Rapid Response Strategy: Digital Services for COVID-19
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The Challenge
Digitizing the city overnight. When the pandemic hit, physical offices closed, but citizen needs skyrocketed. We couldn't afford a 6-month development cycle; we needed solutions in days. My Role: I led the prioritization and design strategy. I managed the alignment between policy makers and product teams to launch MVP services that were accessible, legally compliant, and easy to use for a stressed population.
Outcomes
3 digital services
Speed to Market: Launched 3 critical digital services (permits, health support) in record time.
Crisis Management: Reduced citizen anxiety by providing clear, accessible information during the emergency.
Remote Operations: Established the first fully remote collaboration protocols for the government design team.
Our Approach
We designed and delivered two hands-on workshops focused on purpose-driven project development:
Researched user journeys and mapped out points of friction
Split the team into smaller groups to focus on core services (payments, appointments, registrations, etc.)
Aligned our process with design teams, product owners, and service owners
Developed a pilot experience based on key insights
Key Learnings
Sustaining exploratory phases is key to meaningful innovation
Supporting the team emotionally during uncertainty builds resilience
Projects like these change not only the product—but how the organization works
Who This Is For
UX teams working in complex public environments
Policy labs or civic innovation units
Designers leading multi-stakeholder transformation projects
Facing a complex digital challenge under tight deadlines? Let's talk.