What to include in a design history
Most things you do can be shared, but it is important to exercise judgement about what we publish publicly.
Things you might include
Design history posts are written to help people understand the work you’ve done, why you’ve done it, and how it turned out. You could include:
- anything that’s useful to return to later
- notes on new features, iterations of existing ones, findings from user research
- old and new designs, highlighting how they’ve changed and why
- ideas you’re trying or that haven’t worked
- things you believe would be useful for others to know
What not to include
Design history posts are in the public domain, so treat them with the same care that you would any other research output. You should not:
- include the personal details of participants or staff
- try to document every single decision (focus on things that will benefit others)
- include anything that could be detrimental to a person or the NHS
You should take extra care with topics that are politically sensitive.