My File NYC
Revolutionizing Access to City Services
Company
NYC Mayor's Office for Economic Opportunity
Role
UX/UI Designer and Researcher
Device
Mobile, Tablet, and Desktop
Background
New York City faces a significant challenge with a high volume of applicants for essential city services, including housing and shelter assistance. Many residents are awaiting updates on their applications, hoping to secure temporary shelters and move into permanent homes with their loved ones. Caseworkers, responsible for reviewing and verifying numerous documents shared by applicants. These processes can be time-consuming and prone to delays, further affecting the timely delivery of services.
Introducing My File NYC a mobile-website for securely storing and sharing vital documents. It allows users to upload a variety of files to their personal dashboard, manage them easily, and track actions taken.
Achievement and Recognition
In 2022, My File NYC successfully enrolled 200 families and achieved a document sharing rate of 8%. In contrast, 2023 experienced a substantial increase with enrollment rising to over 536 families and the document sharing rate significantly improving to 65%. My File NYC received the “Best IT Collaboration” award at “The Best of New York City 2023 Awards” for its partnership between DHS PATH Intake Center and the NYC Opportunity Team.
“The Best of New York City 2023 Awards”
A Breakdown of the Process
Understanding our users
My File NYC was designed with two primary user groups in mind, each represented by a persona to highlight their needs:
New York Resident
Goal: To get out of shelter as quickly as possible and get into an apartment near a children’s school in Queens.
Needs: Receiving regular updates about document status, standardized checklist outlining the necessary documents, and notifications of any additional information requested.
Caseworker
Goal: To process loads of paperwork while staying organized and get as many folks into subsidized units.
Needs: Reduced reliance on email communication, minimize rework caused by other departments, and an efficient system for requesting documents.
Identifying the problem
The challenge revolved around streamlining the document verification process for NYC employees from HPD (Housing Preservation and Development), DHS (Department of Homeless Services), and PATH (Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing), as well as improving communication channels with clients to accelerate their housing placements. So, how might we streamline document verification for caseworkers in a fast paced environment, while ensuring seamless communication with New York residents to accelerate their housing placement?
Design Solution
On the agency-facing side, I redesigned the agency dashboard for NYC employees and city partners for a more user-friendly and efficient interface. These changes streamlines collaboration and reduces reliance on email communication. Allowing all departments to easily monitor document interactions. The new dashboard offers:
- Comprehensive overview of client’s documents.
- Enabling seamless document tracking.
- Access the client's activity log to view different actions taken.
On the client-facing side, I redesigned the client dashboard for New York residents allowing them to quickly upload their vital documents while providing clear communication and support throughout the sharing process. These changes ensure residents are informed, helping streamline the workflow and improve efficiency. The new dashboard offers:
- Concise document checklist for guidance.
- Track the needed documents for their selected service.
- Timely notifications providing the status of submissions, whether they are approved, rejected, or pending.
Immersive Research Findings
To better understand the challenge, I attended on-site visits to the City intake shelter, where I observed firsthand the difficulties faced by New York residents. I actively supported them in signing up for My File NYC, allowing me to observe their interactions with the platform and gather immediate feedback.
This type of approach identified pain points such as:
- Excessive number of steps to create an account to access the dashboard.
- Confusion about the distinction between one-page and multiple-page documents due to unclear UX writing.
- Unaware of the need to proceed by sharing documents to complete the next step of the process.
System Landscape Assessment
After meeting with stakeholders, I recognized the need to deepen my understanding of the HPD Housing Placement process and how various systems operate together such as HRA Indexing, DHS Encapture, DHS Cares, and others. I applied the ecosystem analysis method because it provided a structured approach to gain insights into these tools and workflows. This method allowed me to understand how these systems support families in securing permanent homes and identified opportunities for My File NYC to integrate within this complex process.
Strategic Process flow
After identifying opportunities for integration, I designed a streamlined process flow to embed My File NYC into the HPD Housing Placement process. This involved creating clear pathways for client interactions, ensuring transparency and accountability at every stage. By mapping out the journey from signup to document submission then to approval, I established how each step of the process aligns with the responsibilities for the involved groups.
Ideation and Feature Development
The ideation phase involved collaborating with product managers, engineers, and content designers in brainstorming sessions such as Feature Prioritization, MuShCoWo, and Impact vs Effort matrix, to generate innovative ideas.
- Document Review Dashboard: A centralized dashboard for NYC employees and City Partners, providing a comprehensive overview of document statuses and client information.
- Client Activity Log: A feature allowing NYC employees and city partners to track document interactions, such as views, downloads, and verifications, enhancing transparency and accountability.
- Document Checklist: A user-friendly checklist for clients to easily identify and track the needed documents for their selected service, streamlining the submission process.
- Tailored Email Notifications: Personalized email notifications for clients, providing updates on document statuses and interactions, ensuring timely communication throughout the process.
- Document Sharing Reminders: Automated reminders prompting clients to share their uploaded documents, facilitating seamless collaboration between clients and NYC employees.
Mobile-first Website Design
By gathering feedback from the residents at the City Intake Center and consulting with executive stakeholders, I crafted high-fidelity designs for both agency and client interfaces. These designs underwent through testing and iteration to ensure they were intuitive and easy to navigate. A critical focus was improving communicating with residents, offering clear guidance to help them submit the needed documents for their selected services.
Client side
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Agency Side
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What I Discovered?
My experience as a UX/UI Designer and Researcher at NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity emphasized the importance of exploring diverse research techniques. Before launching the updated version of My File NYC, I initially planned to conduct usability tests with families at the PATH Intake Center. However, I faced significant barriers that led me to change my approach. Engaging directly with families during in-person sign-ups proved to be more effective and allowed me to communicate with them in a more meaningful way.
Thank you for reading!