Context

A central platform is used to receive and route formal documents linked to ongoing work across government teams. These documents carry operational and legal weight, and need to be handled quickly and correctly.

Over time, the system became fragmented. Teams relied on workarounds and local knowledge. This led to:

• Documents being missed or misrouted

• Unclear ownership and next steps

• Inconsistent usability and accessibility

• Heavy reliance on individual experience

My role

I led design across the product, working with three product groups, six engineering teams, and six designers.

My focus was the document inbox and report viewing experience, while shaping the wider system and direction. I;

• Led discovery with operational and policy stakeholders

• Mapped how documents move through the system

• Set the design direction across teams

• Worked closely with product and engineering to align decisions

• Raised the standard for accessibility and usability

Key work

Treated the inbox as a service, not a screen

The inbox was originally seen as a UI problem. I repositioned it as part of a wider operational system, with dependencies before and after it.

This helped teams design for how the system actually works.

Made routing and decision-making visible

I led user research to map how documents move through the system, including roles, rules, and failure points.

This gave teams a shared understanding and helped engineering make better decisions earlier.

Designed a clearer, more usable interface

I redesigned the inbox to make it easier to:

• Scan and prioritise documents

• Understand status and ownership

• Take action with confidence

The focus was on real use, not ideal scenarios.

Held the line on quality under pressure

The work had to be delivered quickly. I made sure usability and accessibility were not compromised as the product scaled.

Impact

• Increased assessment speed by 26%

• Fewer routing errors and less reliance on workarounds

• Improved confidence in handling documents

• A more consistent and accessible experience

• A foundation that can evolve without redesigning the system

  
  

Reflection

This wasn’t about redesigning a screen. It was about making an invisible system clear enough for people to trust and use properly.

The work sat across design, systems thinking, and team alignment. Getting that right mattered as much as the interface itself.

Confidentiality note

This project has been simplified due to the sensitive nature of the work.