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User experience research

Illustration of a young Black man with a prosthetic left arm. He sits at a table and talks to a group of three people. There are charts and notes on the table and around the room.
U.S. Department of Labor

Leveraging user research to improve unemployment insurance delivery

We partnered with the Department of Labor on a user research initiative aimed at providing states with human-centered modernization recommendations.

Illustration of a young Indigenous woman sitting at an office desk and talking on her cell phone. There is a laptop, monitor, and notebooks on the desk in front of her. Someone working on a computer sits across from her.
Nava Labs

Conducting user research to jumpstart human-centered experimentation with artificial intelligence

Our insights are helping us identify use cases and design experiments to test how AI-powered tools can expand access to public benefits.

A middle-aged white woman, a middle-aged Middle Eastern man, and an older white man in a wheelchair engage in a card sorting activity at a desk.
State of New Jersey

Applying user research to improve access to unemployment benefits in New Jersey

Nava is leveraging user research to help the New Jersey Department of Labor make its UI technology more accessible, flexible, and resilient.

A diverse group of eight people sit together at a table in an office. They are providing feedback on a product to a young, Black man with a flowchart on his computer.

How to build a participant advisory council

Learn how to bolster your user research and design more effective services by forming a participant advisory council.

State of Montana

Designing an eligibility screener tool for Montana WIC

Nava worked with Montana’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) agency to help ease the enrollment process.

November 18, 2022 at 5:30 PM UTC

Building trust through equitable research practices

Join us for a talk about equitable research practices at Civic Design 2022

An illustration of a middle-aged Black man in a wheelchair sitting at a desk. He is typing on a laptop and holding a phone between his ear and shoulder.

Testing accessibility at every step of designing and building technology

Improving accessibility to public services with an online application for a state's Medicaid for the aged, blind, and disabled (ABD) supplement.

Why human-centered testing is crucial to building government software

At Nava, we’ve leaned into modern and open-source frontend testing options to ensure seamless experiences for the constituents we serve.

Three people sit around an office table with open notebooks and laptops.

How to conduct a usability test

Use this guide to get the most out of your usability test, which can help teams develop inclusive, accessible, and user-centered products.

A Black man sits behind a laptop.

How to plan a usability test

Planning for a successful usability test can help teams develop products that are user-centered, accessible, and inclusive.

April 7, 2022 at 8:00 PM UTC

Learning Session: User research

Learning Session: User Research

Get things right from the beginning with equitable research recruitment

Traditional user research practices often exclude people essential to success of a service. Here are some practical tips to improve your approach.

A white man and a Black man sit at a table talking.

Power your mission: How to engage users and iterate

Rather than building your product based on assumptions of what users want, engage users throughout the building process to truly meet their needs.

State of California

To quickly help people in a crisis, start with user research

Starting with user research ensures that what you build will give people the help they need, when they need it.

An Asian woman and a Black woman work together at a whiteboard in a conference room.

How to design content for user onboarding

Learn how to prepare and guide people through a complex process using content strategy.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Supporting Veterans with virtual tele-hearings

During the pandemic, Nava partnered with VA to build virtual tele-hearings so that Veterans could have benefits hearings wherever they choose.

A group of diverse people use their phones while standing in line.

How to improve forms through user research

Conducting user research can help you improve benefits application forms so more people can accurately complete them, helping you serve people faster.

A white woman takes notes on a clipboard while chatting with a white man.

How to get informed consent in user research using plain language

Using plain language is essential to protecting privacy and getting informed consent in user research.

A young Black woman comforts a young white woman.

How to use service design during a crisis response

In times of crisis when benefits applications surge, service design can help applicants better understand what they’re eligible for and how to apply.

Form design approaches for downstream effects & nonlinear navigation

How we approached nonlinear navigation, answer changing, and more challenges when building a new eligibility form for HealthCare.gov.

A group of employees work together on developing wireframes at a table.

Structuring a complex eligibility form for HealthCare.gov

How we determined the sequencing of questions and design patterns to break a complex form into digestible chunks.