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Challenge

Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC)
Transform Healthy Start into a digital apply service.
Take the service from Alpha (carried out by a different team) to Private Beta.
Make it quick and easy to apply for this welfare (passported) benefit on GOV.UK. 
Test the assumption that the name needed to change.
Explain clearly that vouchers were being replaced with a prepaid card and test understanding of new rules.
Advise on content strategy and produce end-to-end user-centred, accessible content. 

Showcases

Healthy Start 1
Healthy Start - naming a service (12)
Healthy Start 3
Healthy Start 4
Healthy Start 5
Healthy Start 6
Google search console
Guerilla testing
Accessible design
Redesigned
email HS
Proto testing
Finding the scheme
Healthy Start 8
RAG
Date
Healthy Start 9
NHS BSA

Guidance

1howitworks-min
3whatuget-min
4whatyoucanbuy-min
5usingyourcard-min
6apply4hs-min
Apply

Notifications

What I did

Led on content design in a multidisciplinary team of tech, policy, research and design specialists.
Quickly familiarised myself with research and designs from the Discovery and Alpha.
Advised on GOV.UK service naming conventions.
Checked users’ awareness of the Healthy Start scheme.
Analysed early research and carried out guerilla testing which highlighted awareness of the scheme.
Created a verb-led, keyword-loaded H1 (Get help to buy food and milk) to help users find the service and interact.
Created simple, plain English content including guidance, microcopy, error messages and notifications.
Worked with developers to understand legacy systems.
Co-designed prototypes, advising on layout, structure and instructional content.
Liaised with the Government Digital Service (GDS).
Applied the (GDS) style guide and design patterns.
Persuaded third-party prepaid card supplier Allpay to allow me to simplify their terms and communications.
Tested all new content and designs with users, checked understanding and iterated based on feedback.
Explained all research-backed content decisions to stakeholders via regular showcases.
Handed off content to the NHS Business Services Authority who took over the project and content.