Enhancing regulatory compliance through
user-centred design
executive summary
As UX Designer, I led the design of a packaging data compliance platform for the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) initiative, streamlining regulatory workflows and improving efficiency.
By applying user-centered design, accessibility best practices, and iterative testing, we reduced compliance processing times by 20%, decreased submission errors by 25%, and increased user satisfaction by 70%.
Seamless Power BI integration empowered regulators with data-driven decision-making, setting a benchmark for future regulatory digital services.
Project overview
client
DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT FOOD & RURAL AFFAIRS
service
Report packaging data (internal)
duration
12 months
The challenge
Environmental regulators were struggling to manage packaging data efficiently due to:
Manual inefficiencies: Complex data verification processes increased workload.
Inconsistent data: Submission errors led to regulatory bottlenecks.
Outdated systems: No centralized digital tool for tracking compliance.
Objective
Design a digital platform that enables 95% of regulators to efficiently review, verify, and manage packaging data submissions. The solution needed to integrate seamlessly with Power BI for analytics and compliance monitoring while improving usability and accessibility.
My role
As an UX Designer, I played a strategic leadership role, ensuring that design decisions aligned with user needs, business goals, and compliance requirements. My key responsibilities included:
Leading user research to uncover pain points and refine solutions.
Facilitating collaborative design workshops with cross-functional teams.
Developing and testing high-fidelity prototypes to ensure usability and efficiency.
Aligning the platform with GOV.UK accessibility and UX standards.
Presenting findings and securing stakeholder buy-in across regulatory agencies
Defining the problem
We engaged with users to identify core pain points, focusing on regulatory officers who frequently interacted with data submissions.
Regulatory Challenges:
Inefficient Workflows and Data Management
Regulators were tasked with verifying packaging data but faced significant obstacles:
High workload from manual reviews leading to inefficiencies.
Lack of clear data submission processes, causing errors.
Inadequate tools for tracking compliance and enforcement.
Personas & user needs
To build an effective solution, we developed detailed personas:
Darcy Ball
Senior regulatory Officer
Excel: 10/10
Digital literacy: 9/10
Power BI: 8/10
Abi Gentri
Lead Officer
Excel: 10/10
Digital literacy: 9/10
Power BI: 8/10
Overview:
Oversees compliance across multiple organizations and manages a team of regulatory officers.
Key Responsibilities:
Defining data parameters, policy research, auditing, and providing supervision.
Frustrations:
Difficulty enforcing compliance due to unclear regulatory guidelines and internal inefficiencies.
Needs:
Changing regulatory requirements make it hard to maintain consistency.
Research & Discovery
Methodology
Conducted 16 semi-structured interviews and usability testing across 4 regulatory agencies.
Analysed workflow pain points through task analysis & journey mapping.
Used quantitative surveys to measure efficiency gains post-implementation.
KEy Findings from user reseach
Submission Status Confusion
of regulators found submission statuses unclear.
Inefficiencies in Manual Reviews
of officers reported spending 4+ hours per week correcting submission errors.
The ‘On Hold’ Misinterpretation
of users expected 'On Hold' to function as a flagged status, not a paused state
Power BI Adoption Challenges
Low Usage of Power BI for Decision Making
of regulators used Power BI for insights.
Lack of Training & Guidance
of users struggled to navigate Power BI effectively
Data Access Delays
of regulators reported difficulties accessing data in Power BI.