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Digital Team Principles

We are user led and make decisions based on data and insight​

  • Identify the users to focus on and understand their needs
  • Ensure we test our experiences with our users
  • Utilise research during discovery to ensure solutions address actual user needs
  • Provide access to insights and data to enable decision making
  • Help cross functional teams build empathy with our users

We create safe experiences for young people​

  • Ensure our digital eco-system makes safeguarding a priority
  • Adhere to our Data Collection Principles
  • Design using age-appropriate design principles
  • Be open and transparent with our users and our community
  • Celebrate and showcase the successes of young people

We create global experiences that support local needs​

  • Use data and research to understand the needs of our users in different locations around the world
  • Translate and localise content and experiences where possible
  • Use simple language that can be more easily understood by those whose first language isn’t English

We create learning experiences with impact​

  • Do not use addictive methods for engagement
  • Work closely with learning teams to ensure products meet learning aims
  • Be cautious when utilising social sharing or ratings systems
  • Bring together good usability practices along with learning design to create beneficial digital educational experiences

We make technology accessible and design for inclusivity​

  • Aim for WCAG AAA accessibility criteria in our digital eco-system
  • Support a range of technologies and hardware
  • Design and provide appropriate experiences for a wide variety of devices and browsers
  • Reduce bandwidth usage where possible
  • Provide offline tools and materials where it makes sense to do so
  • Use simple language and avoid jargon

Where possible we reuse components and patterns​

  • Reuse components and patterns across our eco-system
  • Use components tested with users
  • Use consistent patterns to reduce user’s cognitive load
  • Contribute to the design system for longer term efficiencies

We make an effort to reduce our environmental impact​

  • Measure the carbon footprint of our digital eco-system
  • Aim for an ‘A’ rating on the website carbon scale

We work collaboratively in cross-functional teams​

  • Ensure a range of stakeholders are involved in our processes
  • Get input from different perspectives

We foster learning and growth​

  • Share our work for input and feedback
  • Provide feedback to enable our colleagues to grow
  • Share learnings with others
  • Reflect on our successes and our learnings
  • Assume good intent

We experiment, learn and iterate​

  • Use discovery to gather needs and test hypothesis
  • Deliver value to users in each sprint
  • Learn from data, insights and our community and use that to optimise our experiences