Digital Dubai·2 min

Designing a shared foundation for government services

Government portal design
Government portal designDesktop layout exploration from the original design file; sample content.Open full design

Challenge

Government entities needed consistent service experiences, with enough flexibility for different audiences, content and technical constraints.

Strategy

I designed reusable portal patterns, created the Dubai AI interface and supported entity teams through handoff, knowledge transfer and implementation reviews.

Outcome

Entity teams could build from shared portal patterns and implementation guidance. Dubai AI gained its entry and conversation flows.

My role
Design-system research, design and delivery; sole designer for Dubai AI
Scope
Portals, service cards, AI chat, reusable layouts and implementation reviews
Period
2022–2024

Where consistency mattered. Where the layout needed to change.

I designed reusable portal patterns and the Dubai AI interface, with responsibility for developer alignment, handoff and implementation reviews.

Keep the service recognizable across different layouts.

Entities needed a common foundation without being limited to one homepage composition. I prioritized reusable navigation and service patterns with room for different layouts.

The tablet and mobile explorations show how those entry points were recomposed for different screens. They are layout explorations, not evidence of a measured usability improvement.

Tablet composition
Tablet compositionNavigation and service entry points within a more compact layout.Open full design
Mobile composition
Mobile compositionA narrower composition with service and assistant access near the bottom.Open full design

Explain the assistant before the first question.

I designed the assistant entry and conversation flows alongside the portal patterns. The introductory guidance explains the assistant's scope, limitations and the need to verify important information.

That guidance belongs inside the experience, rather than being left to external documentation.

Entry guidance
Entry guidanceCapabilities and limitations are presented before the conversation.Open full design
Conversation state
Conversation stateThe response, composer and verification reminder in the original interface.Open full design

Carry the design into implementation.

My contribution included developer alignment, knowledge transfer and implementation reviews, alongside the reusable layouts and AI flows.

The public material documents the design and delivery scope. Adoption and usability results are not reported here.

The thinking behind the decisions

Explain the assistant before the first question.

Scope, limits and a reminder to verify come first.

Guidance belongs inside the experience.

Capabilities and limits appear before the conversation, not in separate docs.

Recognizable across layouts.

Entities share one foundation without being tied to one homepage.

Carry the design into implementation.

Developer alignment, knowledge transfer and implementation reviews.

What entity teams got

  • Reusable portal layouts and a shared pattern library.
  • Dubai AI entry guidance and conversation flows.
  • Handoff guidance, knowledge transfer and implementation reviews.

The decision I would carry forward

Standardize the patterns that make a service recognizable, while leaving room for the composition to respond to the entity and its audience.