12. Don't forget the non-digital experience

Ensure that people who use the digital service can also use the other available channels if needed, without repetition or confusion.

Why it's in the Standard

People often start using a service and have to come back to it later, or switch to a non-digital channel to complete the transaction. We need to make sure users’ transitions between non-digital and digital channels (when they need to happen) are as smooth as possible.

How you can meet the Standard

During Discovery stage and Alpha stage you should have developed a good understanding of where users will go for the service you are building. You should understand what proportion of users rely on non-digital channels, wholly or in part, and have a plan for how you will address this in your build.

During Alpha you should show you understand:

• all the touchpoints in users’ journeys, their contexts of use, and the digital limitations affecting different groups of users
• existing channels and how they interact with the service and with each other
• the channels required to support all groups of users of the service, and where a user may need to change channels
• if there are any repeat transactions by users over different channels
• the interactions occurring between the channels that deliver and capture user transactions

During the Beta stage you will apply the knowledge gained in Alpha to design a service that works with the other channels, as appropriate.

By the end of Beta and going live, you should:

• detail the channels required to support all groups of users of the service
• understand the non-digital service channels and have a plan to move users to the digital channel where appropriate
• have developed and tested the service so that a user can change channels without repeating themselves