Case Study
Supporting content design for a government digital wallet experience, helping users understand how to verify their identity and access secure government-issued documents through GOV.UK One Login.
At a glance
The problem
Users needed a secure and understandable way to access government-issued documents through a digital wallet, supported by identity verification and GOV.UK One Login.
The work
I joined the wallet team as a Content Designer, focusing on clarity, trust and guidance across One Login, identity verification and document access journeys.
The outcome
I contributed content options, iterated with the wider content team, supported review cycles and prepared clearly labelled Figma and Miro handover materials.
Role
Content Designer
Sector
Public sector
Product area
Digital wallet
Focus
Identity verification & document access
Service ecosystem
Understanding how the wallet connected with GOV.UK One Login
A simplified journey showing how users move from a public service into GOV.UK One Login, complete authentication or verification steps, then return to continue or finish their service.
Context
I worked as part of the wallet team, exploring how a government digital wallet could help users access secure government-issued documents such as veteran cards, with potential future support for documents like ID and passports.
Although much of the journey connected with GOV.UK One Login, the work was viewed through the lens of the wallet experience: how users understand what the wallet is, how documents are added or accessed, and how identity verification supports trust and security.
The experience sat within a wider ecosystem of public digital services, where users may begin in a service, move through One Login or identity verification, and then return to complete their task or access a document.
Problem
The wallet and verification journeys needed to work for a very broad audience. Users could have different levels of digital confidence, different accessibility needs and different expectations around what it means to store government documents digitally.
Because the service touched on security, trust and personal identity, content needed to be carefully considered. Small wording choices could affect whether users understood the process, trusted the service or knew what action to take next.
The challenge was to make unfamiliar concepts feel clear and reassuring without overloading users with too much explanation at once.
Identity verification
Designing clear guidance for sensitive verification steps
These screens represent the kind of instructional content users need when completing identity verification tasks such as taking a passport photo or scanning their face.
Joined during an existing structured design process, reviewing current flows, content decisions, research context and how the wallet connected with One Login and identity verification.
Looked for points where users needed important information, reassurance or clearer instructions to understand what was happening and continue confidently.
Created alternative wording and communication approaches, considering tone, clarity, accessibility, trust and how visuals could support understanding.
Discussed options with the wider content design team, gained lead sign-off and prepared clearly labelled Figma and Miro materials for handover and translation.
Decision
Why
The wallet connected several service areas, but users needed a simple explanation of what they were doing and why it mattered.
Impact
Helped keep the content focused on user understanding rather than exposing unnecessary internal complexity.
Decision
Why
Users may feel cautious when asked to verify their identity, especially within a government digital service.
Impact
Supported a more transparent experience by explaining what was happening, why verification was needed and what users needed to do next.
Decision
Why
A government digital wallet introduces a new mental model for many users, especially when storing sensitive documents such as veteran cards, ID or passports.
Impact
Helped position the wallet as a secure place to access government-issued documents, while keeping the language clear and reassuring.
Decision
Why
There were often several possible ways to explain the same moment, each with different implications for tone, clarity and confidence.
Impact
Allowed the content team to compare approaches, choose stronger wording and refine the journey through iteration.
Decision
Why
The project needed to move into client continuation, and content decisions had to remain understandable beyond my time on the project.
Impact
Made it easier for in-house designers and translation teams to understand the intended content structure and rationale.
Verified documents
Supporting access to secure government-issued documents
The wallet experience explored how users could access verified government documents, such as veteran cards, with potential future support for documents like ID and passports.
Outcome
Learning
This project highlighted how powerful content design can be in secure public digital services. When users are asked to verify their identity or access sensitive documents, the language needs to build trust without becoming long, intimidating or overly technical.
It also reinforced how important it is to consider the wider ecosystem. The wallet, One Login and identity verification journeys were closely connected, so content needed to help users understand where they were, why they were there and how each step supported the overall service.
Observing user testing was especially valuable. It showed how different people interpret the same content in different ways, and reinforced the importance of testing language as carefully as interface design.
