A collaborative approach to transforming the planning service in Ireland, enabling members of the public to submit appeals and observations digitally for the first time.

In Ireland, making a planning appeal or observation can be difficult. It requires paperwork, postage, and often hand-delivery of documents to An Bord Pleanála in central Dublin. For people new to the process, and living far from Dublin, this can be difficult and time-consuming.

We grounded our understanding of the challenge in insights from multiple stakeholder interviews. This determined the shape of the entire service experience and the needs of those involved.

Design began with a series of short prototype design exercises. We then tested with users at each stage of iteration, each time moving closer to an ideal user experience.

Working in partnership with the ABP team ensured that all design solutions were viable, legally compliant and meeting accessibility standards.

The citizen-facing aspects of the service are beginning development. ABP are working with us to improve internal systems, based on everything learned from the initial phase.

This project began as part of a wider digital transformation process. However, our involvement has deepened as insights from the design process have become central to the understanding of both business and user needs.