When I arrived, applicants for flood defence funding were struggling with a 350-column spreadsheet that virtually everyone got wrong. I translated this into an online journey with integrated help text, acknowledging that these applications evolve over years rather than days. The impact wasn't just administrative. It meant communities at risk of flooding could access vital protection without navigating an unnecessarily complex process.

Creating effective counter-fraud measures presents a unique challenge: how do you gather the information needed for background checks without arousing suspicion or creating undue anxiety? Working with the Cabinet Office, I designed interfaces that collected crucial verification data in ways that felt natural and unobtrusive. This delicate balance between security requirements and user experience meant that legitimate applicants could navigate the process smoothly while still allowing for effective fraud detection. The project was praised by Downing Street as a 'star performer in the UK government's Covid-19 response' and won the Game-Changer Trophy in a high-profile hackathon.

In those early days of Universal Credit, I was often the only voice in the room advocating for plain English and user-centred design. Government systems have historically put the burden of understanding on citizens rather than taking responsibility for clarity. By challenging each piece of jargon and questioning every data request, we created a service that worked with people rather than against them at a time of financial vulnerability.