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Social Security Administration•2018 - 2022•3 min read•Peraton (Formerly Northrop Grumman)

SSA Technician Dashboard: Modernizing Field Operations

Led UX initiatives for SSA's Technician Dashboard (TED) application, enhancing technician workflows and customer service interactions.

Senior Principal Usability Specialist

Research Question & Context

How might we modernize SSA's field operations to enhance technician workflows and improve customer service interactions nationwide?

The Technician Dashboard (TED) was conceived during the discovery phase of the project, in response to workflow inefficiencies and the burden of navigating multiple legacy systems. Our research revealed a clear need for a centralized interface to help SSA field technicians manage tasks, access case details, and better support customers in person and by phone. As the concept matured, the development approach shifted to PEGA—a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) low-code platform—midway through the project. This pivot required our team to quickly adapt, learn PEGA's design system, and translate our initial wireframes and workflow logic into PEGA-compatible prototypes. We worked closely with developers, policy stakeholders, and frontline staff to ensure that the evolving product remained grounded in real user needs while aligning with PEGA's capabilities.

Organization: Social Security Administration (SSA)
Role: Senior Principal Usability Specialist
Duration: November 2018 - February 2022
Company: Peraton (Formerly Northrop Grumman)

Methodology & Process

Research Approach

  • Human Factors Engineering (HFE): Applied best practices to optimize user-centered design
  • Workflow Analysis: Mapped technician tasks and identified optimization opportunities
  • Accessibility Standards: Ensured Section 508 compliance throughout

Design & Development Process

  • Requirements Translation: Converted business needs into user-centered design solutions
  • Iterative Prototyping: Created wireframes and high-fidelity designs within constraints
  • Agile Collaboration: Partnered with product owners and developers across SDLC
  • Platform Migration: Led UX aspects of transition to Pega development platform

My Role & Responsibilities

As the UX lead for SSA's critical field applications:

  • Led UX initiatives for TED application enhancing technician workflows
  • Translated business requirements into wireframes, prototypes, and designs
  • Applied HFE best practices to optimize user-centered design
  • Collaborated across full SDLC with cross-functional teams
  • Spearheaded migration to Pega platform, resolving cross-team challenges
  • Designed and led nationwide user research and usability testing

Key Deliverables

  • Conceptual models mapping technician workflows
  • User journey maps for customer service interactions
  • Wireframes and interactive prototypes for Agile teams
  • High-fidelity designs with specification documents
  • Usability testing protocols and findings reports
  • Migration strategy for Pega platform transition

Impact & Professional Growth

Project Outcomes

  • Successfully enhanced technician workflows nationwide
  • Improved customer service interactions through better tools
  • Completed successful migration to modern Pega platform
  • Delivered comprehensive UX artifacts for ongoing development

Skills Advanced

  • Enterprise-scale UX design for government systems
  • Cross-functional team leadership in complex environments
  • Platform migration and technical constraint navigation
  • Nationwide user research coordination
  • Agile methodology application in federal contracts

Methodologies Demonstrated

  • Human Factors Engineering (HFE) application
  • Large-scale usability testing programs
  • Business-to-design requirements translation
  • Stakeholder consensus building across multiple teams

Reflections & Learning

Working on SSA's mission-critical systems reinforced key principles:

  • The importance of understanding complex business workflows before designing
  • Value of HFE methodologies in government system design
  • Critical need for cross-team collaboration during platform migrations
  • Impact of well-designed tools on public service delivery

This project showcased my ability to lead UX transformation for enterprise government systems while navigating technical constraints and ensuring nationwide scalability. The experience strengthened my expertise in translating complex requirements into intuitive designs that serve both government workers and citizens effectively.