Anyone working on digital services in Defence is welcome to join the user-centred design (UCD) community.

Who you will meet

In this community, you will meet:

• user researchers and data analysts
• service designers and product designers
• interaction and graphic designers
• content designers, managers and strategists
• product managers and business analysts working with users

Community calls

Join the UCD community call on the third Thursday of the month at 2pm.

Calls are 55 minutes. We discuss things like accessibility, tools available in Defence and cross-government collaboration.

Ask for an invitation

You need to work in Defence to join the community calls.

Using your Ministry of Defence email, send a message to:
UKStratCom-DD-Foundry-UCD-UX@mod.gov.uk.

Include your full name, your role and the project you’re working on.

Ask for feedback

Community calls are a great place to ask for feedback on your service, a feature or an issue. Here are a few things to remember.

Set the context

Without taking too long, tell the story of your service. Start with what your service does, who your users are and what they are trying to do.

Say what kind of feedback you want

Tell people what you want to find out. For example, if there are existing patterns you can reuse or how close you are to meeting the GOV.UK Service Standard.

Do not be defensive

Feedback is about your service, not you. Avoid deflecting questions, it is okay to say that you are not sure. Take notes so that you do not need to respond to every point.

How to give feedback

You are expected to give feedback in a kind and respectful way.

Give specific and actionable feedback

All feedback should be constructive. Include details of what you are thinking, what you would change and why. Avoid phrases like "I don't like it" or "That never works".

Be kind and respectful

You can be honest and specific without using hurtful or aggressive language. Start sentences with phrases like “Have you considered”, “You might like to try” or “Think about”.

Keep an open mind

Everyone has different experiences and opinions. Remember that your feedback is just one perspective. Be willing to consider feedback that differs from your own.

Be present

The team presenting their service deserves your full attention. Try not to be distracted by other work. In remote sessions, have your camera on and show that you are actively listening.