Core values

These values form the bedrock for how we work together. They’re designed to inspire action, help us make decisions and set boundaries.

1. Don’t skip the basics. We build good quality, well researched stuff that works for everyone.


2. We build in the open, so that people can see what we are doing and why we have done things.


3. Stay curious, humble and open to new perspectives. We take on feedback and change our work or our ideas. 


4. Be inviting. Work with and for our peers and community — it’s a two way relationship. Actively encourage members of the team, people on the NHS App, and the wider community to get involved in our work.


5. Transfer power. Enable others to make decisions about the design system. Seek out people and ideas proactively that we can involve in activities.


6. Educate. We’re set up to do the harder work, but we can provide people with the knowledge and skills to iterate and improve the design system sustainably.


7. Evidence and research are golden get it when you can. But expect a bumpy road. It’s okay to make a call that turned out to be wrong. That’s how we learn and improve.


8. Care for, support and look out for each other.
We look after the team’s health. We own our team and its ceremonies collectively. We create a safe and empathetic environment for each other.


9. Progress, don’t perfect. Focus on validating the riskiest assumptions. Highlight where the cost of being wrong is low. Trust the community’s insights to guide us. Iterate.