Projects

GenAI for California: improving state government with GenAI

Designing a clear path for the state’s GenAI adoption

With a product mindset and a human-centered approach, ODI built a brand new website that guides state staff and innovators through the generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) user journey. This allows the state to quickly adopt safe and trustworthy AI to improve outcomes for Californians.

Read the GenAI website blog post

A construction worker stands on the frame of a wall using a tool

Using data to streamline housing development

The Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) gets so much data about housing projects across California that it can cause delays due to manual review. ODI partnered with HCD to build a tool that will save staff time making reports and flag projects for review. This is a step forward for California’s goal of building more housing faster.

Read the HCD case study

A pond of water split by a peninsula of cracked, dry ground

Using data to forecast drought in community water outages

ODI worked with the California Division of Drinking Water (DDW) to improve a model that forecasts which water systems will be affected by drought. This will allow communities to fix problems before they happen.

Read the DDW case study

DTSC staff stand behind a table in a park. The table has displays and maps about a nearby project. 3 people are filling out forms at the table.

Lifting Californians’ voices in toxic substance project decisions

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) oversees cleanup projects across the state. They also issue permits for toxic substance storage. They use comments from the public when deciding what to do at sites. Most projects get only a few comments. DTSC asked ODI to explore how to reach people who don’t usually comment. ODI ran pilots to test new ways of reaching Californians. After making a few key changes, we got 600% more comments.

Read the DTSC case study

Unlocking state hiring insights

The Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) worked with the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to make it easier to get data from a key hiring system. We built a modern data pipeline that gives staff self-service access to data. With ODI’s help, what would have been a years-long improvement process took just 4 months.

Read the CalHR case study

Helping more eligible families enroll in CalWORKs

CalWORKs is a major safety net program. There’s a gap between people eligible for benefits and those who get them. ODI explored why the gap exists. We interviewed applicants to learn what it’s like applying for CalWORKs. We also talked to program staff to hear what it’s like to run the program. We found pain points that stop families from getting the benefits they deserve.

Read the CalWORKs case study

A woman sitting in a living room with a laptop in front of her, looking at you

Getting compensation to more California crime victims

California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) noticed a puzzling trend. Despite a rise in violent crimes, fewer victims applied for compensation. CalVCB asked ODI to find out why. Their goal was to get more applications. For 6 weeks, ODI talked with victims and those who support them. We used this research and best practices in design to find ways to make it easier to apply.

Read the CalVCB case study

Person walking through a whiteboard showing the design process

California Design System

The California Design System solves common website problems. Its reusable components and patterns make state websites more consistent. Real world testing allows departments to use them with confidence. Code comes from past projects like:

alpha.ca.gov
covid19.ca.gov
cannabis.ca.gov
drought.ca.gov

Feedback from the public drives improvements. Every time we update, we test for performance and accessibility. Teams can upgrade components on their own to fit their needs. We launched the Design System in partnership with the California Department of Technology (CDT). We continue to collaborate with CDT. This will promote these best practices across the state.

Page feedback

You can’t improve services if you don’t know what people need. The page feedback tool lets the public share their thoughts with the teams who serve them. We created it for covid19.ca.gov. It’s now on several state websites.

Person using a braille reading device on a computer

Accessibility and performance

At least 10% of Californians have some form of disability. We go beyond WCAG standards to design services that work better for everyone. We write at a grade 6 reading levels so it’s easier for everyone to understand our content. We make sure our services work well on most devices, not just new smartphones.