Get to an answer

The Customer Experience and Design (CX&D) team have created a new pattern called 'Get to an answer'. It makes it easy for user-centred design teams in the Department for Education (DfE) to build content that guides users to relevant information by answering a short series of questions.  

Where this started 

The project started with Support for care leavers. What support a care leaver is entitled to is complicated as it depends on several factors. So, to help care leavers understand what support they can get the team developed a checker. This was a short-term solution which used a third-party tool and needed to be replaced.  

Why we built something reusable 

We had two options. Build a bespoke solution just for care leavers. Or develop a reusable solution that other teams could use too. 

In line with DfE’s digital strategy of ‘building for reuse’ we decided to develop something that would be adaptable. We wanted to solve the common problem of how to help users understand what they can get or what they need to do, when there are lots of variables.  

The upfront cost was slightly higher. But the long-term value is significant.  

Deciding what to build 

Before we started to develop ‘Get to an answer’ we worked with DfE’s Components working group to confirm there was enough need. We spoke to other teams who had or wanted to have a similar ‘checker’ and explored what was already available. This helped shape our approach and set the requirements for the product. 

As the work progressed, we regularly shared designs with the Components working group, continued to talk with teams who could potentially use the solution, and sought input from the different DfE digital professional communities.   This approach of co-design and ongoing collaboration meant we have built something that will genuinely work for multiple teams, not just our first use case.  

How we developed it 

We started with GOV.UK Forms as our primary design reference for the internal user interface. We also incorporated elements from Whitehall publisher and the campaign platform. And learnt from similar patterns like smart answers and Check a service is suitable.  

We used existing components from the GOV.UK design system (like radios and checkboxes) for content that end users interact with.  

What 'Get to an answer' does 

The pattern lets you create a series of questions and answers.  

You can use single or multiple-choice answers and apply question branching logic. Users are guided to relevant content based on how they respond to each question. It is possible to create result pages within ‘Get to an answer’ or direct users to existing content on any webpage. 

The user interface lets you create and manage questionnaires without technical skills. 

 

User interface for 'Get an answer'

We also knew we needed to be clear on the scope and show early on what we wouldn’t be doing. It isn't an eligibility checker that performs calculations or cross-references with databases. It doesn't collect user data or allow free text entry. And it's not a form or survey tool replacement. 

What we’ve done so far 

Once we’d developed the functionality and user interface we onboarded the care leavers service as our first user. They recreated the care leaver support checker using ‘Get to an answer’. This let us check everything worked properly in a real context. It also helped us understand what guidance other teams may need.  

Screenshot of Check your care leaver support homepage

The team who manages Teach in Further Education are looking to become the next to make use of ‘Get to an answer’ to replace a quiz that helps people explore whether a career in further education is for them. Onboarding a second team serves two purposes. Confirmation that what we’ve built is easy to use and set-up. And proves the solution is adaptable to meet the needs of a completely different set of external users.  

What's next 

We’re transferring ownership to DfE’s central Design Ops team. They have provided great support and expert input throughout the build.   This means ‘Get to an answer’ becomes part of the DfE design system. And design colleagues can create and manage their own questionnaires without needing on-going developer support. 

Building reusable components takes more thought upfront. But it means we solve problems once, not repeatedly. That's better for teams and better for users.  

https://dfedigital.blog.gov.uk/2026/04/13/get-to-an-answer/

seen at 15:09, 13 April in DfE Digital, Data and Technology.