ABOUT
Challenge.gov is the federal government’s platform for running open innovation and prize competitions across agencies. It supports complex workflows, diverse audiences, and strict accessibility and compliance requirements.
The challenge was to modernize and scale the experience while working within the U.S. Web Design System.
ROLE
Senior UX, Content Structure, Prototyping in Figma, User Testing.
Worked with product owners, developers, and federal stakeholders.
WORK
Design System & Compliance
- Brought the platform into compliance with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS), auditing existing pages and aligning layouts and components with federal standards for consistency and clarity.
- Applied USWDS components and patterns to new features and pages, ensuring a unified, scalable design foundation across the site.
Accessibility & Inclusive Design
Led accessibility efforts to meet WCAG and Section 508 requirements, ensuring the platform could be used by people with diverse abilities.
Designed layouts, navigation, and content with accessible color contrast, clear focus states, readable typography, and assistive technology compatibility.
Led accessibility training sessions for developers, providing practical guidance on applying standards in day-to-day development work.
- Supported development teams through implementation and review, helping troubleshoot accessibility issues and reinforce best practices.
UX and Information Architecture
- Structured page hierarchies, navigation flows, and content relationships in Figma to make the platform easier to understand and use across user types.
- Designed clear user flows to support key tasks such as finding competitions, understanding eligibility, and submitting solutions.
Prototyping & Testing
- Built interactive prototypes in Figma to support usability and accessibility testing with real users and stakeholders.
- Integrated feedback into iterations that improved layout clarity, interaction predictability, and overall ease of use.
Collaboration & Alignment
- Partnered with product owners, developers, and agency stakeholders to align on design system usage, accessibility priorities, and shared definitions of success.
- Ensured teams were equipped to maintain accessibility standards as the platform evolved.
IMPACT
- Delivered a platform that met federal design and accessibility standards, making it usable for a broader and more diverse audience.
- Improved navigation and content clarity, reducing user confusion and increasing engagement with key features.
- Supported a more consistent design foundation through USWDS alignment, enabling faster future enhancements.