ROLE
Lead UX Designer
TIMELINE
1.5 years
TYPE
Product Design
My Role
I led UX design for a redesign of ChildCare.gov’s search and resource discovery experience, focusing on how families moved from the homepage to state-specific content and then into detailed resource pages. My work centered on reducing friction in the search flow, improving information hierarchy, and restructuring state content into clearer, more actionable pathways.
Evaluated the existing homepage and state resource experience
Identified friction in the state-selection and content-discovery flow
Redesigned homepage search and state landing-page patterns
Introduced card-based navigation and clearer content hierarchy
Collaborated with PMs, engineers, SMEs, and analytics partners to align design decisions with user needs and implementation constraints
The Challenge
Childcare providers struggled to estimate the true cost of care due to fragmented workflows, unclear terminology, and limited visibility into how inputs affected calculations.
Friction in Search
Users had to select a state and then click an additional Submit button before accessing state-specific resources, adding unnecessary friction to one of the site's primary tasks.
Dense State Pages
State resource pages contained large amounts of information with minimal visual hierarchy, making content difficult to scan and navigate efficiently.
Unclear Starting Points
Users weren't provided with clear pathways into the content, making it difficult to determine which resources best matched their needs.
Buried Resources
Important links and supporting content were hidden within long pages, requiring users to spend unnecessary time searching for relevant information.
Research Findings
Evaluating the existing experience uncovered several usability patterns that slowed users down and made important childcare resources harder to discover. Rather than focusing on isolated screens, the redesign addressed how users moved through the entire journey—from selecting a state to locating relevant information within content-heavy pages.
1
Homepage Search Created Friction
The homepage introduced unnecessary friction by requiring users to select a state and then click an additional Submit button before accessing state-specific resources. Since this was one of the site's most common user journeys, even a small interaction cost had a meaningful impact on usability.
2
State Pages Were Difficult to Scan
State landing pages relied heavily on long blocks of text with minimal visual hierarchy. Users had to read through large amounts of content before understanding what resources were available or where they should begin.
3
Content Lacked Clear Organization
Although valuable resources existed, they were grouped in ways that made relationships between topics difficult to understand. Users often needed to navigate multiple pages before finding the information relevant to their situation.
Key Takeaway
The evaluation showed that users didn't need more content—they needed clearer pathways to the content that already existed.
Exploring Solutions
The research findings highlighted opportunities to simplify navigation and improve how users discovered state-specific resources. Rather than redesigning individual pages in isolation, I explored ways to streamline the entire journey—from the homepage search experience to state landing pages and detailed resource content.
Below are a few examples of the design concepts.
1
Streamling Search
Simplifying the homepage search experience to help users get to their state resources faster.
Removed the
extra Submit step from the state-selection
flow.
Increased the prominence of the state search experience above the fold.
Reduced unnecessary interactions to help users reach state resources faster.
2
Reimagining State Pages
Organizing state pages with a clearer structure to help users scan and find what they need quickly.
Reorganized long pages into clearly defined content categories.
Introduced card-based navigation to improve scanability.
Established a stronger visual hierarchy between sections.
The Final Experience
The final designs for Childcare.gov focused on removing friction, improving discoverability, and helping families navigate from broad childcare questions to the resources most relevant to their state and situation.
1
A faster way to get started
The homepage was redesigned to make state search the primary action and help families find what they need with fewer steps.
Design Decisions
Elevated state search above the fold
Removed the additional Submit step
Clarified the site's value proposition
Strengthened visual hierarchy and primary actions
Redesigned homepage highlighting state search and key user pathways.
2
Clearer State Landing Pages
State landing pages were restructured to help users quickly understand available resources and choose the pathway that best matched their needs.
Design Decisions
Organized content into clearly defined categories
Introduced card-based navigation to improve scanability
Improved spacing and visual hierarchy
Surfaced key resources higher on the page
Redesigned state landing page with organized categories and improved resource discovery.
3
Easier Resource Discovery
Resource pages were redesigned to simplify complex information through better organization, allowing users to browse content more efficiently while maintaining context.
Design Decisions
Grouped information using accordion patterns
Added related-resource pathways to encourage exploration
Improved content hierarchy for easier scanning
Established a consistent layout across resource pages
Redesigned resource page with organized content and related pathways.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Outcomes & Reflections
Redesigning ChildCare.gov reinforced how thoughtful information architecture, clear navigation, and user-centered content organization can transform a content-rich website into an experience that feels intuitive, approachable, and easy to explore.
01
Designing for Discovery
One of the biggest lessons from this project was that helping users find information is just as important as the information itself. By simplifying navigation and creating clearer entry points, the redesign made it easier for families to confidently begin their journey without feeling overwhelmed.
02
Content is a UX Problem
This project reinforced that effective user experiences aren't created through visual design alone. Organizing information into meaningful categories, improving hierarchy, and reducing cognitive load were essential to helping users quickly identify the resources most relevant to their needs.
03
Designing Within Constraints
Working on a federal website required balancing usability improvements with accessibility standards, existing content structures, and technical limitations. The project strengthened my ability to deliver practical design solutions that improved the experience while respecting organizational constraints.