£1.5 million contract for Manchester and North of England partnership
UX design and development agency, Sigma has been appointed by the Department for Education (DfE) as its user experience (UX) and design partner in Manchester and the North of England.
The appointment will see Sigma support the Department for Education on the development and improvement of a range of its products and services over the next two years, as part of its digital transformation strategy.
The contract, valued at up to £1.5 million, starts in Spring 2020 and will run for two years. It will enable the department to draw upon cutting edge expertise from one of the UK’s leading UX design agencies, during a period of unprecedented growth in its digital ways of working.
Sigma’s scope of work will include improving the user experience of services designed for, and delivered to, teachers, schools, 
parents and children. It will specifically focus on designing and developing end-to-end services that fit together as a coherent, consistent offer for users.
Shaun Gomm, commercial director at Sigma UK, said: “This is a pivotal partnership for Sigma, and one that will see our expertise put to use as a leading UK user experience and design agency. We are looking forward to further developing our relationship with the DfE and working closely together to improve the everyday lives of teachers, parents and pupils.
Jack Collier, deputy director of digital at Department for Education, said: “We need to think beyond just building digital products and transactions. We want to consider the longer-term experience of our users over time and build stronger relationships with them. This will give us richer insight and a deeper understanding of their changing needs. That insight will enable us to get better and better at supporting them to achieve their goals.”
Sigma is a leading specialist in user experience (UX), with an inclusive approach to improving the accessibility of digital products and services – covering websites, intranets, mobile apps and software. It is also an experienced Gold Partner with Umbraco, the flexible, open source Content Management System chosen by the charity.
