Before diving into design, I absorbed all the user research conducted by USDA and Acumen, which provided critical insights into user behavior, needs, and pain points. Understanding these needs helped identify the most crucial tasks for portal users, such as finding field offices, exploring program information, and determining eligibility. I also worked closely with Acumen and USDA stakeholders to ensure the design and development timelines aligned with both technical capabilities and business goals.
Based on the research, I mapped out the most impactful user journeys for the portals, focusing on making the interactions simple and efficient. These flows would serve as the foundation for the rapid prototyping phase, ensuring we stayed aligned with user priorities while accounting for any limitations and advantages of Salesforce’s Service Console and Experience Cloud.
USDA User Flow Sample
USDA Customer Portal Dashboard Round 1
USDA Customer Portal Dashboard Round 2
We adopted a hybrid prototyping approach that blended high-fidelity branded assets from Farmers.gov with low-fidelity wireframe components. This allowed us to quickly create functional prototypes for usability testing while remaining flexible for adjustments. Each iteration was closely tested with users and stakeholders, incorporating feedback to ensure that the design solved real user problems. We also worked alongside the technical team to verify that each design decision was feasible within the Salesforce framework.
Given the agile nature of the project, it was important to manage the USDA team’s expectations by regularly delivering prototypes and aligning the MVP with their immediate needs. At the same time, I kept the team engaged in the project’s future vision by presenting forward-looking prototypes that demonstrated how the platform could evolve. This helped maintain a focus on long-term goals without sacrificing the quality or functionality of the MVP.
Throughout the design process, accessibility and responsiveness were paramount. I ensured that the portal experiences met government accessibility requirements (Section 508 compliance) and that they would perform smoothly across devices, especially for users in remote agricultural areas with varied access to technology.
USDA Employee Portal Dashboard Round 1
USDA Employee Portal Dashboard Round 2
USDA Portal Style Guide
After finalizing the MVP, I developed a comprehensive design system to guide the ongoing development process. This system provided clear guidelines for maintaining consistency across all future updates, ensuring that the portals would continue to meet USDA’s needs as they scaled and evolved. The design system also streamlined collaboration between designers and developers, making the ongoing implementation process smoother.
One of my major responsibilities was to manage the parallel development of an MVP for immediate launch while keeping stakeholders engaged with a future vision for the portals. By producing visionary prototypes alongside the MVP, I was able to ensure both short-term success and long-term alignment with USDA’s goals for future sprints.
USDA Employee Portal Parallel Prototyping
During my time on this project, I delivered both the MVP and visionary prototypes for future sprints, which helped guide the long-term project trajectory. I also provided a comprehensive design system for the development team, ensuring consistency and facilitating future growth. The portal designs met the USDA's goals of creating a user-friendly, accessible platform while reducing maintenance costs and streamlining future updates.
I'm open to work, so If you like what you see and want to collaborate or share a position you think I'd be a good fit for, please, get in touch!
bethany.hunter.ux@gmail.com
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