GOV Interaction Designer - Accessible Public Services

Our client is looking for an Interaction Designer to join their design practice and work on public sector digital services. You'll design the flows, states, content structure and interaction patterns that make government services usable and accessible to everyone: including people with low digital confidence; low literacy; or who rely on assistive technology. Working within GDS-aligned delivery teams (Discovery, Alpha, Beta, Live) you’ll be expected to represent and defend your design decisions at Service Assessments.

Due to our client’s customers being predominantly UK government, strong working knowledge of the  Design System (GDS), the Service Standard, and the Service Manual is essential; you'll be applying these daily, not just referencing them occasionally.

• Design end-to-end user journeys and interaction patterns for government services, from Discovery through to Live, following the GDS service design process.
• Work within the  Design System, using and proposing extensions to existing patterns and components.
• Translate user research findings and content design into interaction flows, wireframes and prototypes (paper through to coded HTML prototypes).
• Design for accessibility as a baseline, not an afterthought, ensuring services meet WCAG 2.2 AA and work well with assistive technologies.
• Collaborate closely with user researchers, content designers, service designers and developers in agile, multidisciplinary delivery teams.
• Prepare and present work at GDS Service Assessments (and departmental equivalents).
• Facilitate design workshops and crits with both design colleagues and non-design civil service stakeholders.
• Contribute back to the GDS / departmental pattern libraries where new patterns are identified.
• Support pre-sales and proposal work, articulating the client's design approach to prospective public sector customers.
• Proven experience as an interaction/product designer working on UK government or public sector digital services, or a strong, demonstrable understanding of GDS ways of working.
• Experience designing within, or contributing to, the  Design System or a similar structured pattern library.
• Experience working in agile, multidisciplinary teams (designers, researchers, developers, POs, delivery managers).
• Experience presenting at, or preparing teams for, Service Assessments.
• Understanding of accessibility legislation relevant to public sector (Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018) and practical WCAG 2.2 AA implementation.
• Proficiency in Figma (or other relevant tooling) for design and prototyping; comfort building or adapting  Design System components.
• Ability to design and prototype in HTML/CSS using the  Frontend where useful for higher-fidelity testing.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills.