The future of government starts with user research​

Uncover citizen needs, enhance public services, and build a future-ready government with user research tailored to your small or medium-sized municipality.

Our Services

Research-informed consulting to tackle wicked problems
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Our Mission

Strengthening American democracy and communities ​
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About Us

Design professionals with a passion for local government
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Roll out a new program or process

Incorporate user feedback during the building phase to ensure you get it right the first time

Assess a current process or problem​

Evaluate existing services and innovate in collaboration with those most impacted

Connect with your community

Strengthen trust and grow your capacity to spark change by building community

It’s time for local government to truly innovate

Our passion is helping small to medium-sized governments build better, more inclusive, and more citizen-friendly products and services
92%
  • of U.S. cities with a population of 25,000 or less*
76%
  • of citizens never attend local government meetings*
19%
  • of people have contact with their local elected official*

Our Team

We provide trustworthy, experienced, and award-winning expertise

Kyle Knott

Client Partnerships

Kyle holds dual master’s degrees in public administration and comparative studies, specializing in local government, public policy, and design research. He has additionally been involved in various leadership capacities in city management and community politics for nearly 10 years. He’s worked extensively in strategic management, mixed methods research, and community capacity building.

Mindy Harrell

Design and Research

Mindy has 8 years of experience in the human-centered design and research methods. A passionate advocate for community-building and urbanism, Mindy has worked with major brands both in the US and abroad, as well as the city of Istanbul, Turkey. She brings her private sector experience in building delightful products and services to the public sector through GovEmpower.

Welcome to the future of government

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Journey Maps

Through in-depth interviews with users and stakeholders, we map the full experience to expose pain points, inefficiencies, and moments of opportunity—giving you a clear picture of what to fix and where to innovate.

usability tests

We observe real users as they interact with your digital solution to uncover friction points and recommend targeted improvements.

heuristic audits

Leaning on industry best practices and deep UX expertise, we review your product to highlight areas where usability and accessibility can be strengthened.

Service Blueprints

Planning a new service or redesigning a current one? We work with you to outline each layer—frontstage and backstage—so your offering runs smoothly from the inside out.

Co-Design Workshops

From 2-hour sprints to 2-week design labs, we facilitate collaborative workshops—whether you’re refining a roadmap, rethinking a service, or launching a new community initiative.

Interviews

We lead one-on-one interviews with users and stakeholders to surface insights, build trust, and ensure any changes are informed by those most affected.

Community Surveys

We design and deploy surveys that surface actionable insights from your community—helping you prioritize what matters most.