Design Standards
Design standards, principles and guidelines are the foundation of good UX. They bring structure, consistency and clarity to the design process, helping teams work more efficiently and stay focused on the user. With the right tools in place, teams are set up to create experiences that are both high quality and high impact.
The Problem
At Cazoo, rapid scaling meant our focus was on shipping quickly and giving teams the autonomy to move fast. As a result, consistency in how teams worked across domains wasn’t always aligned.
The Approach
I created a UX plan to support the product strategy at Cazoo. With a long journey ahead, I took a pragmatic and realistic approach to build momentum and keep things moving.
The focus was on consistency, simplicity and collaboration. Phase one included:
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Design and content principles
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Regular crit sessions
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Design system management
It was the starting point for a longer journey of continuous improvement in design standards.
Creating UX Principles
I ran a workshop with the full UX team to define our principles together.
We began by brainstorming key words that could guide our work, then used dot voting to highlight the ones that resonated most. In small groups, we built out each word with supporting phrases, for example, under Clear:
"As a user, I should always understand how to complete my tasks" or
"Our designs should be jargon free, using simple language."
By mapping these sentiments, we had a strong foundation to shape our final principles with clarity and shared ownership.
The Content Design team partnered with UX to shape the final principles, crafting clear headlines, context and supporting bullets.
The principles needed to:
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Act as a compass for UX design standards aligned to the product strategy
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Be usable across functions, helping both UX and stakeholders understand how we design and how we hold ourselves to account
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Serve both internal and external audiences, connecting us to the wider global design community
Figma Workspace Guides
We created practical guides to bring consistency to how we design and use our tools:
Transparent
Avoid working in silos by making your work visible across teams. Clearly document your files so anyone outside the project can understand them at a glance.
Manageable
Follow a structure that makes it easy to stay organised without adding extra effort or complexity.
Sustainable
Build a design ecosystem that can scale without piling up design debt. Set aside time each week to review and manage any debt before it grows.
Content Design Principles
Content is the bridge between users and a product. It sets expectations, guides interactions and helps people understand features, benefits and how to get the most out of the experience. Thoughtfully designed content builds trust, shapes perception and creates a smoother user journey. It also plays a vital role in discoverability and SEO, helping more people find and connect with the brand and products.
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I led the effort to bring together Content Design, Marketing and Product leaders to align content with the product strategy. This helped us clearly communicate the value proposition, engage users and drive conversions, all contributing to the product’s overall growth and success.
Simple
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Content that's easy to read
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Everyday words, no jargon
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Use of headings and white space for scannability
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Designed for a reading age of 9 years old
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Designed with a reading ease score of more than 75
Clear
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Content that's easy to understand
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Designed with a purpose and does not leave users confused
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Gives customers the confidence to trust Cazoo
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Honest and meaningful
Helpful
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Content that helps people complete a task, action or goal
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Positive and action-oriented
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Helps the customer have the confidence to proceed
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Supportive and friendly
Content Design Tone of Voice
Cazoo’s language is the thread that holds the experience together. While words may be universal, how we use them is what sets us apart.
Our guide helps writers understand what it means to be Cazoo, using words with clarity, confidence and consistency. It’s a practical way to ensure every message reflects our voice and that customers experience the brand in a familiar, authentic way every time.
Crits & Retros
To support autonomy and peer review, the team runs its own crit sessions. They’ve created their own structure and set of ground rules to manage time and keep sessions productive:
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Rules of engagement
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Build on the ideas of others when giving feedback
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Stay constructive and focus on the work, not the person
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Be mindful of time so everyone gets a chance to share
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Listen fully, then ask questions at the end
Crit goals
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Unblock problems and spark new ideas
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Raise the quality of the work
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Encourage consistency across teams
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Share context and learn from each other