Service-finding site with eligibility wizard
case study
My contributions
Working with product managers, business analysts, developers and designers, I was primarily responsible for:
UX strategy – Devised and presented concepts for the new site and program/service matching wizard
Information architecture – Created conceptual diagrams, site map, and wireframes. Oversaw creation of prototypes and design components.
Content strategy – Consolidated eligibility requirements, and converted them to unified set of criteria and data ranges. Developed content update and migration strategy for the rest of the site.
Plain language writing – Created questions and answers in everyday terms, avoiding official program jargon or alignment.
Schematics and copy decks defined approach prior to detailed design and development
Original objective
As the pandemic progressed, Tennessee’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DLWD) needed to quaickly stand up a virtual front door to their in-person American Job Center offices to assist the many citizens finding themselves out of work, in need of multiple kinds of assistance, and unable or unwilling to venture out in public.
The service matching tool is the primary call to action on the Virtual American Job Center.
Redefining the problem
I helped convince the DLWD to recast the problem as more than a need for better explanations of services and requirements.
Instead, we suggested replacing a complicated hunt for services with a single, program-agnostic wizard to match users to needs as diverse as education, training, child care, nutrition support, transportation, and assistance for the recently incarcerated.
In five easy steps and plain everyday terms, the wizzard captures all the profile, history, goals, and challenge information needed tp match users to eligible services.
Overcoming hurdles
We wanted to integrate the wizard into the program enrollment processes to further speed access, but that required state-level identity verification and account-creation systems that weren’t ready.
Instead of abandoning our approach, we created a workable public version that gives the user a shareable read-out of their match results. They still need an agent’s help to enroll, but by sharing their choices via chat, email, or QR code on their mobile device, users—and agents—can avoid a lengthy intake interview.
Until full integration and self-service enrollment is available, we devised options for users to save and forward their match results to avoid lengthy intake interviews.
Results
The new tool:
Was found “easy to use” by more than 90% of test subjects .
Is ADA compliant.
Has been adopted by staff as the primary eligibility screening device.
Has saved the agency more than $1.5 million in reduced agent time spent on intake.
Incorporates advanced analytics to measure interest and engagement by program, user type, and geography, giving the agency additional tools to determine resource allocation.
