Project Introduction
The DC Department of Public Works provides a wide range of essential city services, including trash and recycling collection, parking enforcement, street sweeping, leaf collection, snow response and waste diversion.
With so many services, programs and seasonal operations competing for attention, the homepage needed to do more than present information. It needed to help residents quickly understand where to go, what action to take and how to access the services they use most.
I led the complete redesign of the DPW homepage, handling the user experience, content and data organization, page structure, visual design, imagery and final launch.
the challenge
DPW’s website serves residents with very different needs. Some visitors are looking for routine service information, while others arrive during snow events, collection disruptions or other time-sensitive situations.
The existing homepage contained a large amount of useful information, but the organization did not always reflect how residents searched for services. Important actions, agency programs, announcements and seasonal content competed for the same level of attention.
The challenge was to reorganize that information into a clearer, more useful experience without removing the depth of content residents depend on.
the Strategy
I began by reviewing the existing content, service data and user pathways to identify the information residents were most likely to need.
Instead of treating every piece of content equally, I reorganized the homepage around priority, frequency and urgency. High-demand services and resident actions received stronger placement, while agency information, campaigns and seasonal programs were arranged into more flexible supporting sections.
This approach allowed the homepage to function as both an everyday service portal and a communications platform during major operations and citywide events.
our solution
The redesigned homepage introduced a clearer hierarchy and more intentional pathways into DPW services. Key improvements included:
• A prominent quick-request area for frequently used resident services • Stronger integration with DC 311 for service requests • Clearer pathways to high-demand programs and information • Improved organization for seasonal operations such as snow, leaf collection and street sweeping • Flexible areas for emergency notices, agency announcements and public campaigns • A more effective mobile navigation experience • Updated imagery and page visuals that made the site feel more current and approachable • A modular structure that could be updated as agency priorities changed
Every section was designed to help residents move from information to action with less confusion.
Design and Execution
I handled the project from initial organization through final launch.
That included analyzing and restructuring the existing information, establishing the page hierarchy, designing the user experience, creating the visual layout, selecting and producing imagery, building the page and preparing the final experience for public use.
Because I was responsible for both the content structure and visual execution, the final design was able to balance resident needs, agency priorities and day-to-day website management within one cohesive system.
the result
The redesigned homepage was fully launched as DPW’s new public-facing digital entry point.
The new structure created clearer pathways to frequently requested services while giving the agency a more flexible way to feature seasonal operations, emergency information, public campaigns and everyday service updates.
It also established a more organized framework for managing a large amount of changing information without allowing the homepage to feel overloaded. The result is a homepage that better reflects how residents interact with DPW: task-focused, mobile-conscious and built around access to essential city services.
