Arizona Department of Economic Security

How might we...

design a people-first experience that empowers people applying for benefits to achieve their highest potential, while also ensuring positive and productive interactions?

130 In-depth interviews with employees and end-users

85 Design Sprint participants

83 Ideas generated

28 Concepts prototyped

Challenge

The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) knew they had a problem: the process for applying for benefits was too complex and frustrating for many Arizonans. This made it hard for people to get the help they needed, and it was holding the DES back from truly serving its community.

They were ready for a change – a system that was easier to navigate and truly put people first.

Approach

Cast & Hue kicked off the project by getting a holistic feel for the current experience. We observed people applying for benefits, and then conducted in-depth interviews with both those applying and the DES team in order to understand the experience from their perspective.

From these insights, we created a journey map that highlighted six key moments where we could make the biggest impact.

We then collaborated with citizens, DES staff, and leadership, using design thinking to brainstorm, prototype, and test solutions. This resulted in 83 ideas and 28 prototypes for the new experience.

Outcome

All the research insights were distilled into a clear Experience Blueprint – a roadmap for the ideal end-user and employee experience. We didn't just stop at ideas, though. We mapped out which initiatives would have the biggest impact, and created a plan to make sure this new, people-first approach would actually achieve the DES's goals.