your texas benefits
Texas benefits program mobile app
About
Your Texas Benefits is a service provided by Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) that aids qualifying Texans with financial relief. Through Your Texas Benefits services, Texans can apply for and manage benefits from SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid programs. This initiative aimed to implement the EBT card functionality into the YTB mobile so Texans could manage the funds acquired from the TANF program.
Problem
The design team was tasked to bring one of YTB's largest features into the mobile application and streamline EBT card functionality.
Solution
Through leveraging extensive research, user interviews, modes and mindsets, tree testing, and usability testing, I led the design team of 5 designers to implement the EBT card feature along with redesigning the renewal application flow.
my role

YTB Redesign initative

Spring 2022 - Summer 2022
Where it started

expanding Lone star card features

Previously, Texans receiving EBT, SNAP, or TANF benefits were only able to view their balance and transaction history on the YTB website without any ability to take actions to manage their card. To manage their card, they were directed to call the help desk for tasks such as card activation, changing their PIN, reporting a lost or stolen card, or requesting a replacement. On average, the Lone Star Help Desk Interactive Voice Response (IVR) received 13 million calls per month, with over 66% of those inquiries related to checking card balances.

Additionally, 80% of website sessions that included a login involved a visit to the EBT Summary screen. The previous website design made it difficult for users to navigate to the balance display, highlighting the need for an improved experience that made this information easily accessible without requiring a call to the Help Desk.

YTB engaged with Deloitte Digital to bring these features into the redesign of the YTB mobile app along with the redesign of the renewals feature.

Original Lone star card info screen

Original transactions screen

Discovery

leveraging research

One year prior to our redesign project, another Deloitte Digital team engaged with Texas Health and Human Services department to conduct in-depth discovery work aimed to influence HHS’s decisions on YTB’s features on a service level. Self-service successes, pain points, and future needs for the Your Texas Benefits website and mobile applicationFindings from the research included details on the self-service successes, pain points, and future needs for the Your Texas Benefits mobile application, and included synthesis like modes and mindsets that helped inform our decisions.

Tree testing

Our preliminary research aimed to understand how clients would navigate and interact with Lone Star Card features within the Your Texas Benefits prototype while validating our initial information architecture. The primary focus was integrating EBT functionality into the app. To assess usability, we conducted remote tree testing via Zoom, comparing user flows to identify the most effective navigation paths.

“I think it was confusing because I thought the FAQs were about the app and not the Lone Star Card.”

- Benefits recipient

“I think it was confusing because I thought the FAQs were about the app and not the Lone Star Card.”

- Benefits recipient

usability testing

Testing card features

We conducted usability testing with a low-fidelity Figma prototype to evaluate the integration of EBT card features within the app. To do this we facilitated remote testing sessions via Zoom to gather user feedback, identify pain points, and refine navigation flows, to learn about how users might manage their benefits.

"If it can keep a history of where you buy groceries, how much you spent, you can keep track of benefits better."

- Benefits recipient

"I need to see on either tab when you would be getting your next deposit. When you have four mouths to feed, planning schedules for shopping is a big deal."

- Benefits recipient

Testing SESSION TAKEAWAYS

Areas to consider updates:

  1. Revise bottom navigation icons and descriptions.
  2. Explore how users access more information about their account balance.
  3. Revisit the hierarchy Lone Star Card landing page.
  4. Reduce screen real estate of “Upcoming Deposits”.
  5. Explore adding contextual help to assist users along a particular flow
Features implemented
User testing showed us that participants were looking beyond balance information, frequently referencing upcoming deposits and transaction history to budget and plan their expenses throughout the month. Our design reflects this mental model, allowing managing their funds effectively.

Card status

We proposed showing card statuses on the home screen showing wether cards were active, locked, cancelled, or frozen.

View transactions

On the transactions screen, we introduced filtering to help users manage their spending.

card freeze

Manage PIN

replace card

results

Upgrade release

On January 24th, 2023, the Your Texas Benefits Digital Team released version 6.0 of the Your Texas Benefits mobile application in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. As of April 5th, 2023, 96% of users upgraded to the newest version.
Final thoughts

Future considerations

It was incredibly rewarding to contribute to a solution with such a significant impact on Texans. I also see opportunities for future enhancements that could further improve the Your Texas Benefits app that I hope leadership and our client will consider:
Feature wishlist:
  • EBT map feature that enables users to see where they can use their EBT card.
  • Allow new recipients to apply for benefits via the mobile app.
Hello, I'm still working on the mobile version of my site. If you would like to see my work, please view it on a desktop screen.

Thanks for you time,
- Adrian