Government Digital Services Transformation

Situation

The City of Philadelphia’s digital services were not meeting citizen needs effectively, creating barriers to accessing essential government services and information. The existing phila.gov website structure and content organization made it difficult for citizens to find what they needed, leading to increased call center volume, frustrated residents, and inefficient government operations. The city recognized the need for a comprehensive redesign based on actual citizen needs rather than internal government structure.

Task

As a UX Design Fellow, I was responsible for conducting field research with Philadelphia citizens, building information architecture, and developing content strategy that would drive the redesign of phila.gov to better serve the city’s diverse population and improve government service delivery.

Action

• Citizen-Centered Field Research: Conducted extensive field research with community members across Philadelphia to understand their needs, challenges, and expectations when interacting with city government services. Used contextual inquiry and observational research methods to gather authentic insights about citizen experiences.

• Information Architecture Development: Analyzed current content structure and developed new information architecture based on citizen mental models rather than government departmental organization. Created user-centered navigation and content categorization systems.

• Content Strategy Creation: Developed comprehensive content strategy focusing on clear, accessible language and citizen-centric service delivery. Ensured content addressed real citizen needs identified through research rather than internal government priorities.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Worked with multiple city departments, community organizations, and citizen groups to ensure the redesign would serve diverse Philadelphia communities effectively.

Results

Successfully informed the comprehensive redesign of phila.gov with citizen-centered information architecture, improved content strategy that addressed real user needs, enhanced government service accessibility for Philadelphia residents, and established user research methodologies for ongoing city digital service improvements. The field research and strategic recommendations provided the foundation for a more accessible and user-friendly government digital experience serving hundreds of thousands of citizens.