On May 24, 2017 GovOps hosted a first of its kind event focused on user centered design and digital services. We invited the nation’s leading experts from the public and private sector to speak to a hand selected audience of high level state government officials about how user centered design can transform how government delivers services to its people.
Presentations
Our Guest Presenters
J
arryn Miller is a Veterans Administration Service Designer based in San Francisco. Miller is a designer, researcher, and maker with the Veterans Experience team, which focuses on user research, outreach and design. Throughout his career, Miller has used design thinking to develop products and services for consumer, medical, military, and social media clients. From early childhood education to the environmental impacts of consumer waste, he has always enjoyed using design to tackle complex societal issues. Miller attended the Savannah College of Art and Design receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial and Product Design.
Alexis Fernandez is Chief of the CalFresh Policy Section at the California Department of Social Services. Fernandez works with local, state and federal partners to advance the Department’s CalFresh strategic program goals, including streamlining benefit delivery, expanding work opportunities and increasing participation. Previously, Fernandez was the Policy Director at the First 5 Association of California and the Director of Legislation at California Food Policy Advocates. She received her Master of Social Work with an emphasis on management and planning from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies from University of California, San Diego.
Kate Lydon is Portfolio Director in IDEO’s San Francisco’s office. She focuses on client relationships and content with an emphasis on citizen impact and government organizations. Since joining IDEO in 2008, her work has included large-scale projects in education, government, workplace, and retail. Lydon has led programs focused on innovation in the private, public, and social sectors, and tackled complex challenges such as designing networks of innovation hubs across US. Clients including the City of San Francisco, Mayo Clinic, Intergroup, and Deloitte. Lydon holds a Masters degree in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley and Bachelors degrees in Urban Planning and Art History from the University of California, San Diego.
Kim McCoy-Wade is Branch Chief for CalFresh Branch at the California Department of Social Services. She is responsible for the nation’s largest CalFresh program (also known as SNAP) , providing 4.2 million Californians with food assistance each month. McCoy-Wade is also responsible for SNAP Outreach, Nutrition Education, Employment & Training, and Disaster-SNAP programs. Prior to her appointment, McCoy-Wade was an independent policy consultant and also served as the Executive Director at the California Association of Food Banks. McCoy-Wade is an alumna of Carleton College, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and the New York University School of Law.
Mai-Ling Garcia is Online Engagement Manager for the City of Oakland. There, she has led product development and user research for civic technologies. Such products include RecordTrac, Beta.Oaklandca.gov, and other pilot applications and engagement tools. Garcia developed the City of Oakland’s first content strategy, style guide, and digital design standards in partnership with Code for America. She is the Co-founder of the City’s Civic Design Lab, a developing space for entrepreneurial bureaucrats to redesign government processes with public needs at the forefront. Garcia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley.
Peter Jackson co-leads the Public Sector Portfolio from IDEO’s San Francisco office. He helps governments, non-profits, and enterprises implement Design Thinking into their organizations. Jackson leads client relationships and programs where design questions focus on opportunities to make products, services, and organizational cultures more citizen-centered. Prior to joining IDEO, he served as the Assistant Director for Consumer Engagement creating brand management organization. He was also the Senior Advisor for Communications with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Jackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Virginia.
Jack Madans oversees product and implementation for OpenCities— a website platform for municipalities. He works with public servants to make government simpler. Madans is a self-proclaimed “civic tech enthusiast” and a civic strategist working with public servants on a broad set of issues, ranging from digital strategy and user experience to community organizing and change management. Prior to joining Open Cities, Madans was part of the founding team at Code for America. Madans acquired his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.
Recommended Reading
United States Digital Service
A playbook of 13 important principles drawn from successful practices from the private sector and government to help governments build effective digital services.
Code for America
Lessons learned by design teams for putting user-centered design into practice for government.
United Kingdom Government Digital Service
Ten design principles created by the British government with examples of how they were put into practice.
18F
The U.S. government’s own set of common user interface components and visual styles for websites. This resource is designed to establish a standard and common look and feel for building web services for government designers and developers. This creates a high standard for what the American people can expect from their digital experiences from government.
Techwire
Californians Want Improved Government Websites Above All Else
Accenture shared with Techwire how baby boomers and millennials view how to improve government. More Californians think that improving state and local government websites should be a top tech priority.
Stanford D.School
Tools and methods to help others apply design in order for them to unlock creative potential.
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
A toolkit for veterans to access services and benefits they have earned.