The ten Principles are the foundation on which we build services for our users.
These principles have been put in place to allow us to work more effectively with each other, and colleagues across Sport Wales and the sector.
Never rely on assumptions. Find out who the users of the service are or would be and why they need the service. Talk to users and let their needs guide our design. We’re building services and solutions, not just products and websites. Solutions must meet evidenced user needs.
Further reading:
What do we mean by 'Service Design' - Government Digital Service User Need Statements – NN GroupGood solutions are sustainable solutions. We’ll ensure the right people and resources are in place to see services and products supported over the long-term. Sustainability also means ensuring our services meet long-term user needs.
Further reading:
User-centred Practices for Sustainable Technology - MadeTechWe’ll use resources like user interviews, metrics, data insight and research to guide our decision-making. Again, don’t rely on assumptions and use all the available evidence. We’ll use creative ways of finding insight to understand needs if evidence doesn’t exist.
Further reading:
What is User Research? - Interaction Design FoundationDesigning successful services needs people with all different types of skills. From content design, product management, service design, subject matter experts and digital development; all contributions are valued and needed. We’ll value diversity of background and opinion.
Further reading:
Digital Transformation Is Not About Technology – Harvard Business ReviewWe’ll deliver services that are accessible to all, regardless of disability, digital literacy or social background. We’ll design our services in Welsh and English. When creating for the web, we’ll be guided by accessibility best practices and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). We’ll make transitions between physical, offline, and digital services smooth, leaving no users behind.
Further reading:
Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies Digital accessibility: best practice essentials - Government Communication ServiceNew services work with or enhance our infrastructure and can be built on over time. They’re based on open standards and the cloud. They avoid dependencies on a single vendor and can be integrated with other software by design.
Further reading:
What is the Cloud? - Cloudflare Government Cloud-First Policy – GOV.UK Open source vs Open standards - IBMBy openly and regularly sharing our work with colleagues, partners, the public sector and the sports sector, we can gain feedback and keep pushing ourselves. We'll share our successes and our failures.
Further reading:
The benefits of coding in the open – Government Digital ServiceCreate. Test. Change. Then test again. We’ll take small steps often, releasing early live solutions and testing them with users. This process is sometimes called ‘iterating’, and it’ll be a guiding principle for how we produce solutions over the long term.
Further reading:
User Testing: The Ultimate Guide - HubspotWe’ll respond to feedback, user needs, and insight as we go. We’ll start with the problem we’re trying to solve, and not rush to find a solution. We’ll rise to shifting needs and meet change with an open mind.
Further reading:
A Quick Guide to Agile - CDPS Sport Wales Design Sprint Blog - Perago