library
start putting your ideas into practice
Our library is stocked with resources from the broader community of human-centered design experts. Explore by category to discover reports, books, and more.
Book
A Civic Technologist’s Practice Guide
Cyd Harrell
Outlines the types of projects, partnerships, and people that civic technologists encounter, and the methods they can use to make lasting change.
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book
administrative burden: policymaking by other means
Pamela Herd and Donald P. Moynihan
Explains how administrative burdens shape our interactions with governmental services.
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resource
accessible color matrix
Toolness
Builds color palettes that adhere to web and non-web accessibility guidelines.
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Resource
Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker
Adobe
Tests your PDFs for adherence to accessibility regulations.
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Tool
Airtable
Builds collaborative spreadsheets and databases.
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resource
Blush
Offers open-source tools for easily creating and customizing illustrations.
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Resource
Behavioral Evidence Hub
Collects strategies and insights about human behavior and needs from academic journals.
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Guide
Conscious Style Guide
Offers insights and suggestions for using equitable, socially-conscious language.
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Manual
Concept of Trauma and Guidance for Trauma-Informed Approach
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Introduces a concept of trauma and offers a framework for becoming a trauma-informed organization, system, or service sector.
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Tool
Color Safe
Builds accessible color palettes.
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Resource
Colorable
Checks color contrast for adherence to accessibility guidelines.
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Report
Delivery-driven policy
Code for America
Presents a roadmap for policy implementation that focuses on responding to the needs of residents through an interactive cycle.
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Workshop
d.school Starter Kit
Stanford d.school
Presents an introduction to human-centered design through a virtual, interactive workshop format.
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guide
18F Content Guide
18F
Lays out best practices for creating usable content in the public sector.
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guide
18F Design Methods
18F
A collection of tools to bring human-centered design into projects in the public sector.
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guide
18F User Experience Design Guide
18F
Describes how to guide user experience design projects in the public sector.
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Guide
Equity Centered Community Design Field Guide
Creative Reaction Lab
Breaks down human-centered design processes focused on equity and inclusion.
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Research
Exposing the Magic of Design
Jon Kolko
A practitioner's guide to the methods and theory of synthesis.
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guide
Field Guide to Human-Centered Design
ideo.org
Presents human-centered design methods at an introductory level.
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Book
Good Services: How to Design Services that Work
Lou Downe
Describes what a “good service” is and how to design one that works well for users.
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Manual
Gov.UK Service Manual
Guides teams to create good public services that meet national and ethical standards.
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playbook
Government Digital Services Playbook
United States Digital Service (USDS)
Gathers thirteen critical practices for implementing digital and online public services.
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resource
hemingway editor
Hemingway App
Tests your writing for plain language and suggests simpler alternatives to complex words and phrases.
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article
How Information Architecture works
Stephanie Crawford for How Stuff Works
Explains how and why to organize information in web applications.
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Tool
Implicit Association tests
Harvard University
Tests for implicit biases.
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Tool
InVision
Creates prototypes of digital products.
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Tool
Liberatory Design
Tania Anaissie, Victor Cary, David Clifford, Tom Malarkey, and Susie Wise
Supports liberatory design practice with a deck of cards that emphasizes mindsets and modes of practice.
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book
Mixed Methods guide
Sam Ladner
Shows researchers how to select and mix methods and data sets for more effective investigations.
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Tool
Mural
Allows teams to collaborate using visual thinking in a virtual space.
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Resource
plainlanguage.gov
Resmaa Menakem
Lays out language guidelines for public services and provides examples of plain language alternatives.
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Book
Practical Empathy
Indi Young
Shows you how to compare thinking patterns and perspectives to create successful business strategies.
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Guide
Qualitative Research Practice Guide
Code for America
Presents a practical guide to Code for America’s approach to qualitative research and analysis.
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diagram
The elements of user experience diagram
Jesse James Garrett
Diagrams the layers of “user experience” in web applications.
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Book
The Little Book of Design Research Ethics
Jane Fulton Suri
Guides designers through the ethical considerations of seeking and sharing insights into people’s lives.
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book
The Social Designer’s Field Guide to Power Literacy
Power Literacy
Builds an understanding of and sensitivity to the impacts of power and systemic oppression in the context of participatory design.
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Service
Tremendous
Offers non-cash incentives for research participation.
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service
User Interviews
Helps researchers connect with participants for interviews and user testing sessions.
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book
Userpalooza: a field researcher’s guide
Nick Bowmast
Offers practical details for designers looking to truly get to know their users through high-impact field research.
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guide
USDS Discovery Sprint Guide
United States Digital Services (USDS)
Explains how and why to use quick cycles of research, or discovery sprints, to explore an organizational problem or challenge.
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tool
U.S. Web Design System
United States Digital Service (USDS)
Provides a toolkit of principles, code, and guidance for government teams building accessible, human-centered websites.
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guide
Why am I always being researched?
Chicago Beyond
Offers an equity-based approach for how to level the playing field between researchers, research participants, and funders.
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