UX Consultant

Summary

Join Version 1 as a User Centred Design Consultant and work in multidisciplinary, agile teams to deliver excellent results for our public and private sector customers. You will collaborate with users and stakeholders to design products and services, considering the end-to-end user journey and individual design elements. Your portfolio should showcase your ability to understand user needs, work to design standards, and communicate design decisions effectively. You will leverage design thinking and evidence-based design principles, conducting user research and testing designs for usability and accessibility. You will create and iterate prototypes, evaluate concepts, and apply appropriate design patterns. Experience with accessible/inclusive design and knowledge of design standards, particularly those relevant to the UK public sector, are essential. Strong consultancy skills and the ability to work effectively in agile environments are also required.

Requirements

• Design thinking and evidence-based design
• Have a strong understanding of design thinking
• Apply frameworks and approaches as appropriate to the circumstances of a project
• Take an evidence-based approach to design
• Seek to test your assumptions to ensure that your designs are the simplest feasible approach to solving problems for users
• Focus on users and their needs
• Concepts and prototyping
• Experience of accessible/ inclusive design
• Knowledge and experience of design standards
• Consultancy skills
• Agile working in multidisciplinary teams

Responsibilities

• Work effectively in multidisciplinary, agile teams to deliver excellent results for Version 1’s customers in the public and private sector
• Work with users and stakeholders to determine the best way to design products and services, considering both the end-to-end journey and individual design elements
• Demonstrate your ability to understand users and design to meet their needs, work to relevant design standards and communicate your design decisions effectively
• Undertake basic user research activity as appropriate to your design work
• Collaborate with user researchers to understand your users and their needs and to test your designs to ensure usability and accessibility
• Design to meet a wide range of user needs, explain design decisions in relation to user needs and explain the constraints on your designs
• Create and iterate a variety of different prototypes, selecting the appropriate level of fidelity and tools for the task
• Evaluate concepts and prototypes and explain them to stakeholders and team members
• Select, apply and adapt appropriate design patterns, and participate in wider design community discussion and activities
• Understand the key principles and considerations for accessible/inclusive design and can apply these appropriately in your designs
• Evaluate your designs in relation to appropriate accessibility standards
• Understand common design standards and can demonstrate how your designs comply with the appropriate standards for the sector or project
• Be aware of the design standards that apply to public sector projects in the UK and the GDS assessment processes
• Communicate your design process and decisions effectively to gain the confidence of internal colleagues and customers
• Manage the stakeholders you encounter within your work, and know how to escalate issues and when to seek support in unblocking your design work
• Understand user-centred design practices and know how to align your work to agile workflows across all stages of the development lifecycle
• Work in an open, iterative and collaborative way in a multidisciplinary team

Benefits

• Share in our success with our Quarterly Performance-Related Profit Share Scheme, where employees collectively benefit from a share of our company's profits
• Strong Career Progression & mentorship coaching through our Strength in Balance & Leadership schemes with a dedicated quarterly Pathways Career Development programme
• Flexible/remote working, Version 1 is tremendously understanding of life events and people’s individual circumstances and offer flexibility to help achieve a healthy work life balance
• Financial Wellbeing initiatives including; Pension, Private Healthcare Cover, Life Assurance, Financial advice and an Employee Discount scheme
• Employee Wellbeing schemes including Gym Discounts, Bike to Work, Fitness classes, Mindfulness Workshops, Employee Assistance Programme and much more
• Generous holiday allowance, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, marriage/civil partnership leave and special leave policies
• Educational assistance, incentivised certifications, and accreditations, including AWS, Microsoft, Oracle, and Red Hat
• Reward schemes including Version 1’s Annual Excellence Awards & ‘Call-Out’ platform
• Environment, Social and Community First initiatives allow you to get involved in local fundraising and development opportunities as part of fostering our diversity, inclusion and belonging schemes