HS2
Moving HS2 to a service design approach
Client overview
High Speed Two (HS2) is the new high speed railway being built as the backbone of the national rail network. It will link London and Birmingham to Manchester, the East Midlands and Leeds. It is the first main line railway to be built in the UK since 1899.
Key Deliverables
Vision
Digital Strategy
Service Design
The challenge
HS2 was looking to achieve a step-change in its ability to design, deliver and operate high-quality IT solutions that were better aligned with the needs of the organisation and its users.

The work
A design research methodology was employed which focused on user needs and building empathy between users – HS2 staff and partners – and designers – those with responsibility for creating and maintaining the IT systems.
Following a series of interviews and cultural probes with over 100 users from across the organisation, HS2 gained a wide understanding of high-level user needs, pain points and personas The engagements helped HS2 understand how and why people interacted with technology and they informed strategic decisions about technology design and procurement.
Rainmaker committed to skills transfer, delivering the whole project in close collaboration with the HS2 team and producing a toolkit for conducting effective user research in future.

“Rainmaker have been able to tell us quickly what needs to be done, but in such a positive way that it has created fantastic results within the team.”
Jeremy Foot
Head of Information Management, HS2
The impact
Detailed understanding of user needs.
Extensive knowledge transfer.
Technology at heart of organisation.
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