Experian & GOV.UK Verify: Designing a Secure and Accessible Digital ID
Lead UX Designer
Introduction
The UK government set out to solve a critical problem—how to provide citizens with a verified digital identity that allowed access to essential government services securely and efficiently. Unlike traditional projects where a single company would build the system, GOV.UK Verify was designed as an open-market solution, allowing multiple identity providers to compete in delivering the service.
Experian was one of the selected providers, forming a dedicated IDaaS (Identity as a Service) team to develop a secure, accessible, and user-friendly identity verification process.
I was brought in to design and implement the user experience, ensuring that Experian’s solution was:
Fully compliant with GDS guidelines, passing rigorous UX approval gates.
Optimised for fraud prevention and security, without adding unnecessary friction for users.
Designed to improve conversion rates, using data-driven refinements based on funnels, heatmaps, and user testing.
The challenge was clear—create an experience that was both seamless for users and impenetrable to fraudsters, all while meeting the UK government’s strict digital service standards.
GOV.UK Verify aimed to streamline digital identity verification for UK citizens.
Experian was selected as one of the identity providers, requiring strict adherence to security and UX guidelines.
My role was to lead UX design, ensuring compliance, accessibility, and high conversion rates.
The service needed to be secure, fast, and easy to use while passing all government UX gates.
“Designing for government services isn’t just about usability—it’s about trust, security, and ensuring no one is left behind.”
Understanding & Implementing the GDS Design Language
GOV.UK follows the GDS (Government Digital Service) Design System, a rigid but essential set of design principles that ensure all government digital services are:
Simple & Accessible – Designed for all users, including those with disabilities.
User-Centred – Every interaction must be tested and validated with real users.
Secure & Trustworthy – Protecting users from fraud while ensuring a smooth experience.
onsistent & Scalable – Every service must feel familiar, reducing friction for citizens.
Adhering to the GDS Design Language meant following strict UX patterns, accessibility standards, and design principles. Every UI element—from buttons and error messages to form fields—had to be aligned with GOV.UK’s existing design system to maintain consistency across all government services.
Beyond aesthetics, passing the UX gates required extensive documentation, rationale, and validation. This meant:
Ensuring WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, meeting the highest accessibility standards.
Validating every step through testing, ensuring that security measures didn’t introduce unnecessary complexity.
Optimising journeys for all users, particularly those who were less familiar with digital services.
By embedding GDS design principles into every aspect of the user journey, we ensured a smooth approval process and an intuitive, accessible, and secure experience for citizens.
GDS guidelines prioritised accessibility, consistency, and security.
UI elements had to match GOV.UK’s design system, ensuring a seamless experience.
All services had to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, making them fully accessible.
Passing UX gates required extensive documentation, validation, and testing.
“Government digital services must be designed for everyone—from the tech-savvy to those using online services for the first time.”
Optimising Funnels & Increasing Conversion
The identity verification process required users to submit personal information, verify identity documents, and authenticate themselves securely. However, friction in this process could lead to user drop-off, reducing successful verifications.
Using funnel analysis, heatmaps, and rage click tracking, we identified:
Points where users hesitated or abandoned the process.
Frustration signals, such as repeated clicks on unresponsive elements.
Technical and usability barriers, such as confusing instructions or error messages.
Through iterative improvements, I:
Reduced the number of steps in key journeys, eliminating unnecessary complexity.
Improved the clarity of instructions, reducing confusion around required documents.
Introduced smart error messaging, helping users recover from mistakes more easily.
These refinements led to faster identity verification times and a higher percentage of users completing the process successfully.
Data-driven optimisations reduced drop-off rates and improved completion times.
168% increase in conversions resuting in an extra 1 million conversions
Clearer instructions and error messaging reduced user frustration.
Refining non-happy paths improved overall conversion rates and user experience.
“By optimising the user journey, refining non-happy paths, and streamlining the verification process, we increased conversion rates by 168%, successfully verifying over 1 million customers.”
User Testing & Accessibility Validation
As part of GOV.UK’s strict requirements, Experian’s identity verification service had to be usable by all citizens, including those with disabilities.
To ensure this, we conducted extensive user testing, covering:
Standard usability testing with a diverse range of participants.
Accessibility testing with individuals using screen readers, voice commands, and keyboard-only navigation.
Stress testing with different devices and internet speeds, ensuring accessibility across all conditions.
The results were overwhelmingly positive, with only minor refinements needed before deployment. The final service was fully accessible and compliant with government standards, ensuring that no users were excluded.
User testing covered both able-bodied and disabled participants.
Screen readers, voice commands, and keyboard navigation were fully supported.
The service met GOV.UK’s stringent accessibility standards, ensuring inclusivity.
“A service isn’t accessible unless it works for everyone—no exceptions.”
Passing UX Gates & Leading the Market
Due to strict government regulations, every identity provider had to pass multiple UX gates before going live. Failing these meant being temporarily removed from the GOV.UK Verify system until corrections were made.
Experian’s service passed all UX gates on the first attempt, a testament to the rigorous research, design validation, and adherence to GDS principles. This allowed a smooth and uninterrupted launch, keeping Experian competitive in the identity provider market.
Not only did Experian’s service remain fully operational, but it also became the top-ranked provider for speed and acquisition, outperforming competitors.
Passed all UX gates on the first attempt, avoiding delays or service disruptions.
Experian consistently ranked as the fastest provider, leading in user acquisition and efficiency.
Continuous refinements kept the system at the top spot for digital identity verification.
“In a highly regulated space, getting it right the first time is critical—Experian’s seamless launch set the standard for GOV.UK Verify.”
Final Thoughts & Lessons Learned
Working on GOV.UK Verify reinforced key lessons about designing secure, accessible, and user-friendly digital services:
GDS principles ensure consistency—following government standards is key to seamless integration.
Conversion rates improve with continuous testing—funnels, heatmaps, and user interviews helped refine the experience.
Accessibility is non-negotiable—services must work for everyone, including disabled users.
Regulatory compliance is critical—failure to pass UX gates could mean removal from the system.
“Designing for government isn’t just about functionality—it’s about creating trust, reducing friction, and ensuring every citizen can access essential services.”
Let's Work Together
If you need to design compliant, user-friendly digital services or optimise conversion for secure applications, let’s chat.
