HMRC

1) Job Support & Job Retention Schemes (Furlough) — High Demand Research

Problem

During periods of very high demand, users needed to understand complex eligibility rules and complete digital interactions correctly for the Job Support and Job Retention (Furlough) schemes.

What I did

• Conducted user research during high-demand periods to understand real user needs and failure points.
• Explored how users interpreted eligibility rules and guidance, where confusion arose, and how this affected digital completion.
• Evaluated digital interactions to identify friction and misunderstandings that could lead to errors, rework, or support demand.

Outputs

• Evidence-based insight into user understanding and guidance comprehension
• Findings to inform improvements to guidance, content clarity, and interaction design

Outcome

Delivered insights to support service recommendations under complex policy constraints during peak demand.

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2) EU Exit — International Trade Customs Reimbursement (Discovery)

Problem

EU Exit created new customs processes and reimbursement needs. Existing approaches relied on paper-heavy workflows, creating inefficiency and risk.

What I did

• Led discovery research on international trade customs reimbursement services.
• Mapped current user needs and operational realities to support a transition from paper-based to digital.
• Produced evidence-led insights and recommendations, accounting for policy and operational constraints.

Outputs

• Discovery insight set and service recommendations to support digitisation

Outcome

Supported direction-setting for moving customs reimbursement processes toward a digital service model.

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3) Northern Ireland International Trade (Discovery)

Problem

Northern Ireland trade involved complex policy, processes, and existing systems, requiring clarity on how work was currently done and what a future service would need to support.

What I did

• Conducted discovery work focused on current policy, process, and systems used for Northern Ireland trade.
• Identified constraints, pain points, and opportunities to improve future service design.
• Delivered recommendations grounded in how users and teams actually operate today.

Outputs

• Discovery findings and recommendations for a future NI trade service

Outcome

Provided a practical evidence base for shaping future service direction in a high-complexity policy environment.