Jumping into June by brainstorming new projects, publishing reports, and reviewing plenty of content request forms! With lots going on, we want to share the highlights of our team’s week…

photo of flowers blooming in a field

Forms

Phil, Sam and Kim have been exploring how we can create content patterns to make our forms more consistent that work better for users.

We have published hundreds of digital forms, and many are still in paper form. Some of our digital forms have been designed in line with best practice (We always look to the GDS design system and use that where possible). Some are digital copies of the original paper form and these don’t work so well.

Through this work, we hope to have the tools to be able to:

  • give users a consistent look and feel
  • collect information in a consistent way
  • collect only the information the organisation needs

We’re starting by auditing our list of forms, identifying live forms, prototypes, retired forms and paper copies.

Catching up in our new South Wales office…

This week, we got to meet the lovely Toyah in person who travelled down to our Cardiff office from her home in North Wales. It was a chance to catch everyone up on our various team’s projects and upcoming deadlines, as well as to get to know one another without screens.

We went for lunch in the building’s cafe and even found time to discuss our favourite authors and current reads!

photo of a birthday cake

A reason to celebrate…

One of our own celebrated their birthday last Sunday. Phil – now 29 years young – spent his day having a Sunday lunch with his partner in Rhoose.

Other things we’ve been working on…

  • Phil, Sam and Kim are in the early stages of updating our spreadsheet of all forms, identifying potential tasks, and working to standardise forms across the organisation
  • Toyah and Sam have been getting into the activities pages for marine band 1, considering the structure and user ways in
  • Our team has been working with different teams to agree new content and update the existing web pages that are in need of a refresh in line with current guidance
  • Sam finished her work with SMEs, publishing a new PCB content, including a new form
  • We’re also looking forward to catching up as a team next week in our Cardiff office, with a day of training and collaborative working.

photo showing Menai Bridge in Anglesey

Fun Fact Friday

Wales is home to the world’s first road suspension bridge!! (How fun!)

The Menai Bridge in Anglesey was the first suspension bridge in the world constructed to carry heavy traffic. Designed by Thomas Telford, the bridge was opened on 30 January 1826. At the time, it was also the longest bridge in the world, measuring 386m (1,265 ft).