User journeys for servicesSean WalshSophy Colbert

GDSSean

Why do people use a service?

GDSSean

They have to do something?

● They have to for their job● A letter told them they have to● A court's told them they have to

GDSSean

Or they want to…

GDSSean

OPGSophy

How do people find a service?

OPGSophy

● organic search (usually good)● internal search (sometimes not good)● direct (risky)● referral (expectations may not be met)

OPGSophy

User research tells content designers:● what people do before they start● what else they are doing at the time● why they read - has something gone

wrong?

OPGSophy

● laptop/desktop (mostly focused on the task in hand)

● mobile/tablet (almost certainly multi-tasking)

Where do content designers come in?

GDSSean

Good content from the start

Research early, influence early

GDSSean

Talk to GDS (early)● what have you found out?● how should your service link to

GOV.UK content?

GDSSean

Inside the service

GDSSean

How do people fail?They haven’t got somethingThey don’t know what to enter

GDSSean

OPGSophy

When things go wrong...

...people pick up the phone

OPGSophy

Contact centre calls can tell us a lot:● what went wrong● why it went wrong

But content centre staff are under pressure to finish calls quickly

OPGSophy

A small group of super users can:● spend more time on the phone with

people● talk about user journeys to the

business

● Letters● Forms● Emails● Text messages

Part of the journey too, so let’s make sure they’re clear

GDSSean

Test these things too

Put them in front of people if you have lab time

GDSSean

GDSSean

GDSSean

GDSSean

Do you need to slow people down?What do you need to tell them?Are you sure they’re on the right journey?

GDSSean

GDSSean

GDSSean

Build trust

Reassure people

GDSSean

Tracking

“Where’s my thing” is the reason people call…

GDSSean

But it’s a problem when an organisation hates giving waiting times

GDSSean

GDSSean

GDSSean

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GDSSean

OPGSophy

Talking to communications about user journeys:● media coverage● outward comms/marketing

OPGSophy

Talking to ‘the business’ about user journeys:● push back on requirements● eliminate opinion● it’s interesting!

OPGSophy

Journey complete!