Washington State Employment Security Department

The Washington State Employment Security Department website was in desperate need of an overhaul. Our user research showed an alarming 70% bounce rate, with people giving up in frustration before finding what they needed. The root cause was a tangled mess of outdated navigation and duplicate content spread across dozens of pages and sections.

We took a user-centered design approach, mapping core tasks like "find a new career" to streamlined pathways. Persona-driven user testing identified high-priority content and features. The new information architecture focused on guiding different user groups directly to their top needs, like job search tools for the unemployed or labor data for researchers.

The redesigned site launched in 2010 with a 200% increase in task completion rates and a bounce rate dropping from 70% to under 30%. Engagement metrics showed sustained increases as the clear, simplified UX helped thousands more people access vital employment resources during the recession recovery period. It was a powerful example of how user-centric design can radically improve an outdated website.