LI GARDNERResearch • Design • AI experience
Royal Pharmaceutical Society / Publishing / Enterprise transformation

From 10+ legacy systems to one modern publishing service.

I led the service design that redefined the future publishing service, aligning business, data and architecture around a clear North Star, then carried it through experience architecture and a UX roadmap into implementation.

Two colleagues review a wall-mounted service blueprint while one annotates it with a pen
Illustrative workshop scene based on the project service blueprint
20+Spreadsheet templates and manual processes retired
60%+Reduction in operational complexity and manual effort
90%+User adoption in the first rollout
My role
Transformation & User-Centred Design Lead
Type
Consulting + Delivery (2023–2024)
Legacy
10+ legacy systems on the retirement path
Focus
Publishing service · Operating model · Legacy migration · Adoption
Design
Service model · Experience architecture · UX roadmap · UX/UI design
Research
Stakeholder interviews · Process modelling · Co-design workshops

What I did, in four moves

  1. 01 ChallengeSituation

    The programme was replacing technology without defining the service.

    It was framed as a systems replacement, with 10+ legacy systems and many manual processes. Without a shared view of how publishing should work, priorities diverged and the programme stalled.

    I reframed it around the publishing service and what users needed to achieve.

  2. 02 DefineTask

    Use service design to define the future service model.

    I mapped user and operational needs, content flows, governance and safety requirements, and aligned the model with data and technical architecture.

    A shared North Star for the transformation.

  3. 03 ArchitectAction

    Turn the service model into a North Star experience architecture.

    • End-to-end journeys
    • Information architecture
    • Key workflows
    • Interaction patterns

    A clear structure for product and design teams to build from.

  4. 04 DeliverResult

    Create the UX roadmap and guide design into implementation.

    I translated the North Star into a phased UX roadmap, then guided detailed UX/UI design through implementation, aligned with the service model and architectural constraints.

    90%+ adoption in the first rollout, with 20+ manual templates retired.

From fragmented systems to a modern publishing service

The design progression I led

  1. Current service10+ systems, manual processes
  2. Future service modelEnd-to-end publishing service
  3. Data & architecture alignmentContent, data, systems
  4. North Star experience architectureJourneys, IA, workflows
  5. UX roadmapPhased design and delivery
  6. Detailed UX/UI designKey flows and components
  7. ImplementationIterative delivery and adoption
Continuously aligned layers
  1. ServicePeople · process · content · governance
  2. ExperienceJourneys · workflows · IA · interaction · design system
  3. TechnologyData · systems · platform · architecture
My contribution

What I owned

  • Reframed the programme around the future publishing service
  • Defined the future-state service model through service design
  • Aligned service design with data and technical architecture
  • Created the North Star experience architecture
  • Translated the service model into UX and UI direction
  • Created the phased user-experience roadmap
  • Guided detailed UX/UI design through implementation
  • Maintained design coherence from strategy through delivery
Methods, frameworks & toolkit

How I worked

  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Service blueprinting
  • Current / future-state mapping
  • Operating model design
  • Co-design workshops
  • Process modelling
  • Experience architecture
  • Design principles
  • Outcome & measure framing
  • Roadmap planning
  • UX/UI design
  • Change & adoption planning