Our principles
Our aim is to create great digital services that can used by as many people as possible.
To do this, we have come up with a set of principles we uphold when creating content, building websites or developing new online processes.
1. We put our customers first
Our websites and services are for our customers not for us. People visit us for a reason. Perhaps they want to pay, apply or report something or are simply looking for a specific piece of information. Our websites and digital services are designed to make sure that they can do this.
2. We understand our customers' needs
We believe that when designing services or content, it's essential that we learn about the people who will be using it. Otherwise, we could be developing the wrong thing. That's why getting to know our audience, through user research and testing, is a key part of all our projects. We use research to test our services and assumptions so we can focus on solving the problem in a way that meets our users' needs.
3. We protect users' privacy
We should only collect and store information we need to effectively run services. We should never ask for people to provide information about themselves unless we need it. We store personal information securely and in a way that respects their privacy. If we no longer require a users' data, we should no longer store this information and ensure it is deleted in a secure way.
4. We create accessible services
Our services should be accessible to everyone. This includes people with disabilities or other legally protected characteristics. As well as people who don't have internet access or those who lack the skills or confidence to use it. While we create easy to use online services that can be used by as many people as possible, we need to offer alternatives such as telephone and face-to-face interactions so we can help everyone.
5. We use agile ways of working
We use agile, iterative user-centred methods. This means we develop services and get people to use them as quickly as possible, giving us the time and opportunities to improve and iterate the service based on research. This reduces the risk of spending time developing the wrong thing, or developing something that no longer meets user needs after a period of time.
6. We always keep improving
Our website and services are never finished. Through data and user research we continually update and improve. User needs can change over time so we need to check and update our services to stay relevant. It's more than basic maintenance though, sometimes improvements can be large and and substantial.
7. We keep it simple
Our job is to make things as simple as possible. That means that we must make sure that our website is written in plain English and that forms are easy. Nothing should be more complicated than it needs to be. People must be able to do what they came to the website to do, the first time around without making mistakes. The more content people have access to, the harder it is for them to find what's relevant to them. Our aim is to reduce word counts, delete unnecessary information and remove irrelevant and outdated information.
8. We don't copy
Plagiarism is not allowed anywhere on our website. We could be fined for breaching copyright. So if you are writing for our web pages, make sure you don't just copy and paste from other sites. We also avoid writing content and designing tools which are already available elsewhere on the site - we should be linking to them instead.
10. We make it easy to find things
There's a reason why our websites are structured in the way that they are. It's to make it easy for people to access the information they need. We analyse our data regularly to see what people are looking for and structure the website according to their needs. Our website is definitely not structured as the council's organisational structure. This means nothing to anyone but us.
11. We monitor performance
We collect and use performance data from all channels, including online and offline. We use this data to help improve services. Publishing performance data also allows us to be transparent about how successful our services are.