JDD editorial UX designed in Figma. Engineered by OS in-house.

Who Ordnance Survey is

Ordnance Survey is Great Britain’s national mapping service. They look after the country’s most trusted geographic database, which holds more than half a billion features and is updated as often as twenty thousand times each day. It’s a massive operation, but it has to be, because their work serves very different groups of people all at once.

On one side, government and public sector leaders rely on their data to make decisions. Businesses and enterprise partners use it to create services. Developers tap into the Data Hub to build new tools. And everyday outdoor consumers turn to the OS Maps app to plan walks, rides and adventures.

Designing for all of these people on a single platform is a unique challenge. For JDD, it meant creating a news and insights experience that felt simple, clear and useful, no matter who you were.

The Challenge

Ordnance Survey needed a news site that could talk to all of these audiences at the same time. They wanted to make it easy for people to get where they needed to go without getting lost in the noise. They also needed trust to be visible in the right moments — proof of scale, proof of accuracy, proof of credibility — sitting right next to the actions that matter most.

In short, they wanted clarity, speed, and an experience that felt natural for every type of visitor.

Clear paths and confident outcomes

We made navigation simple and human. The menu now has four clear doors — Government, Business, Developers and Outdoors — so every audience can go straight to what they need.

On the homepage, we stripped back distractions and made outcomes the focus. One headline, one short proof, and two direct calls to action: “Speak to a geospatial expert” and “Start with the Data Hub.” Proof statements sit right alongside the buttons, giving people confidence to act right away.

Smarter discovery and a system that scales

For those searching through the national database, we built a guided product finder that mirrors how the data is actually organised. Developers got quick-start layouts, copy-and-paste code, and a fixed call to action to get projects moving without delay.

We also gave OS Maps a clear space to shine, showing its benefits without distracting from the business and government journeys. Behind the scenes, everything was built on a flexible design system in Figma — consistent colours, typography, spacing, and accessibility rules — so the experience looks and feels seamless while being quick to scale.

The process we followed

We began with discovery — speaking with stakeholders, reviewing analytics, and auditing content. Then we mapped the journeys of different audiences, defining what success would look like for each of them. From there, we moved into design: a system in Figma with key screens, navigation, hero modules, the product finder, developer pathways, and credibility bands.

Finally, we handed everything over to Ordnance Survey’s in-house developers, providing annotated files, accessibility notes, and guidance for testing. They brought the designs to life, while we ensured the foundation was strong, scalable and easy to maintain.

Ready to See It in Action?

We help national organisations and SMEs alike simplify complex journeys, remove friction, and build trust exactly where decisions are made.