The same folks who brought you 45-day hold times now want to give you Apple-store-like digital experiences. Can they pull it off?
The Gist
Government goes CX-first. From Biden’s push for passports and tax filings online to Trump’s new “America by Design” initiative, Washington is finally taking CX seriously (sort of).
A national design studio. The Trump Administration created a Chief Design Officer role and a White House design studio to fix 26,000 government websites — most of which are clunky at best.
Private sector déjà vu. Companies have been doing this for decades, but at least the feds are (finally) admitting bad design kills trust and costs citizens time.
Meet the new pioneers of digital customer experience design: The US Federal Government.
Seriously. Or ... seriously?
Ok, so maybe we’re not calling the public entity notorious for 45-day hold times on customer service calls and websites that would make insurance policies jealous the new leader in digital customer experience design.
But they’re trying. (and just easy to tease).
The Trump administration earlier this month launched an executive order that aims to “fill the digital potholes” in America by “breathing new life into the design of sites where people interface with their Government.”
They’re calling it "America by Design." That website now is essentially a one-pager with a 349-word, 30-point-ish-font initiative description on the home page. We’ll give them some time on that one.
Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration attempted to place customer experience (CX) at the center of government service delivery, embedding it into the President’s Management Agenda and mandating digital-first, human-centered design approaches across agencies.
The results? The administration reported in a White House post a week before Trump was inaugurated the largest four-year jump in public satisfaction with government services in 25 years, with improvements spanning passports, Social Security, taxes, veterans’ benefits, small business certifications and more. This push reframed CX as a strategic priority, backed by executive orders, funding and accountability metrics to ensure services are faster, more accessible and more equitable.
Key initiatives included simplified processes, digital portals, mobile-first apps and customer feedback loops that saved Americans millions of hours in reduced wait times and streamlined applications, according to the Biden Administration.
From enabling online passport renewals to launching the VA’s Health and Benefits app and piloting the IRS’s Direct File program, agencies modernized services at scale. At the same time, equity-driven programs—like streamlined Medicaid coverage, newborn care kits for new families, and rural small business support—highlight how CX can reach the most vulnerable populations. Together, these efforts not only modernized digital access but also rebuilt public trust in government service delivery.
Government CX Improvements, 2021–2025
Highlights from the Biden-Harris Administration’s customer experience initiatives across major agencies:
Agency
Key Improvements
Impact
State Department
Launched fully online passport renewal system
Issued 70M+ passports (2022–2024); reduced processing from 12–18 weeks to 4–6 weeks
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Digital signatures, document upload, redesigned website
90% of top forms now digital; average call wait time cut to 13 minutes
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Customer Callback expansion; Direct File pilot
1.5M+ hours saved on hold; average wait ~3 minutes; 140K used Direct File in 12 states
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Mobile-first Health & Benefits app
2M+ users manage claims, prescriptions, and appointments digitally
Small Business Administration (SBA)
MySBA portal for multiple certifications
17K+ businesses certified in FY2024; certification time reduced by 40–70%
Earlier this month, President Trump unveiled the “America by Design” initiative via a newly signed executive order, signaling a push to modernize how Americans experience government services. The order establishes a National Design Studio (NDS) within the White House and creates the new position of Chief Design Officer (CDO)—a role tasked with recruiting top-tier private-sector design talent. Federal agencies are now instructed to collaborate closely with this office to overhaul both digital and physical public interfaces, with early deliverables expected by July 4, 2026.
This initiative aims to address longstanding issues—of which there are many, they claim—with federal design: there are an estimated 26,000 government websites, most of which suffer from poor usability and aesthetics. According to the White House's analysis, only 6% are rated “good” for mobile performance, and less than 20% use standardized code from the U.S. Web Design System. The new policy emphasizes reducing duplicative design costs, achieving design consistency, fostering public trust and improving user experience across every citizen touchpoint with government services.
18F was a digital services agency within the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), founded in 2014 by former Presidential Innovation Fellows. Named after GSA’s headquarters at 18th and F Streets in Washington, D.C., 18F was created to modernize how federal agencies build and deliver technology.
Inspired by groups like the UK’s Government Digital Service, Code for America, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s tech team, 18F focused on user-centered design, agile development and open-source practices. Its projects included cloud.gov, login.gov, the IRS and the U.S. Web Design System, and it operated as a cost-recoverable consultancy funded through interagency agreements.
The team described itself as “hacking bureaucracy” — helping agencies streamline hiring, procurement and software deployment while proving that modern, iterative tech practices can thrive inside government.
"During my too-brief time there (at 18F), I saw exactly what it meant to improve the experience of renewing your passport, or providing an easier way to file your taxes," Marcotte said. "Despite what this new 'studio' would suggest, designing better government services didn’t involve smearing an animated flag and a few nice fonts across a website. It involved months, if not years, of work: establishing a regular cadence of user research and stakeholder interviews; building partnerships across different teams or agencies; working to understand the often vast complexity of the policy and technical problems involved; and much, much more. Judging by their mission statement, this 'studio' confuses surface-level aesthetics with the real, substantive work of design."
Highlights from the Trump Administration’s digital customer experience design efforts launched this month:
Component
Details
Initiative
“America by Design” – National effort to modernize the usability and aesthetics of federal services (both digital and physical)
Structural Setup
Creation of National Design Studio (NDS) within the White House, led by a newly established Chief Design Officer reporting to the Chief of Staff
Chief Design Officer
Joe Gebbia, co-founder of Airbnb, appointed as the inaugural CDO of the United States, aiming to deliver an “Apple Store-like experience” in government interfaces
Goals & Mandates
Reduce duplication in design; enforce standardized designs; enhance public trust; deliver beautiful and efficient user experiences
Scope & Challenges
Targeting ~26,000 federal websites, many currently outdated—only 6% mobile-friendly and <20% using U.S. Web Design System
Implementation Timeline
Agency heads must deliver initial results by July 4, 2026; the NDS is set to expire after three years
The White House’s “America by Design” initiative aims to move government services from frustrating, outdated systems to efficient, user-friendly experiences through centralized design leadership and consistent digital standards.Simpler Media Group
Human-Centered Design Takes Priority
Chief Design Officer. CDOs. Heads of customer experience design.
All stuff the private world has been locked and loaded on for about 25 years, so definitely a case of better late than never when it comes to digital customer experience for the public sector here in the United States.
Ok, enough poking fun at the government, though it is fun.
The White House announced the America by Design initiative to improve online and offline experiences across government services. This effort comes as organizations increasingly recognize that effective digital customer experience (CX) design requires fundamental shifts in approach and methodology.
Modern CX design prioritizes understanding actual user problems through both qualitative and quantitative research. Organizations are moving beyond theoretical customer-first approaches to create experiences grounded in real user needs and feedback.
The most effective strategies break down traditional organizational silos. Cross-functional collaboration between marketing, product, technology and customer-facing teams has become essential for delivering experiences that are fast, personal and consistent across all touchpoints.
Technology Enables, But Users Define Success
While personalization powered by clean data and AI has become standard, leading organizations go further by using sentiment and intent analysis to anticipate needs and deliver real-time value.
The focus has shifted from technology capabilities to user outcomes. Every design choice must be validated by how it feels and functions for the end user, rather than internal technical considerations.
Iterative, Data-Driven Approaches
Organizations are abandoning static design handoffs in favor of living design systems. AI-assisted workflows and modular architectures enable faster delivery and quicker adaptation to changing user expectations.
Regular usability testing, A/B experiments and direct customer involvement in the design process ensure improvements align with actual user preferences rather than assumptions.
Balancing Automation & Human Touch
The future of CX design involves balancing automation with meaningful human interaction. Successful organizations meet customers where they are, anticipate their needs and create experiences that make users feel valued.
Organizations that master this balance between technology and authentic human connection will build the most resilient and loyal customer relationships.
Dom Nicastro is editor-in-chief of CMSWire and an award-winning journalist with a passion for technology, customer experience and marketing. With more than 20 years of experience, he has written for various publications, like the Gloucester Daily Times and Boston Magazine. He has a proven track record of delivering high-quality, informative, and engaging content to his readers. Dom works tirelessly to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in the industry to provide readers with accurate, trustworthy information to help them make informed decisions. Connect with Dom Nicastro:
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