From barriers to belonging
Scotland’s human-centred Migration service
Output
Website, Digital service
My role
Director of Experience
Client
Scottish Government
Deliverables
Research, UI, UX, Usability testing
In partnership with The Scottish Government, we designed and launched Scotland’s Migration Service in under a year, turning a fragmented, stressful process into a welcoming experience for thousands of individuals and small businesses. Delivered under the Digital Scotland Service Standard (DSSS), the service simplifies migration and reflects Scotland’s appreciation of the people who choose to make it home.
The Problem
More deaths than births
Scotland faces a demographic crisis:
Population projected to decline by 1.5% over 25 years, while the UK grows by 5.8%.
People over 65 now outnumber those under 15.
Migration is the sole driver of population growth.
Yet for those considering a move, the migration process was confusing, inaccessible, and emotionally taxing, especially for small employers and individuals unfamiliar with UK systems. Behind the numbers are real people: families, entrepreneurs, and workers, facing uncertainty and complexity when trying to make Scotland their home.
The solution
We created a comprehensive digital service that:
Helps individuals and businesses plan, apply, settle, and thrive in Scotland.
Reflects the Scottish Government’s appreciation of migrants’ contributions.
Is delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland and Seraphus Law, with government funding.
The service meets all 14 DSSS criteria, ensuring accessibility, security, and user-centered design.
A supportive service for all
Impact and results
Migration made easy
The final service is:
Intuitive and easy to navigate.
Respectful of Home Office processes.
Accessible to users of all digital and language abilities.
A trusted resource for pre-movers, post-movers, employers, and aspiring businesses.
27
The number of countries of user reached in first 3 months of service launch
20,000+
Service users in first 3 months of service launch
164
Documents created and submitted to DSSS assessors
109
Users involved in testing throughout project
THE PROCESS
We began with deep user research to uncover the real barriers and motivations behind migration to Scotland. Our goal was to understand not just what users needed, but how they felt navigating complex legal and bureaucratic systems.
Discovery and research
Initial Research Rounds:
36 in-depth interviews with migrants, small business employers, and inward investors.
Over 30 hours of qualitative insights, capturing emotional pain points, digital behaviours, and unmet needs.
156 unique user needs identified, informing 11 detailed personas and journey maps.
Inclusive Research Expansion:
Two additional rounds focused on users with low digital confidence and those living with disabilities.
Representation across language abilities, device access, and legal knowledge.
It wasn’t just information users needed, but reassurance, clarity, and a sense of belonging.
This shifted our design lens toward trauma-informed and accessibility-first principles.
Design and prototyping
With research insights in hand, we moved into iterative design, testing early concepts and refining them based on user feedback.
Usability Testing:
Tree testing to validate information architecture and navigation logic.
A/B testing of wireframes to compare layout clarity and task success rates.
Visual design prototype testing to assess emotional tone, readability, and trustworthiness.
Design Deliverables:
A dedicated sub-domain for the migration service, ensuring separation from general government content.
New UI components tailored to legal guidance, eligibility checks, and multilingual support.
Collaboration with content designers to simplify legal language and reduce cognitive load.
Accessibility Focus:
Designed to WCAG 2.1 AA standards.
Inclusive imagery, plain English, and screen-reader-friendly layouts.
Accessibility tested across devices and assistive technologies.
Development and delivery
We worked closely with developers, legal experts, and policy leads to bring the service to life: securely, reliably, and under the Digital Scotland Service Standard framework.
Testing & Validation:
Accessibility testing and full accessibility audit.
Usability studies with real users across devices and languages.
Penetration testing to ensure data security and privacy.
User Acceptance Testing (UAT) with stakeholders and service sponsors.
Content & Launch:
Planned and populated content across all service pages.
Passed Beta assessment under DSSS.
Successfully launched the service within 12 months.
Collaboration Highlights:
Worked with Citizens Advice Scotland and Seraphus Law to ensure legal accuracy.
Maintained a multidisciplinary team including designers, researchers, developers, policy leads, and accessibility specialists.
Testimonial
“This is the most detailed and well considered service we have seen go through the DSSS assessment”
Lead assessor
Digital assurance office - Scottish Government
“It felt like I almost needed a law degree to fully understand the migration process, but this is so clear and easy to follow”
User during testing
Recent migrant
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