Sophie Drouet
@sophiedrouet.bsky.social
Service design things. Posts about user-centred design, digital, the charity & public sectors and causes I care about (e.g. books, birds, history and social issues) 🇫🇷 🇬🇧 She/her
As someone with (French) elderly parents who (at times) struggle with the internet, having to click through 4 different links not to have to download an app to apply for a UK tourist visa is diabolical 👿
a close up of a man 's face with his eyes closed
Alt: a close up of a man 's face with his eyes closed and rubbing his face in a state of utter confusion. the gif is from the American show The office
media.tenor.com
May 11, 2025 at 7:29 PM
As someone with (French) elderly parents who (at times) struggle with the internet, having to click through 4 different links not to have to download an app to apply for a UK tourist visa is diabolical 👿
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
My favorite detail from this article:
"Premium chatbots provided more confidently incorrect answers than their free counterparts."
If that’s not some kind of metaphor for life in 2025 I dunno what is
"Premium chatbots provided more confidently incorrect answers than their free counterparts."
If that’s not some kind of metaphor for life in 2025 I dunno what is
Lets replace search with "AI" then! Totally logical if you ask me. Even more worth it when you know they're exponentially overtaking the airline industry in their carbon footprint.
Study: www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
Study: www.cjr.org/tow_center/w...
March 12, 2025 at 10:14 PM
My favorite detail from this article:
"Premium chatbots provided more confidently incorrect answers than their free counterparts."
If that’s not some kind of metaphor for life in 2025 I dunno what is
"Premium chatbots provided more confidently incorrect answers than their free counterparts."
If that’s not some kind of metaphor for life in 2025 I dunno what is
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
I recorded this podcast with @accessiblenumbers.bsky.social a little while ago. It covers some of the same ground as that talk of mine I'm always banging on about – the one about designing services for people on low incomes.
Poverty and financial inclusion with @raynewman.bsky.social.
We cover how poor people pay more for essential services and goods (poverty premium), deceptive patterns, financial vulnerability, and access to digital services.
Timestamps, bio and transcript: accessiblenumbers.com/poverty-and-...
We cover how poor people pay more for essential services and goods (poverty premium), deceptive patterns, financial vulnerability, and access to digital services.
Timestamps, bio and transcript: accessiblenumbers.com/poverty-and-...
February 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
I recorded this podcast with @accessiblenumbers.bsky.social a little while ago. It covers some of the same ground as that talk of mine I'm always banging on about – the one about designing services for people on low incomes.
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
When they say there's no need for user research because "we know our users".
February 4, 2025 at 8:53 AM
When they say there's no need for user research because "we know our users".
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
Question for people working in transformation and culture change:
In your experience, what are the typical signs that an organisation is not ready for change?
In your experience, what are the typical signs that an organisation is not ready for change?
February 3, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Question for people working in transformation and culture change:
In your experience, what are the typical signs that an organisation is not ready for change?
In your experience, what are the typical signs that an organisation is not ready for change?
Listening to this on my way in to work
Fantastic resource for user-centred designers on understanding how trauma affects user access to services - and how to design better experiences
Bonus point for the excellent podcast overview with timestamps & transcript 👏
Fantastic resource for user-centred designers on understanding how trauma affects user access to services - and how to design better experiences
Bonus point for the excellent podcast overview with timestamps & transcript 👏
Trauma-informed design with @janemcfadyen.bsky.social and @rachelanne.bsky.social.
We discuss how stress, anxiety and trauma impact the use of services, and practical strategies for creating clear, simple and empathetic content.
Timestamps and transcript: accessiblenumbers.com/trauma-infor...
We discuss how stress, anxiety and trauma impact the use of services, and practical strategies for creating clear, simple and empathetic content.
Timestamps and transcript: accessiblenumbers.com/trauma-infor...
January 28, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Listening to this on my way in to work
Fantastic resource for user-centred designers on understanding how trauma affects user access to services - and how to design better experiences
Bonus point for the excellent podcast overview with timestamps & transcript 👏
Fantastic resource for user-centred designers on understanding how trauma affects user access to services - and how to design better experiences
Bonus point for the excellent podcast overview with timestamps & transcript 👏
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
#ServicesWeek to return for its seventh year ✨
Please share and save the date: 17 to 21 March 2025
This event series aims to grow service literacy and is open to all UK public servants. Take part if you can!
#ServiceDesign #GovDesign #LocalGov #LocalDigital
services.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/19/s...
Please share and save the date: 17 to 21 March 2025
This event series aims to grow service literacy and is open to all UK public servants. Take part if you can!
#ServiceDesign #GovDesign #LocalGov #LocalDigital
services.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/19/s...
Services Week is back for 2025
Services Week is an annual event hosted by the Government Digital and Data community, bringing together professionals from across the UK public sector.
services.blog.gov.uk
December 19, 2024 at 3:01 PM
#ServicesWeek to return for its seventh year ✨
Please share and save the date: 17 to 21 March 2025
This event series aims to grow service literacy and is open to all UK public servants. Take part if you can!
#ServiceDesign #GovDesign #LocalGov #LocalDigital
services.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/19/s...
Please share and save the date: 17 to 21 March 2025
This event series aims to grow service literacy and is open to all UK public servants. Take part if you can!
#ServiceDesign #GovDesign #LocalGov #LocalDigital
services.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/19/s...
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
Jack's laws of content (1 of X):
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
December 19, 2024 at 1:31 PM
Jack's laws of content (1 of X):
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Left unchecked organisations will produce more content than they can maintain
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
Our report on 3 years of #accessibility monitoring is live! 16,000 barriers removed across the UK public sector, the most common are contrast, focus, keyboard and reflow. Chris Heathcote's blog and link to the Government Digital Service report: accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/17/w... 📜 #a11y
What GDS has found from public sector accessibility monitoring
Find out what our team found from the last 3 years of monitoring the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile apps.
accessibility.blog.gov.uk
December 18, 2024 at 8:17 AM
Our report on 3 years of #accessibility monitoring is live! 16,000 barriers removed across the UK public sector, the most common are contrast, focus, keyboard and reflow. Chris Heathcote's blog and link to the Government Digital Service report: accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2024/12/17/w... 📜 #a11y
(Re) watching The Holiday tonight and my observations:
1) The writing is horrendous
2) Jack Black and Kate Winslet have no chemistry whatsoever
3) Jude Law and Cameron Diaz are super cringe but kinda work
4) They have pasta on Christmas Eve?!?
5) I cannot fathom watching this every year 😬
1) The writing is horrendous
2) Jack Black and Kate Winslet have no chemistry whatsoever
3) Jude Law and Cameron Diaz are super cringe but kinda work
4) They have pasta on Christmas Eve?!?
5) I cannot fathom watching this every year 😬
December 15, 2024 at 8:51 PM
(Re) watching The Holiday tonight and my observations:
1) The writing is horrendous
2) Jack Black and Kate Winslet have no chemistry whatsoever
3) Jude Law and Cameron Diaz are super cringe but kinda work
4) They have pasta on Christmas Eve?!?
5) I cannot fathom watching this every year 😬
1) The writing is horrendous
2) Jack Black and Kate Winslet have no chemistry whatsoever
3) Jude Law and Cameron Diaz are super cringe but kinda work
4) They have pasta on Christmas Eve?!?
5) I cannot fathom watching this every year 😬
This rings very true and I feel we are going to start seeing this more and more in 2025
aeon.co/essays/clima...
aeon.co/essays/clima...
Climate populism will be the next great conspiracy complex | Aeon Essays
The most ardent deniers of anthropogenic climate change today will become the climate conspiracy theorists of tomorrow
aeon.co
December 14, 2024 at 12:11 PM
This rings very true and I feel we are going to start seeing this more and more in 2025
aeon.co/essays/clima...
aeon.co/essays/clima...
Intrigued to see how Barnardo's Innovation Lab evolves now that it's been split into two 👀
Last few Medium articles give an insight into how their team's been able to embed service and user-centred design in the org and what they're up to next
medium.com/barnardos-di...
Last few Medium articles give an insight into how their team's been able to embed service and user-centred design in the org and what they're up to next
medium.com/barnardos-di...
Service Design at Barnardo’s – Medium
Sharing service design and service modelling work at Barnardo’s.
medium.com
December 14, 2024 at 10:54 AM
Intrigued to see how Barnardo's Innovation Lab evolves now that it's been split into two 👀
Last few Medium articles give an insight into how their team's been able to embed service and user-centred design in the org and what they're up to next
medium.com/barnardos-di...
Last few Medium articles give an insight into how their team's been able to embed service and user-centred design in the org and what they're up to next
medium.com/barnardos-di...
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
It’s a successful #discovery when the conclusion is:
“There is no viable need to build XY.”
👎🏻 ✅ 👏🏻
But it takes a bit of greatness from senior stakeholders to accept that and not continue developing a thing that no longer makes sense.
It’s something we still need to normalise so much more.
“There is no viable need to build XY.”
👎🏻 ✅ 👏🏻
But it takes a bit of greatness from senior stakeholders to accept that and not continue developing a thing that no longer makes sense.
It’s something we still need to normalise so much more.
December 13, 2024 at 2:29 PM
It’s a successful #discovery when the conclusion is:
“There is no viable need to build XY.”
👎🏻 ✅ 👏🏻
But it takes a bit of greatness from senior stakeholders to accept that and not continue developing a thing that no longer makes sense.
It’s something we still need to normalise so much more.
“There is no viable need to build XY.”
👎🏻 ✅ 👏🏻
But it takes a bit of greatness from senior stakeholders to accept that and not continue developing a thing that no longer makes sense.
It’s something we still need to normalise so much more.
I'm loving how clear & methodical this design research framework by @erikahall.bsky.social is.
Assumptions mapping is so useful early on but pressure to deliver often means not taking enough time to define research methods or how to analyse & integrate findings
www.muledesign.com/blog/design-...
Assumptions mapping is so useful early on but pressure to deliver often means not taking enough time to define research methods or how to analyse & integrate findings
www.muledesign.com/blog/design-...
December 13, 2024 at 9:19 AM
I'm loving how clear & methodical this design research framework by @erikahall.bsky.social is.
Assumptions mapping is so useful early on but pressure to deliver often means not taking enough time to define research methods or how to analyse & integrate findings
www.muledesign.com/blog/design-...
Assumptions mapping is so useful early on but pressure to deliver often means not taking enough time to define research methods or how to analyse & integrate findings
www.muledesign.com/blog/design-...
🧼 🌿 People who can't stand coriander: has it ever tasted like soap?
Up until today, I would have never said so (rather it has an overpowering & unpleasant flavour to me) but I just used Fairy liquid and... my hands smelled like coriander?!
Is this what people mean? Coriander = OG fairy liquid
Up until today, I would have never said so (rather it has an overpowering & unpleasant flavour to me) but I just used Fairy liquid and... my hands smelled like coriander?!
Is this what people mean? Coriander = OG fairy liquid
December 12, 2024 at 7:27 PM
🧼 🌿 People who can't stand coriander: has it ever tasted like soap?
Up until today, I would have never said so (rather it has an overpowering & unpleasant flavour to me) but I just used Fairy liquid and... my hands smelled like coriander?!
Is this what people mean? Coriander = OG fairy liquid
Up until today, I would have never said so (rather it has an overpowering & unpleasant flavour to me) but I just used Fairy liquid and... my hands smelled like coriander?!
Is this what people mean? Coriander = OG fairy liquid
Very much back to school vibes this morning as I prepare my backpack and figure out what to wear on my first day at Southwark Council 🤓
a penguin wearing a top hat and carrying a briefcase is standing in the snow .
Alt: a penguin wearing a top hat and carrying a briefcase in the snow
media.tenor.com
December 12, 2024 at 7:53 AM
Very much back to school vibes this morning as I prepare my backpack and figure out what to wear on my first day at Southwark Council 🤓
I am waiting for a courier to pick up my IT equipment and the time slot I've been given is the most absurd - 7 am to 6 pm 🤡
Oh and they also don't do tracking so I have no idea where they are or when they might get here.
Oh and they also don't do tracking so I have no idea where they are or when they might get here.
December 11, 2024 at 2:26 PM
I am waiting for a courier to pick up my IT equipment and the time slot I've been given is the most absurd - 7 am to 6 pm 🤡
Oh and they also don't do tracking so I have no idea where they are or when they might get here.
Oh and they also don't do tracking so I have no idea where they are or when they might get here.
And it's a wrap on 5 years at Action for Children! It's hard to leave such a lovely team behind but I'm proud of what we've achieved.
📈 Scaled a digital app across 22 councils in Wales
📱Built a text helpline from scratch, supporting 2,000+ young people since launch
📢 Advocated for users a LOT
📈 Scaled a digital app across 22 councils in Wales
📱Built a text helpline from scratch, supporting 2,000+ young people since launch
📢 Advocated for users a LOT
December 5, 2024 at 7:14 PM
And it's a wrap on 5 years at Action for Children! It's hard to leave such a lovely team behind but I'm proud of what we've achieved.
📈 Scaled a digital app across 22 councils in Wales
📱Built a text helpline from scratch, supporting 2,000+ young people since launch
📢 Advocated for users a LOT
📈 Scaled a digital app across 22 councils in Wales
📱Built a text helpline from scratch, supporting 2,000+ young people since launch
📢 Advocated for users a LOT
I'm not saying it's my greatest legacy at work BUT I do think I made a lasting impact on our suite of Slack custom emojis - dancing birds, dancing dinosaurs, dancing Mario and Luigi, this is fine burning dog, and several David Hasselhoff. I'd like to be remembered for that.
December 5, 2024 at 9:23 AM
I'm not saying it's my greatest legacy at work BUT I do think I made a lasting impact on our suite of Slack custom emojis - dancing birds, dancing dinosaurs, dancing Mario and Luigi, this is fine burning dog, and several David Hasselhoff. I'd like to be remembered for that.
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
Oh, this is a great way of framing what generative AI actually does. As I keep saying, it's not a knowledge engine and you shouldn't treat it as one. It's a giant autocomplete engine.
This is one of the most well-written explanations of certain kinds of AI errors I’ve seen to date. (The whole article is great too.)
www.theverge.com/c/24300623/a...
www.theverge.com/c/24300623/a...
December 5, 2024 at 8:48 AM
Oh, this is a great way of framing what generative AI actually does. As I keep saying, it's not a knowledge engine and you shouldn't treat it as one. It's a giant autocomplete engine.
Really enjoyed catching up on @cjforms.bsky.social's presentation on form design 💡
I often see folks whip out a form and call it a day (forms are straightforward enough, right?) when they actually require a thoughtful mix of content, interaction and service design & proper usability testing 📝
I often see folks whip out a form and call it a day (forms are straightforward enough, right?) when they actually require a thoughtful mix of content, interaction and service design & proper usability testing 📝
In today's episode of "Fix the forms, one at a time", I finally wrote up a couple of thoughts about a lovely opportunity to chat about forms at Content Club in September.
Thanks again to @niacampbell.bsky.social and @adrianortega.bsky.social
www.effortmark.co.uk/talk-content...
Thanks again to @niacampbell.bsky.social and @adrianortega.bsky.social
www.effortmark.co.uk/talk-content...
Getting forms right: how better words lead to better results - Effortmark
A chat about forms with the folks in Content Club, including thoughts on design, testing, complex forms and bilingual forms
www.effortmark.co.uk
December 5, 2024 at 8:52 AM
Really enjoyed catching up on @cjforms.bsky.social's presentation on form design 💡
I often see folks whip out a form and call it a day (forms are straightforward enough, right?) when they actually require a thoughtful mix of content, interaction and service design & proper usability testing 📝
I often see folks whip out a form and call it a day (forms are straightforward enough, right?) when they actually require a thoughtful mix of content, interaction and service design & proper usability testing 📝
I have no words to describe how absurd this idea is - that you can do away with the human part of a human-centred design process - and that some people actually go around preaching this stuff 🤡
I saw someone on a stage at a product conference talk about how great it is when you can design personas with AI, and then just interview them with the AI! It's so much easier and faster and better! 🙄
December 4, 2024 at 4:23 PM
I have no words to describe how absurd this idea is - that you can do away with the human part of a human-centred design process - and that some people actually go around preaching this stuff 🤡
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
How deeply can you understand UCD without having practiced it?
Can you really advocate for something that you don't understand?
Can you really advocate for something that you don't understand?
Are job descriptions like this part of the reason UCD practitioners in Wales don't end up in leadership roles?
Head of UCD
Essential: management experience, Master's education or equivalent
Desirable: experience in UCD
🤔
dhcw.nhs.wales/join-our-tea...
Head of UCD
Essential: management experience, Master's education or equivalent
Desirable: experience in UCD
🤔
dhcw.nhs.wales/join-our-tea...
Job vacancies
Find all our latest job vacancies and apply now to kickstart your career in NHS Wales.
dhcw.nhs.wales
December 4, 2024 at 1:38 PM
How deeply can you understand UCD without having practiced it?
Can you really advocate for something that you don't understand?
Can you really advocate for something that you don't understand?
Reposted by Sophie Drouet
I’m glad so many people have found my “capybara method” for how to write alt text and image descriptions helpful! However, I know conflicting access needs exist and not everyone can write their own #AltText, so here’s an ongoing thread of tools that can help. Inclusion in thread ≠ endorsement
November 29, 2024 at 6:25 PM
I’m glad so many people have found my “capybara method” for how to write alt text and image descriptions helpful! However, I know conflicting access needs exist and not everyone can write their own #AltText, so here’s an ongoing thread of tools that can help. Inclusion in thread ≠ endorsement