stories

Civilla welcomes a new CEO

A Q&A with Michael Brennan and incoming CEO Julia Dale

A better way to track your benefits

Designing the country’s first benefits application tracker

Government Technology

Can Human-Centered Design Help Rebuild Trust in Government?

Civilla shares how the effects of the pandemic deepened the need for human-centered design in government institutions.

The Paradox of Certainty

Why effective leaders embrace “I don’t know"

Rebuilding trust through human-centered design

How UIA and Civilla are revitalizing unemployment delivery in Michigan

The Power of Small

How leaders can focus on small steps that lead to lasting change in public institutions

AI for social good

How the City of Boston uses AI to serve its residents

“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

How storytelling makes change possible at the IRS

Designing a better taxpayer experience through data and user stories

Mastering the craft of correspondence

Designing mail correspondence that builds trust and inspires action

“Show up as yourself from day one”

Raquel Hatter shares lessons from 30 years of leadership

Scaling impact through incremental change

Lowering the cost of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities

Designing for trust

How taking creative risks can improve the relationship between institutions and the public

Making civic participation accessible for all

How the Center for Civic Design is improving the voting process through design

Creating space for dream projects

Making an impact beyond fires and funding requirements

More than a bike path

How Detroit’s Joe Louis Greenway is bringing community members and city officials together to revitalize their city

Storytelling on 1 square inch

How citizen voices shape the Postal Service stamp program

"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

Better technology, by design

Transforming the way digital services are built in government through human-centered design

"You can use bureaucracy to fight bureaucracy”

Marina Nitze shares what she’s learned about hacking bureaucracy

"You Have To Be Willing To Get Uncomfortable"

Julia Dale shares what she’s learned about leading through times of crisis

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

Using Tech to Streamline Child Support

How Georgia uses technology to ease the burden of child support on families and local offices

“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

Names, Not Numbers

A human-centered approach to tackling homelessness in Rockford

Small Changes, Big Impact

How starting small helped improve the public benefits renewal system in Michigan

Making the Case for Change

The unlikely story of how Civilla came to partner with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

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

The Road to Rollout

Designing the path from idea to implementation at scale