Adrián Ortega 🗺️🧭

Form design law #1: Nobody wants to use your form

Last week I shared my 3 laws of form design.

Here’s a breakdown of the first law which is perfectly captured by a question one of my subscribers asked me:

“How can we bring joy to people who use enterprise applications for 40 hours a week?”

Please can we stop with "Knowledge Hubs".

They just don't work. They are never invested in. They are not publicised. They are out of date the second you launch it.

You have to build knowledge exchange and sharing into your working practices. Making it a standalone thing DOES NOT WORK.

Count Dracula was 412 when he moved to England in search of new blood. Sauron was 54,000 years old when he forged The One Ring. Cthulhu had seen galaxies flare into life and fade to darkness before he put madness in the minds of men. It's never too late to follow your dreams!

Never forget

Promotional banner for Camp Digital event. Text reads: ‘Early bird tickets are now available! 7th May 2026 · Manchester · Royal Northern College of Music. Brought to you by Nexer.’ The design features a stylized campfire made of geometric shapes in orange, yellow, and white on a purple background.

🔥 Exciting news...early bird tickets for #CampDigital 2026 are now available!

We're back at the RNCM on Thurs 7th May, and we've already confirmed some fantastic speakers and workshops (with more TBA)!

Check out our lineup so far, and book early birds at:

www.nexerdigital.com/camp-digital...

Monthnotes: October 2025 Back from the annual raclette weekend in West Wales and somehow it’s already November. October disappeared fast — spooky season came and…

October monthnotes are up! This time:
– Finalising new guidance for the Service Manual
– Service patterns and a Design System chat
– Community sessions and team away days
– Flywheels and solving the right problem

Take a look! bit.ly/3Lm5up9

Two year note The last time I finished a role, I wrote about it. It was a useful thing to do and look back on. So, here I am again — I’ve been a…

Job change note - I’ve been a consultant in a commercial agency for 2 years. I’ve worked with companies, for international organisations, local government, national government and local government. This is what I’ve learned medium.com/@jack.garfin...

Learning the language of digital is only the first step. Now we need to learn the practice of it.

New post on the Transform Wales blog from @niacampbell.bsky.social.

We've learned the language of digital in Wales - agile, user-centred, transformation. Now it's time to learn how to live it.

transform.wales/blog/2025/pr...

Join Cymru Ddigidol on Slack Slack is a new way to communicate with your team. It’s faster, better organized, and more secure than email.

Did you know that there's a Slack community for digital folks in Wales?

It's called Cymru Ddigidol and you can join us here: join.slack.com/t/cymruddigi...

Ymunwch a ni! Join us!

Super proud that our report is now out! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Massive shout out to @annkempster.com, @daivaughan.uk and @jocarter.bsky.social 🎉

We'd love to hear what you think!

Diolch enfawr i bawb sydd wedi cyfrannu yn barod!

A huge thanks to everyone who has supported our Crowdfunder so far!

Monthnotes: September 2025 It’s been over a month since my last weeknote, so this time it’s a monthnote.

September monthnotes are up! This time:
– New guidance in the Service Manual
– The future of CDPS
– Public design patterns in London, dignity in Edinburgh
– Art, psychogeography, and patience

Take a look! bit.ly/48ajyeN

Be the voice of ADHD Pathfinding: Comms, Content & Engagement Lead (volunteer) A lived-experience-led role to shape how we show up in the world

We’ve hit a new milestone at ADHD Pathfinding!

In 3 months we’ve launched a survey, built a coalition, published weeknotes/blogs and started growing a community.

Now we’re looking for a Comms, Content & Engagement Lead to help shape our voice.

Reply here or email:
adhdpathfinding@googlegroups.com

Transform Wales Newsletter Be part of the conversation about digital in Wales. Subscribe to the Transform Wales newsletter for: updates on our work and report a monthly roundup of digital news in Wales opportunities to get inv...

We’re launching a monthly newsletter to provide updates on our report and give you
a roundup of digital news in Wales and links to jobs.

First issue out this weekend.

Sign up here: buttondown.com/transformwales

Happy Friday!

If you'd like to listen to a talk on considering intersectionality and compounding barriers when we think about accessibility, the recording is now on YouTube!

Thank you @contentdesign.london @tomyoull.bsky.social @niacampbell.bsky.social @adrianortega.bsky.social for having me! 💖

A bright yellow book cover with bold black type. The book is titled: Transforming public services for a modern Wales by Ann Kempster, Dafydd Vaughan, Jo Carter and Nia Campbell.

👀 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Test print of our book arrived today.
Watch this space…

Design System Chat - September 2025 Join us for July 2025's Design System Chat to discuss Service Patterns. Hosted by the GOV.UK Design System.

Come and join the conversation in our monthly #DesignSystemChat. This month we'll be talking about #ServicePatterns.

🗓️ Tuesday 30 September, 2pm-3pm BST
🎟️ Read more and grab a ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/design-sys...

YouTube video by Alastair Somerville Human(e) Centred Content Design

Human(e) Centred #ContentDesign talk youtu.be/azHtWjp_8LM?... (22 mins inc captions)

GOV.UK User needs Register to vote Why is this page on GOV.UK? The user need for this page: As a UK resident I need to register to vote So that I can exercise my democratic rights The need is met when the user: understands who is allowed to vote know that you have to be registered in order to vote knows what support is available at polling stations (eg for disabled people) Understands their options if they going overseas temporarily Understand their options if they will be overseas long term This need is in proposition because: It's something only government does It's inherent to a person's or an organisation's rights and obligations

GOV.UK User needs and metrics Renew or replace your adult passport All metrics are recorded over the past 6 weeks. Why is this page on GOV.UK? The user need for this page: As a British person I need to apply for or renew a passport So that I can travel across borders The need is met when the user: the user knows the rules about passport photos the user knows how long it takes to get a passport the user knows the different ways they can apply for a passport, including Check and Send understands the eligibility criteria to get a passport the user knows the rules about when their passport may be taken away knows what to do if they are abroad knows how to get dual citizenship if they already have a passport from another country knows how to renew a passport as a British national born before 2 September 1929, knows how to get a free passport This need is in proposition because: It's something only government does There is clear demand for it from users It's something the government provides/does/pays for

You might not know:

There used to be a hidden page for many services on GOV.UK, which would display the underlying user need through a user story and its alignment with the platform proposition.

You just had to insert /info to any service landing page’s URL.

I still think it’s brilliant.

Happy birthday!

What makes content accessible? Someone recently asked me how I make content accessible. That’s a short, important question with a big answer. And, it gets harder to…

What makes content accessible? A personal blog post from me on:
- structures
- senses
- complexity, ‘noise’ and maintaining a sense of place
- fast, shallow tests in production
- testing with disabled people
- hiring disabled people onto design teams

medium.com/@jack.garfin...

YouTube video by thestrokesVEVO The Strokes - Hard To Explain (Official HD Video)

Been talking about the future of content design with @niacampbell.bsky.social and @adrianortega.bsky.social…

I used the analogy that we’re waiting for our ‘The Strokes’ moment that happened at the end of the 90s, when they came in and blew up the indie music scene.

youtu.be/BXkm6h6uq0k?...

When we say ‘content design is service design’, it’s not the same as saying all service design is content design.

But reducing content design to just surface or data processes misses the bigger picture - and maybe explains some of the challenges the discipline faces?

Do you think that the discipline of content design has evolved beyond it's formative roots? Do you think it is evolving at the required rate? Faster or slower than other UX disciplines?

During a heatwave, Nia?

Weeknotes: Sunday 3 August 2025 Feeling a bit flat this week. It’s been meeting-heavy, so not much space or focus time for the doing — I’ve been reviewing content in…

Happy Monday again! Some weeknotes on:
- Farewells
- Chasing ghosts
- MIT Media Lab principles
- A Moving Castle

Here you go → bit.ly/45cHw7v

Bluesky help:

I'm pulling together a reading list around digital transformation. I've got all the usual recommendations: Lou Downe, Kate Tarling, Giles, Richard Pope, the PD book and other publications etc etc.

What else is essential reading? Books, reports, blog posts etc

Our latest @publicdigital.bsky.social book, competitive advantage by design, is here.

Today, design approaches shape how modern businesses are run.

This is a collection of stories that remind us of the joy of design and its transformative potential.

Get your copy public.digital/pd-design-book

Amazon review of Pride and Prejudice, left by carlton p morgan on 30 July 2010: "Just a bunch of people going to each other's houses"

Happy 15th anniversary of the peak achievement of literary criticism, to all who celebrate

Me too!

Weeknotes: Sunday 27 July 2025 It’s been a few weeks since my last notes again — maybe I should give up and start publishing monthnotes?

Happy Monday again! Some quick weeknotes on:

- Guidance on designing user-centred services
- Early Service Manual content on agile delivery and good technology
- Service patterns and user testing
- Content Conversations and quiet change

Here you go! bit.ly/3GY6HRO