Iterative research cycles, accessibility inclusion and evidence for GDS alpha assessment

Context

I led user research for a public service undergoing a GDS Alpha assessment, supporting the service as it prepared to progress towards beta.

The work focused on validating early concepts, testing prototypes, and building a robust evidence base against assessment criteria.

Illustrative prioritisation matrix used following iterative, scenario-based user research (including accessibility participants) to support structured decision-making across alpha and into beta. The matrix helped teams distinguish best bets, low-hanging improvements, longer-term opportunities and lower-priority items. Content abstracted for confidentiality.

My role

Lead User Researcher, responsible for research planning, user recruitment, delivery of multiple research cycles, and stakeholder engagement.

Understanding the User Context

To ground the research in real-world context, I developed personas to capture behavioural patterns, responsibilities, and decision-making contexts across user groups. The example below illustrates one such role.

This persona is representative and anonymised, reflecting patterns observed across multiple research contexts rather than a single individual.

Approach

• Planned and delivered iterative research cycles
• Conducted remote prototype testing with users, including accessibility participants
• Worked closely with design and engineering to rapidly iterate between research cycles
• Supported prioritisation conversations with stakeholders, balancing quick wins with longer-term changes
• Research sessions were structured around clear goals for each scenario, supporting focused feedback, prioritisation discussions and shared understanding across the team

What we learned

• Early testing highlighted usability and comprehension issues that could be resolved quickly
• More complex changes were identified and sequenced for later MVP iterations