Connecticut Paid Leave Website Redesign

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Connecticut Paid Leave Website Redesign

Meet the client.

The Connecticut Paid Leave (CTPL) program underwent a digital transformation, which was crucial for supporting the state’s workforce during significant life events. 

Duration: 1 Year, Launched in September 2023
Industry: Government/Public Sector

Home page scroll through of CT Paid Leave website

The problem.

The CTPL program was hindered by a high claim denial rate, largely due to users submitting incomplete documentation. We aimed to create an accessible, intuitive online platform that simplified navigating Connecticut’s paid leave policies.

Target Audience: Workers, families, small business owners, human resources professionals, healthcare providers, and social workers in Connecticut.

My contributions.

  • Accessibility Consulting
  • User Research and Analysis
  • Design Thinking Workshops
  • UX Design and Content Strategy
  • Wireframing and Prototyping
  • Usability Testing and Analysis
  • Sitecore-based Design System

Our human-centered approach.

Empathize

Define

Ideate

Prototype

Test

Implement

The design process.

User Research and Accessibility Discovery

Understanding through empathy.

Identified eight key user personas, focusing on workers experiencing a 40% claims denial rate primarily due to document submission errors. Insights from call center interactions revealed a crucial gap in user understanding and website navigation ease.

User Persona - Elena, a worker in CT needs help with Paid Leave
Empathy map for the User Elena where internal staff identified what they think she says, does, thinks, and feels about the CT Paid Leave Program
User Goals - Elena, a worker in CT, needs a new way to learn about and navigate the claims process for CTPL so that she can complete her claims forms easily and quickly, thanks to clear guidance on the CTPL website.
Pie Chart of Accessibility scan results showing 2,284 errors with 4% related to design, 11% related to content, and 85% related to development.
Brand Color Audit - Shows the brand colors green and red cannot be used for body text on their complimentary shade background

Information Architecture and User Flow

Following their journey.

Utilizing design thinking workshops, we engaged cross-departmental insights to deeply understand technical functionalities and user touchpoints, laying the groundwork for a user-centered redesign.

User Journey - Elena's process through the CTPL website showing she interacts with the call center, watches webinars, and listens to podcasts to learn about the claims process
Information Architecture map outlining the core pages under How CTPL Works, Claims, and Businesses and Employers

Wireframing and Content Strategy

Exploring practical solutions.

Developed visual sketches and worked closely with the CTPL authority on content restructuring, aiming for clarity and accessibility, resulting in 22 detailed wireframes ready for user testing.

Hand drawn sketch of the Resources page showing a search bar at the top, a tabbed section with links for different user types, and a section of videos and documents at the bottom
A wireframe of the same Resources page showing the design more refined and filled out with elements
A prototype of the same Resource page with the elements styled to look like a functioning website

Prototyping and Visual Design

Visualizing interactive experiences.

Enhanced wireframes with realistic elements, creating a 24-page prototype that balanced functional navigation with a lifelike design to improve user comfort and engagement during testing.

Figma prototype screenshot showing the intricate linking between the prototypes

Usabiliity Testing and Analysis

Listening to their feedback.

Conducted comprehensive usability testing with diverse participants, including workers, small business owners, and call center staff, utilizing tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom for remote sessions. Feedback focused on simplifying language and clarifying information.

Methodology - Remote, moderated usability testing using Zoom and Microsoft teams with participants selected by the CTPL team using qualitative and quantitative research methods
Session Overview - 30-45 minutes where participants shared their screens and thoughts aloud as they completed 2 scenarios with 2 tasks each and answered qualitative questions at the end

Design System and Accessibility Annotations

Implementing new systems.

Feedback from testing was integrated to establish an accessibility-focused design system. This system, built with Sitecore’s reusable components, was annotated for developer handoff, ensuring the final website met all accessibility standards and was easy for content editors to manage.

Header and Footer design mockup with accessibility annotations and media breakpoints
Design system of button styles showing the default, hover, active, focus, and disabled states with written specs

Implemented Solution

The results and impact.

The outcome was an accessible, responsive website with clear, step-by-step instructions and straightforward language.

Results:

  • An increase from 25 pages to 46
  • Simplified claims process information
  • Application Document Checklist Page