The Citizen Experience Theatre at DigiGov Expo 2025 hosted a frank and wide-ranging discussion on the future of user-centred design in government. Moderated by Nadira Hussein, Chief Executive at Socitm, the session featured a highly experienced panel comprising Eddie Copeland, Director of the London Office of Technology and Innovation; Jeremy Davis, Head of User-Centred Design at HM Revenue & Customs; Kamal Bal, Digital Director at the Ministry of Justice; and Laura Yarrow, Head of Design for GOV.UK at the Government Digital Service (GDS).
The core of the discussion centred on the challenges of moving government from simply 'doing' digital, that is, digitising existing services, to truly 'being' digital by adopting a fundamentally user-centred, "outside-in" approach.
Speakers agreed that public sector complexity often presents a unique barrier. While in the private sector, design teams can freely innovate, the public sector must often design around legacy policy and legislation, necessitating a shift where design expertise is brought in early to influence policy creation, not merely implementation. A recurring theme was the difficulty in defining a truly user-centric service when the user themselves cannot articulate what is possible. The goal, it was argued, must be to address deep, unmet needs rather than just making current processes slightly quicker.
The conversation moved swiftly to the need for organisational transformation, noting that technical capability alone is insufficient. For design to be effective, it must be supported by a culture that prioritises outcomes over internal process efficiency. This led to a substantial debate on measurement. Panellists advocated for moving beyond simple metrics, such as transaction completion rates, to focusing on true user outcomes, reduction in ‘failure demand’ (when citizens must contact government repeatedly), and the efficiency savings for the service provider side.
Several speakers highlighted the value of cross-government collaboration, particularly in standardising shared design components and infrastructure. The development of shared tools and a common language across departments was considered crucial for achieving a consistently high quality of service and accelerating transformation across Whitehall.
In conclusion, the panel expressed confidence that the public service landscape will inevitably transform into one that is user-centred and outside-in. This transformation is being driven less by internal mandate and more by external pressures—rising public expectations, the increasing complexity of life, and economic shifts like the growth of the gig economy. It was ultimately framed as a long-term journey, not a single, revolutionary event, requiring constant, incremental improvements guided by deep user understanding.
The session successfully underlined the consensus that design is not a luxury layer applied at the end of a project, but the foundational principle of a modern, effective state.