In our new edition of Scrumconnect Spotlight, we speak to Sarat Kumar about his role as a Senior Interaction Designer. We delve into his career journey, the importance of accessibility in service design, and his advice for aspiring designers.
Q: Tell us about your career journey so far.
A: I started my career in publishing and media, focusing on print designs, graphic designs, and art direction, which I still greatly enjoy. I naturally transitioned to web, UI, and UX design over time. Specialising in HCI, UX strategy, and management, I now work to ensure that digital products, services, and systems are inclusive and accessible to all. I joined Scrumconnect about five years ago, working closely with fantastic teams to create more user-centred services. I also have a deep love for anime and animation.
Q: What did animation teach you while earning your advanced animation degree?
A: Animation is a technical skill that taught me a great deal about human cognition and how our brains process visual information. It’s about understanding how humans think and perceive, which has always intrigued me. It helped me grasp the importance of having a clear ideation process and the dedication required to achieve long-term goals. I also found it fascinating that many principles of animation are applicable to other areas that aim to capture users’ attention.
Q: What project(s) are you currently working on?
A: I’m currently working on a service that helps users receive support and understand their repayments to DWP.
Q: What steps do you take to ensure your designs are user-centred?
A: I prioritise keeping users close to the design process. In my view, they are the centre of everything. I also use iterative design to involve them in the loop as much as possible.
Q: Why is accessibility important within service design and user research?
A: To me, the answer is simple: it’s about inclusivity and ensuring that everyone can use a service.
Services have not traditionally included people with different abilities in user research. These groups still require more attention due to this historical exclusion—no one should be left behind.
Q: How do you stay updated with the latest trends and best practices?
A: For trends and patterns within the GOV.UK space, I rely on GOV.UK Slack and GitHub communities. These platforms allow professionals to share knowledge and resources with one another.
For broader design-related trends, principles, and practices, I subscribe to a mix of paperback and online magazines, as well as books on psychology and design. I make a point of implementing these ideas in my work.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge career-wise so far?
A: My biggest challenge has been implementing user-centred, accessible, and inclusive digital solutions within teams that don’t fully understand UCD or lack digital maturity.
It can be difficult to create a collaborative environment where stakeholders appreciate the value of leveraging user research insights and iterative design to develop meaningful solutions.
Q: What skill do you value the most?
A: Empathy.
Q: A fun fact about you?
A: As a UCD designer and ultra-marathon enthusiast, I approach designing user journeys the same way I tackle 100-mile trails: by breaking challenges into manageable steps, staying focused on the end goal, and always prioritising the experience—whether it's for the user or the runner (me!).
Q: Advice for people considering a career in a similar role?
A: Be open-minded and flexible. Embrace feedback and don’t view it as criticism—growth comes from iterating on what doesn’t work. I’ve learned a great deal by failing, refining, and improving. And most importantly, be kind to yourself and others. A smile can go a long way!
Scrumconnect Consulting is proud to announce our partnership with Aire Logic on two transformative contracts with the Department for Education (DfE). Together, we are set to deliver over £19 million worth of projects aimed at modernising schools and improving education services across the UK, aligning with the Government’s £1.4 billion commitment to education sector investment.
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In our new edition of Scrumconnect Spotlight, we speak to Sarat Kumar about his role as a Senior Interaction Designer. We delve into his career journey, the importance of accessibility in service design, and his advice for aspiring designers.
Scrumconnect is pleased to announce its successful award of G-Cloud 14 Lot 4 Framework Contract.
We are committed to continuously providing the best in tech with our people, practices and technology through our certifications.
Scrumconnect is committed to disability rights.
This enhanced government-endorsed standard demonstrates that we have implemented the essential plus security requirements for protecting your data, and that of your client’s, against unskilled internet-based cyber attackers.
We are a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) Cloud Compute 2 framework, a testament to our commitment to providing high-quality services to the UK public sector.
An integrated management system, designed for ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001:2015, operates across our business. These are regularly reviewed in order to ensure the continuous improvement to meet the needs of our customers and stakeholders.