Mat Walker

After spending the last 6-12 months successfully making the case for a central team to improve, grow, and maintain the MoJ Design System, I've now written about why I think we need one even though we have the GOV.UK Design System. The writing is part of the Reuse by Design series where Nikola Goger and Martin Ford-Downes are making a case for a share + reuse infrastructure in government and how to implement reuse by design.

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My first blog post! Take a look at the similarities between goldsmithing and user research 👩‍🏭 👩‍💻  I'd love to hear your thoughts

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Interesting article on rethinking the role of UX Teams. https://lnkd.in/eN7SQHEm #design #designthinking #designbuild #designstrategy #product #producctdesign #productmanagement #productstrategy #designprinciples #innovation #designers #digitaltransformation #ux #uxdesign #uiux #uidesign #designinnovation #application #software #softwaredesign #usability #userresearch #research #usercentereddesign #productleadership #uxwriting #designsystems #empathy #interfacedesign #usabilitytesting #userexperience #productdesign #accessibility #ui

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Accessibility is getting more important in websites. Let me or us know if you would like an accessibility audit done on your website.

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I'm in a UR, UX bubble, so I have a question about life outside... Do other specialisms in technology, for example Business Analysts or Solution Architects to name but two, debate the merits or otherwise of using AI in their work as much as the UR and UX folk? If they do, can someone point me to some points of view from outside my bubble. (if only I could be bothered to make an AI image of me in a bubble to illustrate this post.)

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I went to my first UX Architect team meeting at BBC UX&D for a few years last week and it inspired me to revisit some information architecture ideas... mainly the idea of 'concurrent information architecture'. I'm still not convinced it's a real thing... maybe it depends on where you draw the boundary of an architecture... but I do think considering the points of overlap, interaction and integration between systems, at the information architecture level, is one way to build better products and services. #informationarchitecture

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If your main metric for success for design systems is measuring adoption, then consider this: Adoption does not equal value. Value is better communicated by money saving or money generated when it comes to organisations. This can be calculated by time savings for example. Adoption only tells you how much it is being used - without the former you cannot realise the scale of value. #designsystems #design #designmatrics

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I've been working on some service design patterns with Dave Skinner for his project Design Patterns for social housing - https://lnkd.in/eC9p5RRv A service design map is often inaccessible - the designers will have worked hard to capture all the stages but the map will be a PDF or a diagram which doesn't easily resize to fit your phone. Your audience can't resize the text. It can't be read by screen reader software, either. As a solution: try making the map into an HTML table with two columns. For a mobile view, make each row resemble a card. Sorted! 😎 Hire interaction designers to find ways of putting content online. 😇 Transcript: 1. A numbered service stage with a representative icon Describe the stage in detail. Capture any pain points and improvement ideas. "Include verbatim quotes from research." Optional: include an emoji for how the person is feeling at this stage. Backstage - a policy or legal factor (grey) Backstage - a technical factor, such as a database (green) Time-based process (blue) Pain point or blocker (pink)

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Looking back at my 2025 UX predictions piece - the section on the need for adaptability really captures a key challenge: that AI is redefining what it means to do our job. Listen to my thoughts here #UX https://lnkd.in/e2VdTGqW

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🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Are you coming to UX Scotland? 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 People have asked me recently what UX Scotland is like. And although I am very biased I think what makes this conference so great for me is: ➡️ Variety Our program covers a broad range of talks, workshops and discussions on subjects aligned with user-centred design and research. There’s something for everyone, no matter how you want to participate on the day or what you are interested in learning. It always blows me away to see such breadth and depth of expertise. And talking of expertise.. ➡️ Expertise The quality of submissions has grown year on year. As our professions have grown and matured and into new areas and roles, what we’re talking about has too. From the practical to the thought-provoking , it’s wonderful to hear from and engage with people who are so passionate about their area of expertise they want to share it with others. ➡️ Connection As a small conference you really get the opportunity to connect and engage with the other participants, speakers and the keynotes in a meaningful way that you wouldn’t at some very large conferences. ➡️ Community Over the last 9 years we have developed an incredible community of local, national and international participants and its always lovely to connect with them and exchange ideas. ➡️ Immersion Spending three whole days (or just the one if that’s what you can manage) immersed in the bubble of user centred design is brilliant. Being able to focus on taking it all in, pondering your work and career without the distractions of day to day life is such a pleasure. What do you think? Do you agree? And more importantly, are you joining us next month? 🎟️ Tickets available at https://lnkd.in/eUdqNC4s 🩷 And you can use the code 15Jen to get a discount 🩷

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With ↗️ links out to interesting conversations and resources—Steve Messer on how “It’s OK for [UK #Government] departments to have their own #DesignSystem”. https://lnkd.in/ePY5jE6j I agree in principle with the valid points raised in discussions linked to this post. My main concern with the various Department-specific Design Systems (https://lnkd.in/ez85MBs7) built over the years is it's often not clear how the 🔙 upstream process works. How often do these local systems merge helpful patterns back into the main GovUK Design System? And how easy is it to do so? 🤔

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How do you incorporate user feedback in the design process? Various perspectives including my own in this article from UX Design: https://lnkd.in/ezDFtRSJ #uxdesign #uxstrategy #Userresearch

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As designers we don’t need to own to have impact A lot of our skillsets and value lie: - in the facilitation - in collaboration - in being the glue, the playmakers - in helping to enable impact, efficiencies and value It is partly why there is so much grey area around the CDO role (I think) Whether driving a transformation or building a product, there’s always value in Design being involved But we don’t need to be in the driving seat We can be the supporting actor rather than the star of the show Many will be thinking, ‘well we are just fighting to have that voice at all’ It’s fair But the reality is that shouting louder won’t make you more clearly understood Sometimes you need to play the long game Figure out what those where you want to be care about Pick them off one by one to build trust and advocacy Give them value, so they are the ones to ask why you are not in the room If that happens enough, you’ll be invited in I think I’ve said before Design (in most cases) should be in the room Not because our ideas are better but because they are different 🖤 #Design #Leadership #DesignLeadership

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Many organisations create inclusive personas to represent disabled people. I know the UK Government's Digital Service do, and they are people who really know what they're doing. But ... these artefacts tend to focus on the disability, and the assistive technology people use to overcome barriers. Not so much on who they are, their goals, and what they're trying to achieve with their businesses and their lives. On people as people. Just, y'know, peopling. We've done lots of research over the years with disabled people who run, or are in positions of authority in businesses. It's obvious that disabled people are under-represented in the upper echelons of business because of the cultural, physical, and technological barriers they face. The statistics tell us that with barely any interrogation at all. It's equally obvious that the people we do talk to – who have managed to create and sustain successful businesses despite these barriers – embody a selection bias. They've already been able to overcome those hurdles. Nevertheless, I think context matters – and in some contexts, focusing on what people can't do is less important than highlighting what they go out and do anyway, despite all the difficulties they face up to every day. Anyway, I wrote up some thoughts on how to include some #accessibility pointers into #personas without making them the main focus. (And, yes, I use gender-neutral names and pronouns for our personas. None of our research has revealed any significant difference between them.) https://lnkd.in/edbnZGQp

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Do you know why UK Startups Are Investing in Professional UI/UX Audits? Picture this: I have launched a product. I’ve built it, and marketed it, but something’s off. Users aren’t engaging the way I hoped. Is it my idea? My marketing? What is it? For many startups, the answer lies in the UI/UX. Sometimes, it’s not the design but how users experience it. A professional audit is like a health check for a website or app. Experts analyze the user journey, identify friction points, and highlight areas causing frustration or confusion. Why UI/UX is a game-changer for startups like mine? 1. User Retention: An audit reveals what’s working and what’s not, ensuring we don’t lose potential customers due to poor design choices. 2. Boost Conversion Rates: Small changes, like simplifying navigation or optimizing buttons, can drastically improve conversion rates. 3. Stay Competitive: A polished, seamless user experience often decides whether users choose us or the competition. Investing in a UI/UX audit doesn’t just improve the product, it shows customers that we care about their experience. If you're looking for a comprehensive UI/UX audit, UIUX.STUDIO is here to help. We provide in-depth evaluations to enhance your user experience and design efficiency. Book a call with us: https://lnkd.in/dtE-2mwD Visit our website: https://uiux.studio/ #UIUX #CustomerExperience

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I think there may be some confusion about the difference or similarities between rapid research, rolling research, continuous research, iterative research and probably a bunch of other [insert prefix] research. In an attempt to unravel the confusion and learn about each of these, I have embarked on a new interview series. My first guest was Amanda Gelb and amongst other things, she told me all about setting up a Rapid Research program at Lyft. You can find the interview on our website and also on our YouTube channel: https://lnkd.in/ew6Uqmix If you have a story to tell about setting up an innovative program of research, I would love to hear from you. #uxresearch #userresearch #ux247

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Last week I put out a call to arms around entry level roles in UCD/Service Design. Here’s a summary of what I think could help next year: 🧠 Sharing knowledge: People writing more about what their organisations are doing and sharing this so others can borrow their approach. Rachel Bucknall committed to doing this, it would also be great to hear from Simon M. re the apprenticeship at HMRC. 📧 Visibility of roles: Matt Jukes has committed to sharing more entry level roles in his jobs newsletter but we need to send them to him. Let’s not avalanche him so maybe if you see something on here tag Matt. I’ll be sending anything I see his way directly.  ✏️ Opportunities to get project experience: It sounds like Adam Haesler is running a great initiative in this space and I will be personally exploring how I can offer shadowing opportunities next year. I’d be keen to hear from any other freelancers who are up for doing this alongside me. I also think there is room here for the design agencies out there to be offering (paid) placements.  💬 Access to advice: I’ve been running free walk n talks for people looking to get into the industry for years now. It looks like other freelancers like Ella Botting are keen to replicate this model and I’d love others to borrow it too. 👨‍💻 Shifting procurement: This is a biggie but a key part of the puzzle that Martin Wright, David Robson and Ray Newman brought up. Building this in as a procurement criteria, changing the narrative between suppliers and clients and agencies taking the hit were all mentioned as solutions. Things are not going to change over night, I recognise this. However it’s heartening to see the conversation start to shift from problems to solutions. I do think this is a drop in the ocean however, and some key voices are missing. So, how do we continue to make progress in this space? Do I need to ‘run a thing’ next year?! #servicedesign #ucd #entrylevel

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