What are the plain English projects that will go through the service?

Write down a list of projects in plain English. This will help you feel for the edges of the service so that you know what it does and doesn’t do. Always start with the legislation (sometimes planning practice follows myths that need to be busted). Research real applications, appeals and case law. Useful resources:

• Council’s planning registers (using the advanced search)
• Lots of solicitors do planning law updates
• Development Control Practice

Who are the users of the service and what are they trying to do?

A good service and well designed content should be so intuitive that it isn’t ‘noticed’ by users. They can just do what they need to do. It fits their needs like a glove. It’s in the right place, at the right time. Some useful questions:

• Get to know the users of the service. This includes different types of applicants, and for submission services, the officers who receive, process the data and decide the application.
• What typical users pain points?
• How can your the service fit the needs of its users?
• Where does your service sit within the ecosystem of services? And can it add more value to the eco-system of services, adding information and knowledge upstream to minimise issues downstream?

What is the service MVP?

Loosely name the service (see ‘name your service’ pattern) and decide what it is, and what it isn’t going to to do. Also think about what it might do in the future, depending on user research.

Design a prototype

Use the submission service template to start writing the service. Remember that it will always be a work in progress. Smart services adapt quickly to changes in legislation and case law. A loose checklist:

• statutory requirements from the application form (translate into plain English, following the content playbook using direct language )
• adding policy references and help
• Add fields and variables
• Test automations
• Editor review