Scenario-based research, multidisciplinary workshops, prioritisation and service-readiness insight

Context

I led user research for a secure UK public-sector digital transformation programme preparing for public beta. The service supported complex planning and assurance workflows, where users needed to understand roles, responsibilities, workflow status, evidence requirements and next actions.

The work sat within a highly regulated environment, requiring careful handling of user insight, accessibility considerations and close collaboration with delivery teams.

Abstracted research artefact showing how findings were captured and translated into design considerations.

My role

In my role as Lead User Researcher and UCD Chapter Lead, I supported both the delivery of the research and the wider alignment of HCD practice across the team. I was responsible for planning and delivering private beta research, facilitating multidisciplinary workshops, and translating insight into prioritised delivery actions.

Approach

• Planned and delivered scenario-based usability testing across the end-to-end service journey, covering multiple user roles and operational contexts
• Ran hands-on, in-person research sessions with defence users, including accessibility participants
• Used a combination of methods (scenarios, heat maps, UX canvases and prioritisation) to capture different types of evidence
• Worked closely with designers, engineers, QA and business analysts to align user insight with system behaviour and delivery constraints

To understand how users navigate complex workflows and decision points, I mapped end-to-end journeys across key roles. The example below illustrates one of the more complex user pathways, capturing interactions, dependencies, and moments of uncertainty.

User journey – simplified and anonymised for confidentiality.

This helped surface where users experienced friction, ambiguity, and increased cognitive load, particularly in relation to governance steps and system feedback.

What we learned

Across users and methods, consistent themes emerged around:

• Navigation, filtering and sorting
• Terminology, governance and clarity of mandated steps