While many of U.S. Digital Response’s (USDR) engagements involve services like using a no-code/low-code tool to help with automating tasks or embarking on a user research project on a website, we also provide coaching for teams to upskill and find ways to initiate change from the inside out. That was the case when Hennepin County needed to coordinate a complex website transition, rebranding effort, and organizational change.
The Challenge
Hennepin County, serving 1.2 million Minnesota residents, faced a multi-layered transformation. The transition from their current .us domain to a .gov URL represented more than a simple website migration—it was an opportunity to enhance security, build public trust, and signal their official government status to residents. Simultaneously, the county was undertaking a comprehensive rebranding initiative that would affect everything from digital services to physical signage.
The Department of Digital Experience, tasked with managing the research and design phases, encountered several interconnected challenges. Their website wasn't meeting resident needs: it lacked mobile responsiveness, had accessibility issues, and made it difficult for residents to find and access critical services. The team had collected extensive user research over six months, but struggled to prioritize and implement findings effectively.
"We wanted to improve the experience for residents of Hennepin County, make it more accessible and usable, to help people get the services they need," said Ryan Curl, project manager for the Department of Digital Experience.
The traditional waterfall project management approach often favored by government agencies wasn't working. While Ryan had training in Agile methodologies, he hadn't led a fully Agile project before. "We weren't quite sure what the end state should look like. With waterfall, we risked having time, not priorities, drive our decisions at the end of the project," he said.
Why USDR?
The county's IT Manager, Shawn Filosi, met USDR representatives at a Code for America event and saw an opportunity for a different kind of partnership. Unlike traditional contractors, USDR offered several unique advantages that made the team feel comfortable opening up about their challenges - all with the crucial ability to bring in USDR without going through procurement approval processes. This meant that the team could move quickly and bring on a team of USDR's volunteers with deep experience in government digital services and organizational change.
"When you partner with web design agencies, you might be one of their very few government partners. We needed to work with people who understand the constraints of not being revenue-driven, who get that our whole mission is to get as much information out there as possible while keeping it navigable,” he said.
USDR's approach
Rather than simply providing recommendations, USDR assembled a three-person coaching team to help build sustainable internal capacity. Each coach brought specialized expertise:
A project management expert provided practical guidance on agile implementation, helping translate "book knowledge" into real-world practices. A scrum master focused on managing complexity and teaching prioritization skills, working with Ryan on weekly goal-setting and progress tracking. A design leader collaborated with the county's design team, helping them grow into leadership roles while maintaining technical excellence—work that contributed to their design system recently winning recognition from Gov IT.
"The meetings felt like therapy sessions. I had book training, but the book is written in black and white. We work in full spectrum operation, and I was having a hard time connecting the dots. Having somebody with experience coaching coming in and helping us look at it from different perspectives was invaluable,” Ryan said.
The coaching went beyond Agile practices to address foundational organizational issues. USDR helped the team recognize and address gaps in their decision-making structures, where decisions often "died in committee." They worked on role clarity, helping the team understand when democratic processes were helpful and when clear leadership was needed.
Impact and transformation
The partnership created lasting change at multiple levels. The team developed new capabilities in:
Strategic planning: Learning to balance immediate needs with long-term vision, ensuring decisions align with resident needs rather than just project timelines.
Leadership development: Team members, especially those coming from hierarchical backgrounds, learned to influence without authority and lead through collaboration.
Agile implementation: Moving beyond textbook knowledge to practical application, adapting agile principles to government context.
Most importantly, the team gained confidence in their ability to drive change. "In 10 years, our website will probably be replaced, but USDR is helping us change the foundation of how we operate in looking at the needs of our residents and how to incorporate them into all our digital products and building overall trust in government,” Ryan said.
The partnership's honesty and directness proved particularly valuable. USDR’s approach places trust in the governments’ we partner with, understanding they’re the experts of their communities. Our model also emphasizes finding the right solution for the problem and not relying on maximizing revenue, like traditional vendors and consultants. The result is neutral, direct feedback and collaboration.
"Volunteers were able to get to the heart of the issues. USDR's team could tell us things…a paid contractor might never mention," Shawn said.
Looking forward
While the website transformation continues, the foundation built through this partnership extends far beyond a single project. The team now approaches all digital initiatives with a user-centered, iterative mindset, supported by clear decision-making frameworks and leadership structures. Through this work, Hennepin County isn't just building a better website—they're building a better way to serve their residents through digital services.
The Team
Many thanks to our volunteers who worked with Hennepin County on this project:
- Alice Grantham - design/research and project management
- Matt Toner - product
- Bill Leech - agile coaching
Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash
