surveys, to build a deep understanding of users. 

Your findings will shape how services are designed, built and improved. You’ll share what you learn with your team so that decisions are based on evidence about real users.

You might suit this role if you:

• enjoy talking to people and understanding their experiences
• are good at finding patterns in what people say and do
• want to make sure decisions are based on evidence, not assumptions

Where you could start

You could start as an associate or junior user researcher. 

People come into user research from a range of backgrounds, including social research, psychology and the social sciences. It’s also a good career change if you have experience gathering and interpreting evidence about how people behave.

Where it can lead

You could progress to senior user researcher, lead user researcher or head of user research. Some user researchers also move into service design, product management or research leadership roles.