2025
Martin Jordan leads design and user research at the German government’s Digital Service in Berlin, where he develops and advances inclusive, user-centred approaches across the public sector. Previously, he served as Head of Service Design at the UK Cabinet Office’s Government Digital Service (GDS) in London, where he supported teams across the UK government in designing better services that work for everyone. With experience in both national contexts, Martin brings a deep understanding of the structural and cultural barriers to customer experience transformation in government. In this Trailblazer feature, he reflects on the need for joined-up services, the dangers of tech-driven hype, and the long-term value of designing with -not just for- people.
How It All Started
Before entering public service, Martin spent years designing digital products for global corporations across Berlin, Buenos Aires, and London. But something was missing.
“While work in the private sector was rewarding, public sector work is more meaningful. It touches people’s lives more deeply.”
He was struck by how central government services are to life’s biggest moments.
“Whether it’s a couple having a baby, getting embassy support in a travel emergency, or receiving financial support after becoming unemployed, these situations matter. People experience the capabilities and values of the country they live in through service interactions.”
Yet those services are often built in silos, without the user in mind.
“Often, government experiences haven’t been consciously designed to address people’s needs. So, there is much vital work to do.”
What Gets in the Way?
Martin points to one core structural challenge: life-event journeys often span multiple departments. But the system isn’t built for shared ownership.
“Government services linked to life events often cut across various departments or agencies. Joining them up to create a consistent experience… defies the standard way of working and the distinct roles of departments.”
Without a unified experience owner or common vision, the burden falls on the user. In the UK, for instance, a single business journey can require interactions with up to 12 agencies.
“Simplifying such a journey takes time and requires the political capital of senior officials to be spent.”
Another challenge is the overemphasis on technology, especially when it’s disconnected from user needs.
“Technology should serve a greater purpose: enabling a better experience with the government. Government officials can get too busy chasing the next tech hype while forgetting to contextualize it to serve a larger goal for society.”
A Vision for the Future of CX
Martin envisions a future where services are not only more streamlined; but also more relational.
“We see a swift move towards proactive and personalized government services in various countries.”
By connecting structured data across services, public institutions can reduce redundancy while improving relevance.
“People… don’t have to provide the same input twice. Instead, they only need to add data that’s still missing or give their consent.”
He sees the ‘once only’ principle, where users share information just once, as an achievable standard, with eligibility checks running in the background to suggest adjacent services automatically.
“With these improvements in place, interacting with government reduces effort and saves time.”
But efficiency isn’t the full picture. Public services, he says, should also foster engagement and shared decision-making.
“Receiving a notification about a soon-expiring passport is valuable. But proactively getting asked for input on planning initiatives… or being able to decide what to do with a portion of the city’s budget gives citizens and residents a bigger co-decision-making role in their community.”
Done right, this approach builds trust.
“That can be empowering for people and increase trust in the government.”
Advice for the Next Generation of CX Leaders
Martin is clear: public sector transformation is slow, and that’s part of the process.
“You need to learn to be patient and persistent. It can feel like a long slog… It’s healthy to acknowledge that change takes time.”
His advice? Don’t put all your hopes into one initiative—work across layers.
“Working on multiple things simultaneously can be helpful, as different things move at various speeds.”
He emphasizes the importance of pairing service improvements with underlying structural change.
“Working on a new or improved service in a particular area… should happen in parallel to changing the underlying policy or restructuring the organizational setup.”
And never go it alone.
“Slowly building a network of allies across organizations helps increase the speed of change over time and is crucial to overcoming larger blockers.”
His advice to new professionals is both practical and personal:
“Make some friends, be patient, and do more than one thing.”