This case study is password protected due to an NDA.

This case study is password protected due to an NDA.

My Role

UX/UI designer

Led UX researcher

Prototyper

Motion Designer

Skills Involved

User Research

Prototyping

UX Strategy

My Team

Brianna Bian

Chase Cheney

Allie Gregory

Tanvi Joshi

Daniel Koucheravy

Luke Lamendola

Yuyan Zhu

Chloe Landingin

Lugyeong Lee

Madelyn Lee

Arianah Meza

Kylie Wang

Minnie Wangkietkajon

Duration

10 weeks

Envisioning the Phygital Government Service Experience

Project overview

The Problem

State Health and Human Services offices are essential access points for programs like SNAP, Medicaid, Cash Assistance, and unemployment support. However, long wait times, overloaded front desks, and language barriers for limited-English-proficiency clients reduce service efficiency and create a poor client experience.

The goals

Help build a mock visual journey of a citizen walking into a medium-sized state office with all the recommendations for a modernized experience including physical layout for a model office with efficient traffic flow.

Final Presentation

Team Photo

Design, Refinement & Delivery

Final Deliverable - Seamless Digital Experience

No More Stress Over Unnecessary Waiting

Inquiry & Preparation

HHS Mobile Queue

  1. AI Chatbot Consultation for getting quick answers.

  2. Document Pre-Screening, users can check if all required documents are complete before visiting.

  1. Virtual Queue, users can join and track the service line remotely through the app.

Check-In System

Check-In Terminal

  1. Check In Terminal allowing for check-in, pre screening, and line conformation.

  2. AI Chatbot Consultation, ask FAQ questions and get instant answers, or call for employee.

  3. Gathers data of HHS for future reference.

Check-In System

Personalized Physical Ticket

  1. Issues a personalized physical ticket that shows place in line.

  2. QR code on ticket brings user to online app to view live wait times.

  3. Unique tracking number issued on ticket that can reference your place in line.

Waiting Process

Queue Display Screen

  1. Live, fully digital queue display posted large within the offices.

  2. Creates a fully transparent view of the wait time and queue placement.

  3. Audio and visual cues when a new number is served for those with impaired sight/hearing.

Forms and Paperwork

Dedicated Form Station

  1. Document scanner for user to place and fill official HHS documents.

  2. Uses AI Natural Language Processing (NLP) to recognize form, pre fill, and look for missing sections.

  3. Multilingual support, voice/text chatbot that speaks multiple languages, guides step-by-step

Secondary Research

Secondary Research

Re-collect & refine the information

Conducting New Research to Revalidate Problem Statement

The research from Deloitte is just the tip of the iceberg of the current lobby experience. To gain a deeper understanding of how people think and feel during the benefit application process in the lobby, we conducted additional secondary research, providing more insights and feelings.

100+

Comments about Kentucky government lobby experienceon on Reddit

100+

Comments about Kentucky government lobby experienceon on Reddit

4

Cross-State Government Case Study

4

Cross-State Government Case Study

10+

Thesis and articles about queue management system

10+

Thesis and articles about queue management system

California DMV

1

2

Texas DPS

Virginia DMV

3

4

Herman Miller’s

Case Study

Case study

Learning from the Best in Public Service

We conducted comparative case studies of DMVs, DPS offices, and pharmacies to understand their streamlined service flows, systems, and technology use.

By examining common challenges and strategies these environments employ—such as appointment scheduling, digital kiosks, and queue management—we identified overlapping pain points like long wait times and accessibility barriers, as well as more effective solutions some have implemented. Data gathered from these sites reveal trends in wait time reduction, process efficiency, and user satisfaction, informing our approach to redesigning the Kentucky HHS lobby. These insights help ensure our solutions are rooted in proven practices while tailored to address the unique needs of the HHS setting.

Primary Research

On-site Visit

Explore Government Service Design at Chatham County DFCS

We conducted firsthand, primary research by visiting the Chatham County Health and Human Services office in Savannah, Georgia, to observe the current service flow and user journey within the lobby space. We documented the physical layout and organizational setup to understand how users navigate and utilize the space. Additionally, we assessed signage effectiveness with a focus on accessibility and language barriers impacting users.


From these detailed notes, we extracted key observations and identified pain points to target with design solutions intended to improve the user journey and create a more unified and holistic lobby experience. These research findings provide the foundational insights guiding our redesign for the Kentucky HHS office lobby.

Sketch of the lobby layout

Inside Photos

Digital layout of the lobby & User flow map

What We Learned from Users

A synthesized view of user needs

We synthesized all of our research into an organized list of insights.

Application and Qualification Confusion

Need clearer descriptions for eligibility pre-screening and application. Digital kiosks or eligibility check tools in the lobby may help.

Long Waiting Times and Red Tape

Need for tracking systems, automated updates, and real-time information displays in the lobby.

Reliance on Libraries and Others

Consider on-site digital kiosks or “apply here” pods with accessibility tools for those without personal devices.

Accessibility and Disability Considerations

Invest in accessible design (voice-assisted kiosks, multilingual support) and staffed tech help zones.

Limited English

Proficiency

Low Digital Literacy

People with

Disabilities

Parents

with Children

SYNTHESIS & INSIGHTS

Vulnerable User Groups

Although all users face challenges, some are more vulnerable because of their circumstances. Our research identified four vulnerable groups most impacted by long wait times. These groups follow the same journey as others, yet the same issues pose greater challenges for them due to their circumstances.

User Pathway Tracking Based on Applicant Type

User Journey Map of Three Different Groups

Based on our primary and secondary research, we identified three main user groups who visit the HHS office: first-time applicants, recurring renewal applicants, and follow-up applicants. Understanding these groups allowed us to pinpoint key pain points in their service journeys and to design tailored solutions for each touchpoint.

A Lobby That Truly Cares

Patient Centered Care Model

The Patient-Centered Care Model emphasizes emotional and relational support through “I feel” statements, ensuring patients feel guided, informed, respected, and prepared within an experience that is efficient, fair, reliable, and transparent.

Our vision is to design future lobbies that are accessible, efficient, and emotionally supportive—helping users get the services they need without long waits or repeat visits.

Start to Develop Our Solution Directions

6 "How Might We" Questions

With the root causes identified, we shifted our focus toward opportunity areas — framing a series of “How Might We” questions to guide our solution development.

Process Transparency
Make both the application process and in-office waiting more transparent

and trackable?

Efficiency Triage
Improve screening and triage so users are routed to the right service early?


Reduce Staff Workload
Mitigate workload bottlenecks so staff can handle both calls and in-person visits effectively?

Technical Support
Guide users to confidently use kiosks and online portals?

Space & Emotional Experience
Make the lobby experience

less stressful and more

supportive while waiting?

Inclusive Access
Design the lobby to support users with language, literacy, childcare, or accessibility challenges?

Ideation & Solution Development

Ideation & Solution Development

Explore the idea — freely and fearlessly

Creative Concept Exploration

To ensure clear storytelling throughout the user journey, we adopted a new method of presenting ideas by visualizing our solutions as a simple flow map, linking each design decision to a specific pain point. Each session contains a number of rough ideas, and the arrows help us visualize how those ideas connect together.

Where Digital and Physical Care Become One

Finalized Solutions

In this phase, we combined the integrated digital and physical blueprint for the redesigned office. The digital component introduces a suite of tools including a pre-visit app for form submission and real-time case tracking, alongside self-service booths for in-office tasks. The physical redesign features an optimized layout with clear wayfinding, a streamlined queueing system, and private counters equipped with AI translation technology.

This holistic solution addresses the core challenges of wait times, operational inefficiency, and accessibility; creating a modern, scalable model that promotes dignity and accessible equality.

Digital Solutions

Physical Solutions

Design, Refinement & Delivery

Tickets Driven by Task Completion

Cross-Platform User Flow

After discussions with Deloitte, we identified three key areas — the mobile queue, the check-in kiosk, and the self-service kiosk. To reduce overall waiting time, the system routes applicants based on their task completion status.Those who have all the required documents can obtain a ticket number directly at the check-in area, while those who are missing documents are guided to the self-service area to complete their forms before receiving a number.

Development of the mid-fidelity prototype

Wireflows Clarify the Service Process

To build a seamless user experience, we mapped the full service journey through two comprehensive mid-fidelity wireflows: Check-In & Pre-Screening and Application Form Completion. These wireflows illustrate how users move through the redesigned system, revealing detailed interactions, entry points, and decision pathways.

Reflection & next step

Final Deliverable - Seamless Digital Experience

Reflection

Looking back at what we built, what we learned, and where this solution can grow next, this project became one of the most meaningful parts of my journey at SCAD. In just ten weeks, our team partnered with Deloitte to reimagine what a modern government lobby could be. What began as a complicated, overwhelming problem gradually turned into a clear, human-centered vision—one that Deloitte recognized and valued.

More importantly, this proposal gives the Kentucky government a new lens to understand their current challenges and a blueprint for building a more accessible, dignified, and efficient service experience. While our focus so far has been on reshaping the service flow, the next chapter lies in empowering the people behind the system. We imagine future work expanding into staff-training strategies—such as a structured training manual or even AI-assisted training tools—to help frontline workers confidently operate within this redesigned ecosystem.

With that, this project doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like the beginning of a larger, long-term transformation—one that continues to grow beyond the classroom.

Lobby Walkthrough video

A First Look at the Future Lobby Experience

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