Retirement Benefits Lost & Found Search Portal

U.S. Department of Labor – EBSA

As lead UX SME and strategist, I drove user-centered design for a congressionally mandated retirement search tool, balancing legal constraints, privacy compliance, and tight TMF deadlines. Additionally, I authored PRA-approved research protocols and led the first public-facing UX testing at the Department of Labor.

Project Summary

Mandated by Congress through the SECURE 2.0 Act, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) was charged with launching a public-facing digital tool to help Americans locate unclaimed retirement funds by January 1, 2025. Funded by the Technology Modernization Fund, the initiative required continuous integration of user research and usability testing throughout the project lifecycle.

As lead UX strategist and researcher, I ensured the initiative remained on track to meet its aggressive timeline, that the vendor contract accurately reflected UX service level expectations, and that all deliverables adhered to rigorous standards of accessibility, usability, and federal compliance. I also led design system integration across all product components—ensuring cohesion within the portal, EBSA’s design system, and the larger DOL-wide design system.

Visualization: Project Timeline

  • Strategic Planning

    • Designed research approach aligned with congressional and contractual mandates.

    • Authored PRA-approved protocols (first public research at DOL).

    • Navigated OMB Paperwork Reduction Act clearance as Program Manager

    Design System Integration

    • Oversaw the design system architecture within Figma, aligning all components and patterns with EBSA and DOL’s visual and accessibility standards.

    • Integrated new, project-specific components into the broader EBSA and DOL design systems to ensure scalability, cohesion, and long-term maintainability.

    • Led vendor alignment and enforced visual, interaction, and structural consistency across teams and platforms.

    Oversight & Execution

    • Led all UX testing efforts and vendor management.

    • Provided authoritative, data-backed recommendations.

    • Managed cross-agency collaboration. (50+ stakeholder orgs).

    Standardization

    • Created reusable testing protocols now used agency-wide.

    • Established precedent for public UX research at DOL.

  • Challenges:

    • High-stakes, congressionally mandated project with hard public launch date.

    • First public-facing product to mandate UX testing with the public, throughout project lifecycle and post-launch, requiring Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Paperwork Reduction Act clearance.

    • Complex multi-agency coordination, privacy and security constraints, and shifting infrastructure and data ownership.

    Opportunities:

    • Funded by the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), with strong executive-level support for UX research.

    • First DOL project to formally embed user research from discovery through implementation and provide need for standardized UX research and testing specific PRA clearance.

    • Established a precedent for public UX research at DOL by delivering reusable, PRA-cleared testing protocols and templates now available agency-wide.

  • Outcomes

    • First-ever PRA-approved public UX testing conducted by DOL.

    • Informed and standardized the UI, content, and logic of a high-impact national tool.

    • Recognized with two DOL Merit Awards for leadership in digital transformation and public research.

    • Helped establish new research review protocols and cross-agency collaboration standards.

    Key Takeaways

    • UX in the public sector demands creative, compliant strategies to reach and research real users.

    • Leadership in design includes advocating for infrastructure and policy change, not just visual polish.

    • Collaborative, cross-agency research requires strong storytelling, clear documentation, and persistent diplomacy to succeed.

Visual Timeline

Lost & Found UX and PRA High-Level Roadmap

EBSA Lost & Found: UX SME Action Plan Timeline

5 MVPs, ~3 months per MVP, With Integrated UX Research Efforts ("CX Touchpoints") & PRA Approval Process

MVP 1

Personas;
CX Touchpoint 1: Focus Groups (no PRA requirement)

MVP 2

Iterative Testing (internal);
CX Touchpoints 2 & 3 stakeholder approval

MVP 3

Refined experience validation;
Acessibility audit;
CX Touchpoint 2 PRA approval

MVP 4

CX Touchpoint 2: Usability Testing;
CX Touchpoint 3 PRA approval

MVP 5 Launch

Public release (Dec. 24, 2024);
DAP integration for CX Touchpoint 3

Post-Launch

CX Touchpoint 3: CSAT surveys;
Analytics dashboard;
Product optimization cycle

My Strategy

I developed a comprehensive approach in resolving the mandated (by congress and the board approving project funding month-by-month) public feedback requirements: three strategic research activities, (termed “CX Touchpoints” to facilitate faster, easier communication across stakeholders, funders, and async project team groups) integrated across the 5 MVPs and post-launch. This framework ensured continuous user validation and adherence to federal policies, while navigating deliverable requirements and PRA approval timelines.

This integrated approach enabled:

  • Iterative validation across 12-month development cycle;

  • PRA-compliant public testing at critical decision points;

  • Alignment with project funders, TMF (Technology Modernization Fund), UX requirements;

  • Proactive post-launch measurement and optimization framework to maintain user-focused product health.

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