Unemployment Insurance Delivery

Unemployment insurance helps workers recover from job loss and supports employers in fair and consistent labor practices

Unemployment insurance in the U.S. has long been a lifeline during times of economic hardship. But when the pandemic hit, Michigan’s UIA was overwhelmed—more than one million claims flooded in during the first month alone. Outdated systems left workers waiting for help and staff struggling to keep up. The crisis made one thing clear: the unemployment system needed significant modernization to deliver timely support without adding to the burden on staff.

Applying for unemployment insurance benefits was a complex process, bloated with unclear and often conflicting instructions

People looked to Michigan’s unemployment website for help—only to find themselves lost in unclear guidance. With bills due and no paycheck, they searched through dense state manuals and often turned to Facebook groups to crowdsource answers. Many made mistakes, filed incorrectly, or got stuck without a way forward. Employers struggled to keep up with their part in the process, and UIA staff fielded calls from frustrated users looking for clarity. The system wasn’t just inefficient—it wasn’t working when people needed it most.

Our goal was to make it easier for Michigan workers and employers to navigate unemployment benefits while reducing the burden on UIA staff

Civilla led two focused workstreams to understand the worker and employer experiences

Both workers and employers are crucial to the unemployment benefits process. Workers who have lost their jobs need to follow UIA’s instructions to apply for benefits, while employers must meet deadlines and ensure claims are accurate.

Initially, we assumed that both groups had similar needs, just from different entry points. But our research revealed that employers had distinct challenges, requiring a different solution to support their role in the system.

With these guidelines in mind, Civilla developed prototypes to test different page layouts, user journeys, and written content with workers and employers

Starting with sketches and wireframes, we quickly prototyped how the new tools would work, look, and feel. 

We partnered with workers to develop a digital roadmap that guided them through the unemployment process step-by-step

Through multiple cycles of user testing, workers provided essential feedback on prototypes, enabling our team to refine and simplify the experience. With perspectives from a diverse range of workers—urban and rural, single and with families, early and late career, first-time applicants and repeat claimants, and various primary languages—we created a tool that met their needs.

Informed by eight rounds of testing, the roadmap was designed around five key questions: 

1. Am I eligible?
2. What steps do I take?
3. What does this mean?
4. What is the status of my claim?
5. How do I get answers from UIA?

The roadmap prioritizes essential information, including clear calls to action, and provides an overview of the process from eligibility to recertification.

In addition, Civilla worked alongside employers to design and test a new Employer Help Center that serves businesses across Michigan

These organizations represented multiple industries, diverse business sizes, and varying levels of familiarity with UIA. Continuous feedback from employers helped Civilla refine and finalize the design to meet their needs. 

Civilla built the new employer help center as a microsite within the Labor and Economic Opportunity website. It guides employers to the right resources for different tasks and centralizes answers to common questions. By providing self-service options, it helps reduce phone calls, saving time for both employers and adjudicators.

Building bridges within the agency

Civilla convened weekly working groups and consistent leadership sessions across UIA. Highly knowledgeable and motivated staff members came together to support the work and share their expertise. These conversations also helped staff become internal champions of the project’s goals and priorities. 

Putting human-centered frameworks into practice

Civilla created resources like process maps and design principles to keep the project rooted in a human-centered approach. The UIA team then adopted some of these resources as ongoing training tools, helping to align the organization around the "why" behind the work and ensuring lasting impact. 

Integrating with back-end infrastructure 

Throughout the design process, Civilla worked closely with UIA staff to review solutions and ensure they aligned with the agency's technical needs. The software team assessed designs for feasibility, offering valuable guidance to maximize the use of the website’s existing infrastructure.

Ensuring a smooth rollout to the public

Civilla worked closely with UIA leadership to prepare for the public launch of each tool. We helped shape the story behind the work, ensuring a clear and transparent message that was well-received by both the public and the press.