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This is a pattern library for common service patterns across council services.

Services across a council share similar types of transactions, usage of tech platforms and common interactions, yet many are designed and implemented differently and offer inconsistent experiences.

This Common Service Pattern library has been created to support more consistent, transparent and better design of services and their transactions. This is a shared set of guidelines and best practice to enable prototyping new ways of delivering the same types of experiences for different services, improving the user experience and streamlining the work that is required to run the service.

This library is at an early stage of development with the first draft version of the Check something pattern.

To navigate this library use the sidebar navigation links.

This library was created in collaboration with FutureGov

What we mean by ‘service patterns’

Registering a birth or death, reporting a problem on the road, applying for a permit or checking your eligibility are very different services that are accessed through many disparate channels. The experiences of citizens accessing them can be quite different, but in reality, many of these different services go through the same kind of building blocks, like registering, booking, or paying for something. These are the service patterns we have identified and have outlined in this library.

Learn more about the design of service patterns and this library:

When designing a new service based on the guidelines from this pattern library, use the Essex Design System for designing digital services.

Where this work started

This work started with mapping Essex County Council’s services to help us identify and understand common patterns across the council. The value of design patterns is enabling the design of services to provide a consistent and familiar user experience, making things quicker, easier and more accessible for citizens.

Read about our work:

Service patterns and why they matter

Mapping common service design patterns

Sharing and prioritising our common service patterns