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This page is a design preview. It may not contain the latest guidance and may not behave as expected.
Current guidance can always be found at design-system.dwp.gov.uk.
Agent interfaces
There is a lot of discussion among designers working in government about how to design for agent interfaces – systems that are not public-facing but are used by staff.
Many patterns, components and other design guidelines were originally created with public-facing services in mind. Which parts are applicable to agent-facing services, and which need to be modified or adapted?
Differences that are often highlighted include:
- ‘one thing per page’: is this design principle appropriate for expert users who prioritise moving through a journey quickly?
- a more predictable equipment and technical environment
- constraints of off-the-shelf systems that have limited flexibility for customisation or redesign
However we also need to be careful not to abandon user-centred design standards altogether because a service is agent-facing.
The DWP Design System includes elements for both internal and public-facing services:
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