As the agency responsible for California’s housing policies and programs, HCD serves a broad and diverse public audience—from renters and developers to local governments and advocacy organizations. But the agency’s public website had become difficult to navigate, with dense content, unclear pathways, and a fragmented structure.

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We led a complete UX and information architecture redesign to bring order to complexity. Through stakeholder interviews, focus groups, and user testing, we uncovered critical usability issues and surfaced the unique needs of each audience. The result was a restructured navigation system, simplified content strategy, and scalable UX patterns that make it easier for users to find resources, understand programs, and take action.

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Beyond usability, the site lacked a sense of humanity—it didn’t reflect the real people and communities HCD serves. We designed a website that makes space for storytelling and impact—allowing the agency to better connect with users on both a practical and emotional level.

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With dozens of departments, services, and funding programs to account for, the project required designing for flexibility—balancing technical clarity with user empathy. We developed detailed user flows, a comprehensive design system, and high-fidelity prototypes, culminating in a modern, accessible site that supports both HCD’s mission and the people it serves.

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Our design work is wrapped; development is now underway!