Veterans Enrollment System (VES)

Overview

In 2003, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a system designed to manage internal processes for veterans’ services.  I led the redesign and modernization efforts as the lead designer for this critical civic technology project.

Key Insights

The goal was to bring the platform up to current accessibility standards, align it with an enterprise-level approach, and streamline the experience for both internal users and veterans. Through research with key stakeholders the following key insights guided my design decisions:

• Outdated Navigation: The old system relied on clunky, hard-to-navigate menus that frustrated users. Information was buried deep in multiple layers, making simple tasks overly complex.
• Accessibility Gaps: The platform had several accessibility shortcomings, including lack of screen reader support, poor contrast ratios, and forms that were difficult for users with disabilities to complete.
  
• Inconsistent UI Components: While the VA’s design system provided a strong foundation, many components needed to be expanded to fit the scale and complexity of this project.

Results

• Reduced Enrollment Time: The cleaner interface and workflows allowed administrators to enroll veterans 30% faster than the old system - allowing more veterans to get access to healthcare.
• Accessibility Compliance: The system now met WCAG 2.1 AA standards, making it far more accessible for veterans with disabilities, a key objective of the project.
  
• Scalability:  By expanding the VA’s design system to include more enterprise-level components, we future-proofed the system, ensuring it could scale and adapt to future needs without requiring another complete overhaul.