Vision 100

Back
2015

Russell Davies

Director of strategy

Government Digital Service

Distilling the never-ending stream of government information through digital transformation could have been a laborious task. But Russell Davies began the journey five years ago and now Gov.uk has eliminated thousands of pages no one visited and, thanks to a focus on users, made access to public services simpler, clearer and faster. His biggest challenge now is “convincing large organisations that digital is not about marketing, it’s about redesigning the whole organisation around the user. If you do that right, you’ll do way less marketing, have happier customers and staff, and make more money.”

Lightbulb moment: "There’s a sign on the platform at Vauxhall Underground station that says ‘front of train less crowded’. It made me realise why I like experimenting with new things. I like being at the front of the train, it’s less crowded."