Redesigning Public Digital Services During a Crisis
The Challenge
How can we improve the digital experience of public services when teams are remote, the context is unstable, and user needs are urgent?
At the beginning of the pandemic, I led a multidisciplinary team working on over 15 public sector digital projects. Citizens had to navigate multiple disconnected platforms to complete a single task. This fragmented experience increased friction, confusion, and frustration.
We decided to rethink how public services are designed—starting with questions:
What kind of services do we offer?
What patterns repeat across them?
How many ways are there to complete the same action—and why?
Outcomes
3 digital services
Improved services by simplifying user flow
Delivered a validated pilot experience based on user research
Got approval for a long-term strategic UX plan
Built momentum and trust across departments—even through a change in government
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
Want to redesign your public services based on real user needs? Let’s talk.