Case Study

Redesign
for Impact

Making Government Tools Work for the People

At a glance

WorkInTexas is a government-backed job search platform designed to help job seekers find roles that align with their skills, experience, and interests. By leveraging resume data, the site matches users with relevant opportunities, streamlining the job hunt process. It’s also widely used by individuals receiving unemployment benefits, as it encourages active job searching while unemployed.

My Role

UX Designer & Researcher

Team

Vicky Nguyen

Timeline

June - August 2025

Tools

Figma

Starting Thoughts

Job hunting is already challenging in today’s day and age; bad UX shouldn’t make it harder, especially on a job platform backed by the Texas government.

Background & Motivations

As someone actively navigating today’s challenging job market, I stumbled upon WorkInTexas, a government-backed job search platform. I was genuinely impressed by how helpful it was — offering access to verified listings from accredited employers, which felt far more trustworthy than many of the sketchy or scammy listings I’d seen on larger platforms.

However, I was surprised to find that the user experience was extremely difficult to navigate — even as someone who is tech-savvy and has grown up online. The interface felt outdated, confusing, and unintuitive.

That got me thinking: if I found this frustrating, what about users who aren’t as comfortable with technology — like older adults or those who rely on this site while receiving unemployment benefits? For many, this might be their only job search resource, and poor UX could lead to unnecessary stress or even discourage people from continuing their job search altogether.

With that in mind, I decided to take on this redesign as a solo UX/UI project. My goal was to analyze the platform’s usability issues and reimagine the experience into something more accessible, intuitive, and empowering — so the platform supports job seekers, rather than working against them.

The Problem

While WorkInTexas.com is a valuable resource that introduced me to job opportunities I hadn't seen on platforms like Indeed or LinkedIn, its outdated UI and poor navigation make it difficult to use. The homepage lacks a standard navigation bar, links to other pages are unintuitive, and overall, the site feels clunky and disorganized. For a platform backed by the Texas Workforce Commission — one that many job seekers, including those receiving unemployment, rely on — this kind of user experience can be discouraging and may drive users away.

The two core needs I identified were:

Improving the user experience to make the site easier to navigate and more accessible
Increasing engagement and trust, helping more users find jobs through a credible and intuitive platform

The Solution

I reimagined WorkInTexas with a clean, modern layout, clear navigation, and features designed around real user needs. By streamlining search into one simple bar, introducing a consistent sticky navigation, and prioritizing accessibility, the redesign removes friction and makes the platform feel trustworthy, intuitive, and mobile-friendly. The goal: transform a frustrating experience into an empowering tool that helps Texans find work faster and with less stress.

dive deeper

01. UX Audit & Problem Analysis

I evaluated the current WorkInTexas website through the lens of established UX laws and principles to identify key usability issues and opportunities for improvement.

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Jakob's Law

Users expect familiar patterns from other websites (e.g., top-left logo, clear nav bar, intuitive search).

Issues:

• Missing header/nav structure
• Awkward search modal placement
• Poor site organization

Hick's Law

Users struggle when presented with too many or complex options. Decisions take longer, increasing frustration.

Issues:

• Separate search bars for jobs and city add unnecessary complexity and clutter
• Search fields lose their placeholder text on focus, which can confuse users when there are multiple inputs
• The homepage offers too many options with poor hierarchy, causing decision fatigue
• The design doesn’t follow common mental models, making navigation unintuitive

Postel's Law & Cognitive Load

Cognitive load refers to how much mental effort is needed to process information. When overwhelmed, users struggle, leading to frustration or task abandonment.

Issues:

• The interface is cluttered with too many fields and choices, increasing cognitive strain
• Older or less tech-savvy users are especially disadvantaged by the complexity
• The homepage offers too many options with poor hierarchy, causing decision fatigue
• The site lacks flexibility in accepting varied user inputs or accommodating different user needs

Peak-End Effect

Users judge their experience largely by the most intense moments and the ending. Negative experiences stick with users and discourage return visits.

Issues:

• The confusing navigation and outdated design lead to frustration, potentially causing users to abandon the site and look elsewhere.

Aesthetic-Usability Effect

Users often perceive aesthetically pleasing designs as easier to use, even if functionality remains unchanged. A modern, clean design can boost trust, reduce friction, and improve overall usability.

Issues:

• The WorkInTexas site feels outdated and uninviting, which undermines user confidence — especially important given its role as an official government resource.

Additional Findings & External References

• Nielsen Norman Group stresses that well-organized navigation and professional design are essential for trust and user confidence. The site currently lacks clear navigation labels and consistent visual hierarchy, which harms usability and credibility.
• SEO performance is poor: no site description, no favicon, which impacts discoverability and trust.
• Accessibility scores are low (59%), placing the site at risk for lawsuits and excluding users with disabilities such as blindness.
• The footer layout is inconsistent, with uneven line breaks creating visual clutter.

Summary of Key Problems

• Missing standard navigation bar and poor site organization break user expectations (Jakob’s Law)
• Confusing dual search inputs and overwhelming options increase decision fatigue (Hick’s Law)
• Excessive cognitive load due to cluttered interface discourages especially vulnerable users (Postel’s Law)
• Outdated design negatively affects trust and user satisfaction (Aesthetic-Usability Effect)
• Poor accessibility and SEO limit reach and usability for all users

Design Goals for WorkInTexas Redesign

Improve Navigation & Findability: Make it super easy for users to find what they’re looking for by adding a clear, consistent navigation bar and simplifying the homepage layout.
Simplify Search Experience: Combine search inputs into a single, prominent search bar with helpful placeholder text and autofill to reduce confusion and decision fatigue.
Boost Mobile Usability: Optimize the site to work smoothly on smartphones, making navigation and job application easy for users with only mobile access.
Enhance Visual Design & Credibility: Update the look to be modern, clean, and professional, boosting user trust — especially since this is a government-backed site.
Increase Accessibility: Improve accessibility compliance (e.g., contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader support) to make the site usable for everyone, including users with disabilities.
Reduce Cognitive Load: Streamline content and reduce clutter so users don’t get overwhelmed, especially those less comfortable with technology.
Provide Helpful Job Tracking Tools: Introduce or highlight features like a master tracker for jobs applied to and filters tailored to user interests and industries.
Build Trust & Transparency: Use clear language, organized information, and recognizable branding to assure users that the site is legitimate and reliable.

02. Research

Competitive Analysis

Before beginning the redesign, I conducted a competitive analysis of other job-seeking websites backed by official government agencies. My goal was to understand how similar platforms approached usability, layout, and information architecture — and where WorkInTexas fell short in comparison.

Snapshots & Key Observations:

Website	Strengths	Weaknesses	Design Patterns	Opportunities for Improvement
USAJobs.gov	• Credible, professional look with patriotic color scheme • Clear hierarchy and straightforward navigation • Familiar layout fitting common mental models	• Visual design feels a bit dated • Lacks warmth and personality, which might reduce user motivation	• Prominent search modal in expected position • Call-to-action drop-downs for filtering	• Add inviting, friendly design elements to reduce stress • Simplify information to avoid overwhelming users
GovernmentJobs.com	• Modern, simple color scheme with warm accent colors • Good navigation with sticky navbar • Balanced confidence and trust through color use	• Overly minimal; small footer fonts may hurt accessibility • Lack of a full navbar makes page navigation less obvious	• Sticky navbar • Clear hero text and call-to-action buttons	• Increase information density slightly to aid navigation without clutter
CareerOneStop.org	• Inviting design with clear navbar and footer • Search modal positioned where users expect	• Overwhelming hero section with too many colors • Poor text hierarchy makes it hard to focus • Blurry logos hurt credibility	• Sticky navbar • Well-organized footer	• Improve visual hierarchy with fewer colors • Replace blurry logos with crisp images • Enhance footer category hierarchy

Key Takeaways for WorkInTexas Redesign:

• Prioritize a clean, inviting visual style that balances credibility and warmth
• Improve navigation with a clear, sticky navbar and consistent call-to-actions
• Simplify the homepage to avoid overwhelming users while providing clear guidance
• Enhance accessibility with proper font sizes and contrast
• Use sharp, professional logos and images

User Survey Insights

To gain a deeper understanding of the challenges job seekers face on WorkInTexas.com, I combined two types of research:

• In-person feedback: I spoke with people in my network who are actively job searching, including those with varying levels of tech comfort, to hear firsthand their experiences with the platform.
• Online feedback: I also analyzed user comments and discussions on forums like Reddit, where many users shared frustrations and suggestions about WorkInTexas.com.

This mixed-method approach helped me validate common issues such as confusing navigation, lack of clear guidance, and accessibility barriers — insights that guided my redesign decisions.

For the in-person feedback, here are some key takeaways:

• Preferred Platforms: Most participants primarily use Indeed and LinkedIn as their go-to job search sites.
• What they like: Easy-to-use, intuitive interfaces that simplify the job search process, the networking aspect on LinkedIn, allowing users to create profiles visible to employers, and convenient application features like LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” tool
• Common Pain Points: A high number of scam or fake job listings, likely because these platforms allow almost anyone to post jobs with minimal verification, and difficulty keeping track of which jobs they’ve applied to
• Desired Features: A master tracker to organize and monitor job applications, bulk applying with autofill to save time, and more granular filtering by industry or personal interests (a feature WorkInTexas offers but isn’t widely used due to lower site traffic)

For the online feedback, here are some key takeaways:

• Preferred Platforms: Most job seekers gravitated toward LinkedIn, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and municipal websites.
• What they like: The platform does post state job listings, which some users found valuable.
• Common Pain Points:
- • Users described the website's interface as outdated, unintuitive, and difficult to navigate.
- • Recruiters often failed to follow up on applications submitted through the platform.
- • Some encountered account creation errors, receiving messages that an account already existed even when it was their first time registering.
- • Password recovery was unreliable, preventing users from resetting forgotten credentials.
• Notes: Many participants reported only using the platform to fulfill unemployment requirements. In nearly all cases, they preferred other job search platforms due to persistent bugs, poor usability, and an overall frustrating experience.

These insights helped highlight user expectations for a smooth, trustworthy, and efficient job search experience — guiding my redesign focus to emphasize usability, trustworthiness, and helpful job tracking features.

User Personas

Kyle, 25 — Software Engineer (Laid Off)

• Goal: Land a new software engineering job quickly
• Frustrations: Wants to use a credible site like WorkInTexas to avoid scams but finds the outdated UI discouraging. Referred by Texas Workforce Commission after filing for unemployment, but feels the website lacks trustworthiness and modern design.
• Tech Comfort Level: Very tech-savvy, but avoids poorly designed sites.

Mary, 40 — Former Stay-at-Home Mom Reentering Workforce

• Goal: Rejoin the workforce after a career break to raise kids
• Frustrations: Finds WorkInTexas too difficult to use, which discourages her from job searching. She doesn’t have much tech experience and her busy kids can’t assist her.
• Tech Comfort Level: Low; struggles with digital tools.

Jeffrey, 30 — Unemployed, Mobile-Only User

• Goal: Find stable employment as soon as possible
• Frustrations: Only has a smartphone and finds the website poorly optimized for mobile, making navigation frustrating. Not very tech-savvy, so switching between pages and forms feels overwhelming.
• Tech Comfort Level: Low; limited experience with technology and mobile web usability.

Design Implications

Kyle

• Needs a modern, credible interface to trust the platform.
• Advanced search and filtering should be intuitive and efficient.

Mary

• Requires simple, guided navigation with clear labels.
• Layouts and forms must be easy to follow for low-tech users.

Kyle

• The site must be fully mobile-optimized with responsive layouts.
• Navigation and forms should be short, clear, and mobile-friendly.

03. Design Process

Ideation & Wireframes

Before diving into high-fidelity design, I began by sketching out low-fidelity wireframes to focus purely on layout, structure, and flow. My main goal during this phase was to create something that aligned with users’ existing mental models of how job search websites typically work, while also improving clarity and usability.

I wanted the platform to feel familiar, intuitive, and easy to navigate, especially for users who might not be very tech-savvy. That meant incorporating clear navigation, clean layouts, and straightforward actions like filtering jobs or viewing listings — without overcomplicating the UI or introducing unexpected patterns.

Creating wireframes helped me visualize the user experience and test my assumptions early. From homepage to dashboards, I focused on reducing clutter, increasing scannability, and emphasizing what users actually care about.

04. Final Design

Search Jobs Page

Hero Page

Registration

Address Form

Security Questions

User Dashboard

Recruiter Dashboard

05. Impact & Reflection

Although this redesign wasn’t deployed live, it addresses major usability issues on the current WorkInTexas site — including cognitive overload, inconsistent navigation, and poor accessibility. By simplifying the interface and aligning with common user expectations, this redesign aims to make job-seeking more approachable and less overwhelming.

My belief is that if job searching tools were easier to use, more people — especially those who are older, less tech-savvy, or in urgent need of employment — would actually be able to find and apply to jobs. That means fewer barriers to entry, more people in the workforce, and ultimately, a more productive and supported society. This redesign takes a step in that direction.

This project deepened my understanding of accessibility, user mental models, and the challenges people face when navigating job search platforms. It also validated the frustrations I’ve personally experienced — and showed me that many others likely feel the same way.

Every job platform has its flaws, but small improvements in usability can create a big ripple effect. If even one person feels more confident or less overwhelmed because of thoughtful design, that matters. And when those experiences multiply across thousands of users, that’s when design truly makes a difference. This project reminded me that impactful UX starts with empathy and intention.

Thank you for reading all the way through 💙

This project came from a real place of frustration, curiosity, and care. I genuinely believe that if job searching felt easier, more people would get the support they need to move forward, especially those who are often overlooked. If anything here resonated with you or you just want to chat more about design, tech, life stuff, or the job search, I’d love to connect!

– Vicky ♡

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