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Nationwide Design Guides.

Re-architecting internal design guidance to support scale, consistency, and adoption.

The Challenge.

Nationwide’s Experience Language website was originally built to host a limited set of “how-to” guides.

 

As the design system matured, the platform needed to support:

  • New content categories,

  • An experience toolkit,

  • Downloadable assets,

  • Ongoing growth without degradation of usability.

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Without intervention, the increasing volume of content risked:

  • Poor discoverability,

  • Inconsistent usage of standards,

  • Reduced adoption of the design system,

  • Increased reliance on tribal knowledge and direct support.

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I was tasked with reimagining how internal design guidance was navigated and consumed.

Strategy & Design.

I approached this as a knowledge architecture problem.

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Internal platforms succeed or fail based on:

  • How quickly people can find what they need,

  • How clearly content is categorised,

  • Whether usage scales with organisational growth.

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The goal was to create an experience that:

  • Supported multiple content types,

  • Aligned with existing Experience Language patterns,

  • Reduced cognitive load for designers and contributors,

  • Encouraged self-service and reuse.

Reframing the Information Architecture.

From single category to scalable system.

Previously, the site only supported one content type (“How-to” guides).

 

The redesign introduced:

  • Multiple top-level categories

  • An experience toolkit

  • A dedicated area for downloadable assets​

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This required a clear, extensible IA that could accommodate future growth without repeated redesign.

Secondary Navigation for Orientation:

To support the expanded content set, I introduced a persistent secondary navigation aligned to the left of the viewport.

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This decision:

  • Matched established patterns across the Experience Language site,

  • Allowed clear categorisation of content,

  • Provided users with constant orientation,

  • Reduced reliance on long scrolling or page hopping.

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Navigation design was driven by usability rather than novelty, prioritising predictability and speed.

Search as a Core Enablement Feature.

As content volume increased, browsing alone became insufficient.

I designed and integrated enhanced internal search, allowing users to:

  • Quickly locate specific guidance,

  • Jump between related resources,

  • Reduce time spent scanning long lists.

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Search transformed the platform from a static reference site into an active working tool for day-to-day design and delivery.

Impact:

  • Faster access to standards and guidance,

  • Reduced interruption and ad-hoc questions,

  • Increased confidence in applying the design system correctly.

Consistency & Alignment.

Throughout the redesign, I ensured:

  • Visual and interaction consistency with the wider Experience Language ecosystem,

  • Familiar patterns to reduce relearning,

  • Clear hierarchy across guides, toolkits, and assets.

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This reinforced the platform as a trusted source of truth, rather than a separate or secondary resource.

The Solution:

The redesigned guides platform delivered:

  • A clearer, scalable site architecture,

  • Improved UX and content discoverability,

  • Searchable access to growing design resources,

  • Stronger alignment with the Experience Language system.

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Main outcomes:

  • Increased adoption of design standards,

  • Reduced onboarding time for new designers,

  • Lower dependency on direct support from the design system team,

  • Greater consistency across Nationwide’s digital experiences.

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