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Hey there!
I'm Rachel
An ocean loving, country living, content geek!
I’m on a mission to make the internet an inclusive and accessible space for all. I know that’s a big ask, so for the last couple of years, I’ve been concentrating on the mortgage journey space.
I’m a natural empath with a wealth of experience in making things easier for people do to online. When I pivoted into content design, I found a career that finally aligned with my values, experience and skills and haven’t looked back.
Since 2017, I’ve designed an online service that provides youth employment support. Led on the content for multiple public sector journeys and campaigns during a major pandemic. Most notably, support for businesses affected by covid.
Then, I moved into the financial sector just as interest rates rose to their highest since 2008. This gave me a fantastic opportunity to lead the content design for the response to the government’s Mortgage Charter at the largest building society in the UK. As you can see, I love a challenge.
Content design portfolio
Designing content for the financial sector
For the past two years, I’ve worked in the mortgage and financial wellbeing sector at the largest building society in the UK.
I’ve led on content for multiple end-to-end new and existing mortgage journeys. Such as, the response to the government’s Mortgage Charter, a new redemption journey and streamlined advice.
Some of my recent content highlights include:
Redemption and retention journey
- A new online redemption journey to allow customers to find out how much it will cost to pay off their mortgage in full. This journey has three purposes – allow customers to find out the information they need, retain customers and reduce call volumes.
After researching the language customers were using and competitor journeys, I designed content that would guide them through the journey explaining complicated financial terms in clear and simple language.
In the first 6 weeks of going live, over 25K customers have used the feature.
I also redesigned the content for the online redemption statement. This was a nice chunky piece of work, as I was able to take an outdated jargon filled document and transform it into a user-friendly document that anyone can understand.
Overpayment journey
- This journey will address the customer pain points as it incorporates four separate transactions, allowing them to manage their overpayments in one seamless journey. I’ve used inclusive and accessible language throughout all four scenarios. This is still in development but has received positive results from usability testing. The testing allowed me to make iterations that enhanced the overall experience.
The mortgage charter
- Responding to the government’s mortgage charter agreement. I led on a content first approach to design a new interest-only payments journey. And managed to convince my product team to let go of tables and use a plain numbers narrative approach. We were the first lender to meet the FCA’s deadline with a full online payment illustration in a ridiculously short timeframe. And we won an award.
First payment notification
- Enabling customers to find out how much their first mortgage payment will be. This was a small enhancement that has a big impact. I was instrumental in the initial overall design and iterations of first payment notification. A new feature that will satisfy a known user need and reduce call volumes.
Streamlined advice
- Leading on content for a new streamlined mortgage advice journey. This journey received outstanding results from usability testing. Participants said that the content has made extremely complicated information easy to understand. Since going live this journey has reduced appointment times by 50%. Savings for the business but more importantly improving the user experience from the online application stage to the advice appointment.
Work with me
If you’re interested in working with me and would like to see examples of my work, get in touch by email hello@rachel-murray.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Designing content for local government
In 2019 I joined the digital team at Medway Council as a content designer and quickly moved up to a senior position. We were a small team with big impact.
My role was varied. From designing content and services on medway.gov.uk to designing online journeys and rebranding Medway Tickets Live, no two days were the same.
The pandemic was a challenging time. I’d like to call us the invisible key workers who kept the country moving during covid times. We worked at pace always adhering to content design principles and the government digital services (GDS) style guide.
I’m proud of what we achieved. A lot of the covid related content has now been wiped from the web, hopefully never to be needed again. But at the time it had a big impact.
Some of my highlights as a senior content designer included:
Support for businesses
- Support for small to medium businesses and self-employed people. I led on the web content and online journeys for multiple business grants. These grants helped people to put food on the table or stop their business going under.
Support for residents
- Working with comms, I designed a support hub for residents. This was a streamlined approach to the daily announcements, which judging by insights and feedback, was popular with residents.
Initiatives and restrictions
Other initiatives and journeys in response to restrictions. Such as content for libraries, sports centres and other community venues. A new journey for booking visits to recycling centres. Proofreading and editing other content designers’ work.
Microsites
I led on the content for two new microsites. The Rochester Corn Exchange and Medway Adult Education. And contributed to the redesign and content design on Medway Tickets Live.
Some of my highlights as a content designer included:
Death and funerals
- Redesigning the death section. It doesn’t sound like a joyous subject, but like taxes, death is inevitable. I was proud of what I achieved as it made one part of a difficult time simple and straightforward when people need it the most.
Member portal
- Designing a new online space for members. I used the Jadu CMS to build a password protected space for members to find information and documents to help them in their roles.
Planning
- Auditing and redesigning the planning section. I made a complicated subject easy to understand by removing a friction filled navigation structure. And designed a new hierarchy of information with segmented content based on user needs.
Blue Badge
- My first online journey was Apply for a Blue Badge, a great collaboration effort with the service designers and stakeholders. I led on the content for both the journey and web content. The result was a simple and straightforward journey that even my 80 year old mother in law could use.
Designing content for youth employment services
Whilst working in the youth employment service I highlighted a gap in support for young people. I came up with a solution that would reach and support young people in Medway who were at risk of or were not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Despite a reduction of the workforce from 50+ to 6, and a budget cut from £1.3 million a year to £300,000 we still had the same NEET targets to meet. My solution would help us meet those targets as well as support young people in need.
Online employment support
As a side of desk project and with no budget I designed and developed an online service for young people in Medway to access employment and careers support. I created a marketing plan and worked in collaboration with marketing and digital to brand the new service.
We launched the online service in September 2018 and within a few weeks it was very successful.
Marketing mix
I used a mix of the online content, offline marketing campaigns and social media including chat to reach the target market. This made it quicker and easier for young people and their families to access support. We built a job search community on Facebook which helped us to reach the NEET target but also identify young people who needed more support.
Outcome
We received outstanding feedback from our community of young people, families and professionals including the Department of Education.
The online service is still going strong today with the job search group having over 5000 members.
Work with me
I’m passionate about real content design, where the user is at the core of everything we do. Where content design is valued from the top down and the whole company is committed to accessible and inclusive design.
If you have an opportunity that fits the bill, get in touch by email hello@rachel-murray.co.uk or connect with me on LinkedIn.
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