Fresh pot of tea edition
Last issue: Oct 2021
About Paul
Paul Smith is an experienced interaction designer from Manchester, UK.
He is currently a Senior Interaction Designer at the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
How I like to work
With user research
Understanding people, their needs and context is critical to my work as a designer. We can have more confidence in our work when it is informed by user research, especially reseach we have taken part in.
In the open
The sooner you share, the sooner mistakes are spotted, ideas are refined and people are included.
Collaboratively
Better ideas and solutions to problems are found by working with (not only for) users and colleagues.
Inclusively
It should be important to all designers that their work does not exclude people with different physical, mental health, social, cultural or learning needs.
Work history
A breif rundown of my recent career history. Full details can be found on my LinkedIn profile.
2021 until Present
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Senior Interaction Designer with the 'Digital Land' team working to make land and housing data easier to find, use and trust.
2019 until 2021
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
Paul spent two years as lead designer at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, where he helped to build their new in-house digital service design team.
2017 until 2019
Well Pharmacy
The first designer hired for a newly established digital department within the UK's largest independant pharmacy business.
Working with senior leadership, Paul helped to hire the team, shaped their approach to design and to quickly build and test their riskiest ideas and assumptions with users.
2015 until 2017
The Department for Work and Pensions
Front-end Development for DWP Digital (formerly Business Transformation Group) within the Department for Work & Pensions.
Paul worked within a large multidisciplinary design team. Following 'User Centred Design' principles to design end-to-end services that benefit both citizens and government.
Working closely with the Government Digital Service (GDS) and other lead Front-end developers within the department to champion progressively enhanced, accessible and efficient digital services.