stories
stories of change in action
Join the conversation: explore institutions serving people in positive ways, dive into dialogues with brave leaders, and see behind the scenes of Civilla's own projects.
how to lead in times of change
A guide for public sector leaders
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The state of human-centered design
4 challenges to scaling human-centered design in government today
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Civilla welcomes a new CEO
A Q&A with Michael Brennan and incoming CEO Julia Dale
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A better way to track your benefits
Designing the country’s first benefits application tracker
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The Paradox of Certainty
Why effective leaders embrace “I don’t know"
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Rebuilding trust through human-centered design
How UIA and Civilla are revitalizing unemployment delivery in Michigan
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The Power of Small
How leaders can focus on small steps that lead to lasting change in public institutions
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AI for social good
How the City of Boston uses AI to serve its residents
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A billion page views, one thing in common
How the U.S. Web Design System helps teams across the federal government scale their impact
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“We have a real opportunity to move government into the digital age”
Robin Carnahan shares how to bring a human-centered design mindset across government agencies
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How storytelling makes change possible at the IRS
Designing a better taxpayer experience through data and user stories
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Mastering the craft of correspondence
Designing mail correspondence that builds trust and inspires action
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“Show up as yourself from day one”
Raquel Hatter shares lessons from 30 years of leadership
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Scaling impact through incremental change
Lowering the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities
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Designing for trust
How taking creative risks can improve the relationship between institutions and the public
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Making civic participation accessible for all
How the Center for Civic Design is improving the voting process through design
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Creating space for dream projects
Making an impact beyond fires and funding requirements
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More than a bike path
How Detroit’s Joe Louis Greenway is bringing community members and city officials together to revitalize their city
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Storytelling on 1 square inch
How citizen voices shape the Postal Service stamp program
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"Why Don’t We Try a Virtual Reality Simulation?”
Kevin Jones shares his experience in using technology to dramatically reduce staff turnover in the child welfare system
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Better technology, by design
Transforming the way digital services are built in government through human-centered design
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"You can use bureaucracy to fight bureaucracy”
Marina Nitze shares what she’s learned about hacking bureaucracy
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"You Have To Be Willing To Get Uncomfortable"
Julia Dale shares what she’s learned about leading through times of crisis
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Cutting through bureaucracy
Antonia Jiménez shares what she’s learned about understanding data through the human stories behind it and challenging bureaucracy where others might shy away
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Using Tech to Streamline Child Support
How Georgia uses technology to ease the burden of child support on families and local offices
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“If We’re Laser-Focused, We Can Achieve Anything”
Paving the way for the City of Detroit and beyond, Joshua Edmonds shares what he’s learned about community, collaboration, and executing no matter what
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Names, Not Numbers
A human-centered approach to tackling homelessness in Rockford
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Small Changes, Big Impact
How starting small helped improve the public benefits renewal system in Michigan
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Making the Case for Change
The unlikely story of how Civilla came to partner with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
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Responding Quickly in Times of Crisis
How Michigan harnessed existing infrastructure to get food on the table faster for families in need during COVID-19
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"You Can't Learn By Sitting In Your Chair"
After 38 years in public service, Terry Beurer shares what he’s learned about frontline leadership, user voices, and humbling experiences
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The Road to Rollout
Designing the path from idea to implementation at scale
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