Publications
The DBN and DSN regularly publish original research and storytelling publications. Explore all of our publications.Â
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Expanding Verification Processes for Child Care Benefits in Massachusetts: A FormFest 2025 Profile
This FormFest profile examines how Massachusetts’ Department of Early Education and Care is modernizing its child care benefits system through human-centered design, making verification and application processes simpler, more compassionate, and more efficient for families and staff.
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State-Level Design System Tracker
This publication explores how centralized design systems help state governments deliver more consistent, accessible, and people-centered digital services, supported by a new tracker mapping design system adoption across the U.S.
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Implementing Benefits Eligibility + Enrollment Systems: State Responses to H.R. 1
This report summarizes insights from interviews with seven states on how they are adapting integrated eligibility and enrollment (IEE) systems in response to sweeping federal changes to SNAP and Medicaid under H.R. 1.
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Empathy and Compassion as Guiding Principles in the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration’s Form Redesign
This FormFest profile highlights how the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration redesigned its complaint submission form using empathy, human-centered design, and trauma-informed research methods to make the process more accessible, compassionate, and secure for all users.
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Data Sharing to Drive the City of Philadelphia’s Zero Fare Program: A FormFest 2025 Profile
This FormFest profile explores how Philadelphia leveraged cross-department data sharing to launch its Zero Fare program, auto-enrolling eligible residents in unlimited transit benefits while tackling the challenge of outreach and trust-building to deliver passes effectively.
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Human Centered Design to Improve Civil Court Form Accessibility in Michigan : A FormFest 2025 Profile
This FormFest profile highlights Rachael Zuppke and Molly Graham’s work to redesign Michigan’s civil court forms using human-centered design, making them more accessible for people who must represent themselves in critical cases like eviction, family law, and guardianship.
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Improving 311 Mattress Pickup and Recycling in Boston: A Digital Service Network Spotlight
DSN Spotlights are short-form project profiles that feature exciting work happening across our network of digital government practitioners. Spotlights celebrate our members’ stories, lift up actionable takeaways for other practitioners, and put the resources + examples we host in the Digital Government Hub in context.Â
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Elevating Empathy Over Bureaucracy With AI Agents: A FormFest 2025 Profile
This FormFest profile highlights Riverside County’s pilot of AI-powered interviews that streamline benefit applications, reducing bureaucratic burden on families in crisis while freeing caseworkers to focus on human connection.
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Monitoring Customer Feedback & Implementing Improvements in New Jersey: A FormFest 2025 Profile
This FormFest profile spotlights the New Jersey State Office of Innovation’s Feedback Widget team, which collects resident input across state websites to improve services and empower agencies to act on real-time feedback.
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From Pen to Processor: Training AI to Translate Handwritten Housing Applications: A FormFest 2025 Profile
A profile on FormFest spearkers Barry Roeder, Barabara Deffenderfer, Glenn Brown, and Izzie Hirschy-Reyes highlighting how the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority and its partners use AI and human-centered design to streamline paper housing applications.
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Tips and Tricks for Better Forms: A FormFest 2025 Profile
A profile on FormFest speaker Karissa Minnich, a civic design manager with The Lab @ DC, whose innovative approach to redesigning government forms has transformed paperwork into a model of human-centered design.
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Digital Doorways to Public Benefits: Beneficiary Experiences with Digital Identity
Sources Cited