Code of Conduct

In order to establish and maintain an inclusive environment we ask participants to agree to the following code of conduct:

  1. Have respect for all fellow participants. We should all create a harassment-free space for everyone regardless of gender, age, sexual identity, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion or belief. Harassment will not be tolerated in any form.
  2. Help create a safe and welcoming environment. We can do this by being open to diverse points of view, by inviting other people to join and by keeping things people share confidential if they specify it.
  3. Do not assume everyone has the same context. Encourage questions.
  4. Listen to others, and ensure that all activities are respectful, participatory, and productive.
  5. Consider those around you and avoid disrupting others.
  6. Provide constructive, helpful feedback rather than criticising. You can download a poster on giving feedback for tips.
  7. Stay on topic. If a conversation goes off topic we may ask you to hold off and move it to a suitable time and place.
  8. Be present – please try to make the most of the event. Engage with discussions and workshops as much as you feel comfortable. We want everyone to learn from others and meet people working on similar challenges. If you’re unable to attend a ticketed event, cancel your ticket as soon as possible so people on the waitlist can attend.
  9. Do not take photos, video, audio or screenshots of people unless specified by session runners. You can take screenshots of presentation slides for personal use or shared within a government context unless stated otherwise by the session runners.
  10. Be considerate of what you share on social media. Do not share any content, insights or links from sessions without the explicit permission of the session runners.

The event organisers reserve the right to ask anyone in violation of these policies to not participate in further activities.

Organisers will reinforce this code within events and on our platforms. If you have any concerns, you can get in touch with any member of the Design System team.

Alternatively you can contact the Design System team and a member of the team will get back to you.

(These guidelines are adapted from Afrotech Fest code of conduct, Code for America code of conduct, UKGovcamp code of conduct, and Services Week 2021 code of conduct codes of conduct.)

Need help?

If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.