Comply Chain Website Redesign

U.S. Department of Labor – ILAB

As one of the first in-house federal UX SMEs at the Dept. of Labor, I embedded accessibility, content strategy, and scalable UX systems into the product, and delivered measurable improvements in user engagement, page load times (essential for majority of end-users, who lacked access to reliable and/or stable internet connections) and task clarity.

  • The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs needed a full redesign of their outdated, text-heavy website — including a complete content overhaul — under a strict 120-day deadline.

    As DOL’s first in-house UX SME, I served as UX lead on the project, delivering a responsive, Section 508-compliant, user-first site that significantly improved engagement, clarity, and accessibility for a global audience.

  • As UX Lead and DOL's first in-house UX SME:

    • Led UX strategy and accessibility governance

    • Guided external vendor through federal compliance standards

    • Conducted design reviews and quality assurance

    • Created frameworks adopted across DOL projects

    • Presented methodology at Drupal4Gov webinar

    Timeline: 120 days (April – August 2024)
    Team: Cross-functional collaboration with ILAB stakeholders and vendor

  • Challenges:

    • High-visibility relaunch with a non-negotiable 120-day timeline.

    • Cross-functional coordination under tight deadlines.

    • First DOL project to embed a UX SME across the full design and delivery lifecycle.

    Opportunities:

    • Highly engaged stakeholders and PM eager to collaborate with UX.

    • Team leads deeply familiar with user needs, goals, and legacy product constraints.

    • Project roadmap adapted at kickoff to include post-launch UX research and optimization strategy.

  • Outcomes

    Key Takeaways

    • Designing for government means balancing competing priorities while using creative, low- or no-cost research methods to build stakeholder trust and buy-in.

    • Policy-compliant, accessibility-first frameworks are essential for scalable, mission-aligned design in the public sector.

    • Strong UX leadership includes offering just-in-time education and advocacy across functions — turning cross-disciplinary teams into design allies.

Spotlight: Project Insight

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Compliance Steps Icons

Design Problem & Solution

Initial icon designs presented multiple usability and accessibility issues. I identified critical problems, established standards, and guided vendor to compliant solution.

Result: User-friendly navigation that meets federal accessibility requirements.

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