Impact of Human - Centered

Design in Government Blair Corcoran de Castillo

Design Strategist

The Lab at OPM

Blair.Corcoran@opm.gov

OPM found a storage room

in its sub-basement...

…and repurposed it to encourage new

ways of solving problems.

DESIGN + INNOVATION Defining human-centered design

The discipline of navigating complex problems

and creatively designing effective solutions to

meet people's real needs.

Human – Centered Design

Benefits

• Gives your teams the tools to tame highly

complex problems

• Helps you get the right solution faster rather

than implementing changes around symptoms

• Organizational change management tool that re-

energizes employees

• Leverages creativity and blue sky aspirations

• Promotes productive interdisciplinary

collaboration

7

How do we overcome design

roadblocks in government?

8

The Lab staff partnered with the USAJOBS PMO

to apply a human-centered design process that

helps us understand how we can improve the

experience people have when applying to the

Federal government

USAJOBS USAJOBS Case Study

9

Federal and Country-Wide

Stakeholders

10

Using Empathy to Develop

Breakthroughs

11

5 Lessons We’ve Learned (so far…)

1. Build Support Internally

2. Build an Innovation Mindset

3. Build a Diverse and Creative Team

4. Ask Questions When Told “No”

5. Measure and Communicate Results

12

Build Support Internally

• Start with an example of a DT

project that worked

• Talk about how it will help you do

your job better and impact your

team

• Try it in small ways

with your team

13

Build An Innovation Mindset

• Co-Create

• Experiment and Test

• Believe Anything is Possible

14

Build A Diverse And Creative Team

• Skills

• Background

• Personalities

• Perspectives

15

Ask Questions When Told “NO”

• Ghost Regulations

• Where does it say?

• USAJOBS Example

16

Measure and Communicate Results

• Reduce exit rate on

home page • Increase percent

completion of application

• Increase overall

satisfaction

Next?

We offer Fundamentals of HCD

workshops on a monthly basis.

Find out upcoming dates on our

website at lab.opm.gov

Follow us on Twitter @labopm