Getting people connected to government services shouldn't be so hard. We need to cut through the web of critical information online and make it available and usable for the people who need it most.
The system now supports hundreds of thousands of users, many of whom are navigating trauma, language barriers, and unfamiliar technologies.
Connecting asylum seekers with critical information
At the core, this project was about creating trust. Noncitizens, particularly those escaping violence, persecution, and death, have a complicated relationship with authority and government. My response was to meet them where they are and build trust so that we may design WITH them rather than FOR them. The solution needed to be an inclusive and accessible digital pathway to critical information.
Noncitizens rely on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or legal representatives to understand their responsibilities and comply with their asylum claim. Unfortunately, the majority of noncitizens seeking asylum do not have proper access to NGOs or have the funds to work with lawyers. Most noncitizens rely either on their friends or family members to navigate the system or all on their own. This results in a web of misinformation, which may ultimately lead to a negative outcome.
Court dates, locations, and responsibilities are crucial for asylum seekers to prove fear of return. Open data sources and excellent resources are out there. With a portal that aggregates all of this for a user, how might we build their confidence and establish trust to successfully onboard them and provide access to critical case data?
Start with empathy.
To learn from our users, I needed to go to them. I led comprehensive user research with Spanish and English-speaking noncitizens. I conducted over 40 bilingual interviews throughout the U.S.-Mexico border and various checkpoints in NYC, DC, and Boston.
The insights were gold! They shaped the design of the digital product and helped form a trauma-informed care framework for user research in government.
Through usability testing, journey maps, and prototyping, I facilitated decisions with stakeholders to develop an effective digital product for low digital literacy users while reducing the burden for officers and migrant support staff.
Lead with community.
Usability testing revealed exactly what I needed to know and what I needed to pass on to our team and stakeholders! Most users had low digital literacy but relied heavily on mobile devices. This presented a unique design challenge. So we had to reduce cognitive load and use visual cues instead of dense instructions throughout the website. Trauma and high anxiety meant that our tone had to be welcoming, simple, and reassuring. Every word mattered!
Accessibility and multilingual design were essential for this user community. Many of them spoke limited English with limited literacy and physical challenges. I conducted several rounds of iterative testing with users and brought insights to our stakeholders so that they, too, may understand the challenge and become champions of the work.
Learn and apply.
Result & Impact.
Over a hundred thousand users onboarded within the first year of the website rollout
Built trust with marginalized users through clear communication and human-centered design
Recognized with a 2025 DHS IT Team of the Year Award for design impact and cross-agency collaboration
Why This Matters?
This project proves that even in high-stakes environments, empathetic design can scale without sacrificing security or operational needs. When we center people, we can build systems that serve everyone better.