Human centered design

Take the guesswork out of service design by understanding people's needs.

Human centered design (HCD) is a philosophy and method that places people’s experiences at the heart of service design. Unlike traditional, system-centric approaches, HCD prioritizes understanding real-world challenges and frustrations faced by users and crafting solutions that directly address them. HCD is a continuous process, not a one-time fix. Regular evaluation and user feedback are essential to maintain relevance and adapt services to evolving user needs. HCD provides a valuable framework for ensuring government services are and remain accessible, efficient, and user-centric.

21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act & OMB Memo M-23-22

21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act & OMB Memo M-23-22

Resources on Human centered design

Tools and Services

  • The Lab at OPM

    A team of designers with diverse backgrounds that help agencies address complex challenges and build human-centered design capacity across the federal government.

Join a Community of Practice

  • Join the Web Managers

    Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers.

Human centered design events

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025.
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system. event_organizer: Digital.gov
Watch Video
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share their exploration of Web Component-based design systems and best practices.
Watch Video
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will answer community questions and give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.
Watch Video
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.
Watch Video
2024

Human centered design news

Publishing federal sales data: how we used design studios and user testing to develop a user-centered dataset

The Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Office of Natural Resource and Revenue (ONRR) successfully added federal sales data to the Natural Resources Revenue Data (NRRD) platform using design studios and user testing to create a user-centered dataset. By involving subject matter experts and refining prototypes through feedback, the team delivered the project ahead of schedule while meeting user needs. Future plans included additional usability testing and expanding stakeholder engagement.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

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Nov 19, 2024

18F Folks: Adopting a new illustration library

18F adopted a new illustration style, 18F Folks, to better represent the broad spectrum of human experiences. Moving away from simple bust portraits, this updated style captures more complex emotions and human interactions, fostering a stronger sense of connection. By focusing on inclusivity, 18F aims to make government content more relatable and welcoming, ensuring everyone feels valued and understood.— via 18F

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Oct 21, 2024

A revised and expanded guide for de-risking government technology projects

18F recently launched an updated version of the 2020 De-risking Government Technology Guide, offering a new section on vendor management, and combining the State Software Budgeting Handbook and Federal Field Guide into one unified resource. The guide offers practical methods for reducing risks in government tech projects, drawing from 18F’s experience and state employee input. This revision reflects the evolving needs of government agencies, providing key insights on custom software development, vendor collaboration, and performance-based contracting.— via 18F

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Sep 12, 2024

Resources on Human centered design

Tools and Services

  • The Lab at OPM

    A team of designers with diverse backgrounds that help agencies address complex challenges and build human-centered design capacity across the federal government.

More News and Events on Human centered design

118 posts

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025.
2024

Publishing federal sales data: how we used design studios and user testing to develop a user-centered dataset

The Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Office of Natural Resource and Revenue (ONRR) successfully added federal sales data to the Natural Resources Revenue Data (NRRD) platform using design studios and user testing to create a user-centered dataset. By involving subject matter experts and refining prototypes through feedback, the team delivered the project ahead of schedule while meeting user needs. Future plans included additional usability testing and expanding stakeholder engagement.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

doi-revenuedata logo
Nov 19, 2024

18F Folks: Adopting a new illustration library

18F adopted a new illustration style, 18F Folks, to better represent the broad spectrum of human experiences. Moving away from simple bust portraits, this updated style captures more complex emotions and human interactions, fostering a stronger sense of connection. By focusing on inclusivity, 18F aims to make government content more relatable and welcoming, ensuring everyone feels valued and understood.— via 18F

18f logo
Oct 21, 2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system. event_organizer: Digital.gov
Watch Video
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share their exploration of Web Component-based design systems and best practices.
Watch Video
2024

A revised and expanded guide for de-risking government technology projects

18F recently launched an updated version of the 2020 De-risking Government Technology Guide, offering a new section on vendor management, and combining the State Software Budgeting Handbook and Federal Field Guide into one unified resource. The guide offers practical methods for reducing risks in government tech projects, drawing from 18F’s experience and state employee input. This revision reflects the evolving needs of government agencies, providing key insights on custom software development, vendor collaboration, and performance-based contracting.— via 18F

18f logo
Sep 12, 2024

How the Open Data, Design, and Development team implemented state and offshore region navigation pages with hallway testing

User feedback is key to creating great digital products, but limited resources can hinder research efforts. Hallway testing provides a quick, useful solution. By conducting informal interviews, the Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Department of the Interior gathered insights to improve navigation to state and offshore region pages on the Natural Resources Revenue Data website. After testing prototypes, the best option was implemented, streamlining access white minimizing resource use. The team’s next steps include monitoring performance, evaluating the addition of maps on select pages, and continued hallway testing.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

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Sep 03, 2024

How multicultural research guides the USA.gov benefit finder

Discover how USA.gov tailors its benefit finder experience for both English and Spanish-speaking users through culturally nuanced content. Through dual-track language research, a bilingual support team, and A/B testing, USA.gov ensures that more users receive relevant, empathetic, and user-friendly content. The USA.gov team also identified and addressed recruitment challenges to interatively improve its ongoing research processes.— via USA.gov

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Aug 27, 2024

User research and the Paperwork Reduction Act

User research is an important part of customer experience transformation. Different types of research require different approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Through seven case studies, the U.S. Digital Service shows how agencies conducted valuable user research that did not require PRA approval and successfully integrated findings into their projects. Their work illustrates how thoughtful user research transforms delivery of services and helps agencies build trust in government.— via U.S. Digital Service

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Aug 20, 2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will answer community questions and give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.
Watch Video
2024

10 years of the U.S. Digital Service: Transforming government for the digital age

Over the past decade, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has collaborated with more than 30 federal agencies to create user-friendly, reliable, and seamless digital experiences. Their work prioritizing human-centered design and engineering includes improving services for veterans with Veterans Affairs, launching the Internal Revenue Service Direct File Pilot, and supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, USDS remains committed to building trust, fostering innovation, and scaling digital capacity across the federal government, ensuring better service for all Americans.— via The White House

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Aug 13, 2024

Department of Justice recognizes anniversary of executive order to improve access for people with limited English profiency

The Department of Justice recently marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, which aims to improve access to federal services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Its Civil Rights Division reviewed language access plans across federal agencies, emphasizing progress in hiring and staff training, improving language assistance services, and expanding multilingual content. The department is committed to eliminating language barriers in federal programs, improving communication and access for all communities.— via Department of Justice

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Aug 12, 2024

Developing an easier way to recruit user research participants

USA.gov and 10x recently partnered to develop a new user research recruitment page. The page launched in February 2024 and has attracted hundreds of sign-ups. It allows participants to assist in testing government websites for compensation, and helps teams find participants that match needed demographics. By simplifying the process and expanding recruitment of diverse populations, the initiative aims to support and streamline user research. It plans to add recruitment opportunities in additional languages and recruit more specific audiences for future studies.— via USA.gov

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Aug 06, 2024

Introducing the Department of Homeland Security customer experience toolkit

The Department of Homeland Security’s Customer Experience Directorate developed a customer experience (CX) toolkit to help agencies implement CX strategies using a human-centered design approach. The toolkit offers resources to enhance service delivery, processes, and systems, following a “Ready, Set, Grow” framework for planning and implementation. It aims to serve as a reference for organizations bringing CX practices to their own agencies.— via Department of Homeland Security

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Jul 16, 2024

Designing for people with disabilities

The User Experience (UX) team at USA.gov’s Public Experience Portfolio recently conducted a study to analyze the experiences of individuals who access USA.gov through assistive technology. The team partnered with a local organization to gather insights from a diverse group of participants, many of whom are blind or deaf. The study revealed various habits and challenges faced by these users, such as a preference for mobile sites, difficulty with website carousels, and a reliance on clear headings and action-oriented descriptions. These findings can guide improvements in accessibility, such as clever link labeling and better navigation aids for assistive technology users.— via USA.gov

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Jul 16, 2024