What shapes design work for the British market
Several UK regulators have published what they expect a fair interface to look like. That makes the brief unusually concrete: much of what good practice suggests elsewhere is written down here.
| Topic | What it means for your product | Decide early |
|---|---|---|
| Accessibility | The Equality Act expects reasonable adjustments for disabled users of any service. In the public sector the bar is explicit: WCAG 2.2 at Level AA, with a published accessibility statement, for websites and for mobile apps | The level you design to, and how it will be evidenced |
| Public sector standards | Central government services are built and assessed against the government's Service Standard, and most use the GOV.UK Design System. Health services have an equivalent in the NHS design system | Whether your product will face a service assessment |
| Consent screens | The data protection regulator expects a cookie banner to make rejecting as easy as accepting, and marketing opt-ins to start unticked. Services likely to be used by children default to high privacy under the Children's Code | Who signs off consent wording and layout |
| Fair pricing and urgency | Consumer law bans drip pricing and false urgency, such as a countdown that is not real. The competition regulator has studied how page design steers choices and can fine companies directly | Every place a price, a timer or a stock message appears |
| Financial services | Under the Consumer Duty, regulated firms have to show that customers can understand what they are offered and are not obstructed when they want to cancel or switch. Journeys and wording are part of the evidence | Whether the Duty applies, and who records design decisions |
| British conventions | Dates run day, month, year. Addresses start from a postcode lookup. Spelling is British, and the word is enquiry. Small details like these tell users the product was made for them | Who reviews copy and formats before release |
Design work we do for British products
Four engagements that suit how UK teams buy design.
Bespoke product design
For teams building a new product or replacing an old one.
- Discovery with stakeholders and users
- Journeys and structure agreed
- Interface designed in components
- Prototype tested
- Specifications written
- Handover to developers
Designing to the Service Standard
For suppliers building services for government departments and agencies.
- User needs researched
- Prototype built from design system patterns
- Tested with users, including assistive technology users
- Evidence prepared for assessment
- Design iterated after feedback
Consent and cookie journey
For any product that collects data or sends marketing.
- Current banner and sign-up screens reviewed
- Accept and reject given equal weight
- Opt-ins set to off
- Wording simplified
- Preference centre designed
UX audit of a customer journey
For firms that need to show their journeys are fair and clear.
- Journey walked end to end
- Friction on the way out compared with the way in
- Pricing and urgency messages checked
- Findings ranked
- Fixes designed and prioritised
What we design
Research and testing
Interviews and usability sessions with people drawn from your users, including people who rely on assistive technology.
Bespoke interface design
Custom screens and components for web and mobile, drawn for your service instead of adapted from a kit.
Accessible patterns
Components specified to WCAG 2.2 AA, with focus, contrast, target size and error behaviour written down for developers.
Fair journeys
Sign-up, pricing, renewal and cancellation flows designed so that the customer can see, understand and change their choice.
UX audits
A structured review of an existing journey with ranked findings, described on our UX audit services page.
Handover pack
Design files, a component library, specifications and a recorded walkthrough, listed in the proposal so procurement knows what is being bought.
What we need from you
- The service or product, and who it is for
- Any standards your buyers require, such as the Service Standard
- Access to users for research, or agreement to recruit
- Existing research, analytics and complaints data
- The developers or supplier who will build from the designs
Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
A readiness checklist for a UK design project
Before design starts
0 of 8 checkedDeciding between a kit and a system? Our comparison of a design system and a UI kit sets out what each gives you.
What to do next
Tell us about the service, its users and any standards your buyers hold you to. We will reply with the engagement we would suggest, what we would research first and what the handover would contain. Start a conversation or book a 30-minute call.
Common questions
Do private companies have to meet WCAG in the UK?
No statute names WCAG for the private sector. The Equality Act does require service providers to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, and a product that cannot be used with a keyboard or a screen reader is hard to defend under it. For the public sector the requirement is WCAG 2.2 at Level AA. Most private organisations adopt the same level, since it is the one buyers and auditors recognise.
We supply the public sector. Which design standards apply?
For central government services, the Service Standard and, in most cases, the GOV.UK Design System, with a service assessment before launch. For health, the NHS service manual and design system. For all public bodies, accessibility to WCAG 2.2 AA and a published statement. Local authorities and other bodies often follow the same patterns by choice. Ask your buyer which assessment, if any, the service will face.
Is bespoke design worth it over a template or UI kit?
A kit gets a simple product to market quickly, and for an internal tool that may be all you need. Bespoke design earns its cost when the journey is specific to your service, when accessibility and regulatory evidence matter, or when the brand has to be recognisable. A common route is custom design built on a well-chosen component library, which keeps both speed and distinctiveness.
What is in the handover?
Editable design files, the component library with its documentation, specifications for developers, accessibility notes, research findings and a recorded walkthrough. Where a service assessment is planned, we include the evidence gathered for it. The proposal lists these items before work starts, so that procurement can compare suppliers like for like. Ownership and licensing terms are defined in the project agreement.
Where to go from here
Related serviceUI/UX DesignInterface design that engineers can actually build