What's the deal with place names?
Alpha.gov.uk would work best if it knew where in the country its visitors are from. We'd love to get your feedback on our approach to this.
Why are we doing this?
Here's a reminder as to why it's so critical that GOV.UK offers UK citizens the best possible digital experience.
We are not the first to tread this path
...DEFRA Defra relaunched their website based on WordPress, an open source platform. You can read Simon Everest’s presentation here on how and why DEFRA made this choice. Alpha.gov.uk is built...
The power of the disinterested
One of the criticisms of the 'Alphagov' project I’m most aware of is the ‘who do they think they are’ approach to the team itself. The bulk of the team...
Accessibility
...context and help make future government sites more accessible for everyone. Photo credit: Paul Downey Richard Pope was Product Owner on the Alpha.gov.uk prototype. You should follow @richardjpope on Twitter...
A few design rules for Alpha.gov.uk
...driving test than an HGV one, more people get made redundant than have to make someone redundant, so we should optimise for the common case. The start of any process,...
Towards a simpler, smaller, nimbler, cheaper, better GOV.UK
Alpha.gov.uk will test a selection of products and technologies aiming to meet the needs that people have from government online.
Towards a Single Government Domain
...so Chris Chant has commissioned a project to test its feasibility. Chris has asked Tom Loosemore, formerly of the BBC’s web operation, to pull together the project. He will be...
Introducing the Government Digital Service
The Government Digital Service is the new name for the organisation created by the merging of Directgov and the Cabinet Office Digital Delivery and Digital Engagement teams, following the recommendations...
Right to Data and the Protection of Freedoms Bill
...data will help citizens to make choices about their services and better enable them to converse and collaborate with Government. The Coalition Agreement stated that the Government will “create a...
Related content and links
Be part of the transformation
If you’re interested in joining us, check out all open opportunities on the GDS careers site.
Government Digital and Data
Download the GOV.UK App
The GOV.UK app went live in public beta in July 2025. Find out how to download it for free on GOV.UK.