Why we write design histories
It’s easy to forget what’s been done, and why.
Design histories help us remember.
They can:
- show us how a service has changed over time
- summarise the outcomes from past user research
- remind why decisions were taken
- give context to new team members
- share design patterns with wider teams in the NHS and government
Designing in the open
Writing design histories supports designing in the open.
It means we are sharing our learning and are transparent in our design decisions.
It is also a way of meeting the NHS Service Standard by documenting common components and patterns so that others can benefit from our work.