Design patterns for government services: A community, not a library
at Interaction 16
Type
talk
Explains how GOV.UK shares emerging design practices across teams to improve consistency without making every service identical.
People
John Waterworth
Methods
Design SystemsA design system combines reusable interface elements with guidance that helps teams apply them consistently. Establish shared styles, components and patterns for recurring user tasks, document their intended use, and provide libraries that designers and developers can maintain together. Use it when multiple teams or products repeatedly solve similar interface problems. Reuse established elements, review updates to shared libraries, and contribute improvements informed by research. A useful system supports consistent decisions and reduces duplicated work while continuing to evolve.