We caught up with Tony to learn how his interest in technology and desire to improve processes led him on a journey from working in retail to becoming a Senior Service Designer at the Home Office.
I have always been fascinated with technology and how it can support people to do things better, faster and more easily. My journey into tech began during my career in retail, where I helped to implement an IT system to track real-time sales data to look at product sales trends and order additional stock when supplies were running low. This may seem the norm now, but back in the 1990’s this was very new and exciting to everyone.
I transitioned from my management role in retail to a Local Authority, where I managed a small Environmental Health administration team, using technology to record complaints and service requests. I soon became fascinated with understanding how things worked, why they failed and how I could improve them. This led me to become a Systems Administrator of the Environmental Health IT system and then a Business Analyst.
After several years working in many roles in a Local Authority helping to improve processes for the staff, I wondered how these improvements impacted all users of the service. This got me involved in understanding Service Design – looking at end-to-end user journeys that focussed on the frontstage (how users interact with a service) and backstage (systems maintenance, policy intent and enhancing processes to deliver against user needs). After supporting the implementation of a User Centred Design team in a Local Authority, I felt I needed a wider challenge and the ability to fully utilise my Service Design skills. I made the move to Home Office as a Senior Service Designer, and I could not be happier.
Finding problems and identifying improvements.
We have various communities in the Home Office working across different professions and it’s incredibly enjoyable collaborating with them to gain an understanding of the complex services these disciplines offer and how we can support and make improvements. Part of what I find rewarding about my role as a Senior Service Designer is the ‘a-ha’ moment, when your understanding of a complex area suddenly clicks. It’s very satisfying to know that you’ve identified a problem, fixed it and then have someone mention how happy they are with the improvement, knowing you were part of the team that delivered that solution.
I am also the Practice Lead for Mapping and Visualising, supporting project team members to communicate complex services using visual assets. I work with colleagues on a variety of projects to find ways to consistently and efficiently use tools such as Mural or Figma, to design visual assets that demonstrate user journeys and gain an understanding of how a service is used. These assets are often live and continually get updated throughout the delivery of agile projects and help to communicate elements of a project, providing clear understanding of user pain points and where opportunities and improvements can be made.
Countless opportunities to develop within a people focussed environment
If I could offer advice to anyone considering a career in tech at the Home Office, it would be to be yourself and do not be afraid to fail. Everyone here is going to support and listen to you.
It might be a cliché, but people are the most important part of the Home Office, and I can see that daily. Everyone is prepared to take the time to listen to you and support you. One thing I’ve noticed since I started working at the Home Office is that your well-being is truly valued. You’re encouraged to adopt a flexible working approach which offers you a good work-life balance and you’ll also be supported to identify any training or courses that can improve your own career development. The Home Office promotes Continuing Professional Development, and as a manager of a group of service and interaction designers I encourage my team to think about their career development and support them as needed. I am also proud to be a Mental Health First Aider and continually update my skills in this area annually with training organised by the Home Office.
Working for the Home Office provides employees with a wide range of opportunities, whether this is within their area of expertise or more widely in the Civil Service. I have been fortunate to be accepted on to the Civil Services’ Future Leader Scheme 2025. I’m excited to be part of this scheme and know this opportunity will develop my capabilities and allow me to share my learnings with the next generation of civil servants.
