Design director behind Gov.uk quits GDS following departure of head Mike Braken
The design director behind the Gov.uk website Ben Terrett has quit the Government Digital Service (GDS) after executive director of digital at the Cabinet Office, Mike Braken, announced his departure last week.
The GDS, which was set up off the back of Martha Lane Fox’s Digital by Default report, is to have its budget and headcount slashed this autumn as part of government spending cuts.
Terret had worked at GDS since its conception and on the resulting Gov.uk site, which combines all government services such as Driving Standards Agency and the Foreign Office. The site was praised for its design and in 2013 won a Black Pencil at the D&AD Awards and was named Design of the Year by the Design Museum.
In a blog post announcing his departure Terrett praised the public sector and said that "every" designer should experience working in it.
"Being a civil servant and using your talents to help the people in your country is an honour," he said. "In an industry so often obsessed with novelty and persuasion, government is a chance to do real design work. If the government started a fast stream programme for design grads it would start to change the industry and make services better at the same time".
Before joining GDS Terrett served as design director and Wieden + Kennedy. He leaves without a new role in place.
Joining Terrett in his resignation is deputy director Tom Loosemore, user research head Leisa Reichelt and strategy director Russell Davies.