Tag It DMV

Overview

This wasn’t a facelift. It was a complete rebuild of a broken public service. I redesigned the New Jersey DMV’s digital workflows from the ground up—no components, no framework, no clarity—just legal red tape, angry users, and outdated systems. I created structure where there was chaos, clarity where there was confusion, and a design system so solid it’s now being used across multiple state departments. Real users, real impact, real results.

Goals

  1. Drastically reduce user error and abandonment
    Over 40% of support tickets were caused by interface issues. The goal was to make task flows clear, predictable, and resilient — especially for older users, mobile users, and high-volume dealers.

  2. Streamline key workflows without violating policy
    Every change had to work within strict legal and compliance constraints. That meant simplifying complex processes (like Real ID verification or vehicle registration) without cutting required steps.

  3. Build a system other departments could adopt
    This wasn’t a one-off fix. The goal was to deliver a scalable, WCAG-compliant design system that could serve as a model for other state services.

My Role + Responsibilities

Led end-to-end UX/UI redesign for NJ DMV workflows. Built a scalable design system and cut user errors by 36% under strict legal and accessibility constraints.

Team

2 front-end devs, 1 content strategist, NJ DMV tech lead. I owned research, IA, wireframes, UI, and accessibility compliance.

Tag It DMV

Overview

This wasn’t a facelift. It was a complete rebuild of a broken public service. I redesigned the New Jersey DMV’s digital workflows from the ground up—no components, no framework, no clarity—just legal red tape, angry users, and outdated systems. I created structure where there was chaos, clarity where there was confusion, and a design system so solid it’s now being used across multiple state departments. Real users, real impact, real results.

Goals

  1. Drastically reduce user error and abandonment
    Over 40% of support tickets were caused by interface issues. The goal was to make task flows clear, predictable, and resilient — especially for older users, mobile users, and high-volume dealers.

  2. Streamline key workflows without violating policy
    Every change had to work within strict legal and compliance constraints. That meant simplifying complex processes (like Real ID verification or vehicle registration) without cutting required steps.

  3. Build a system other departments could adopt
    This wasn’t a one-off fix. The goal was to deliver a scalable, WCAG-compliant design system that could serve as a model for other state services.

My Role
+ Responsibilities

Led end-to-end UX/UI redesign for NJ DMV workflows. Built a scalable design system and cut user errors by 36% under strict legal and accessibility constraints.

Team

2 front-end devs, 1 content strategist, NJ DMV tech lead. I owned research, IA, wireframes, UI, and accessibility compliance.

Tag It DMV

Overview

This wasn’t a facelift. It was a complete rebuild of a broken public service. I redesigned the New Jersey DMV’s digital workflows from the ground up—no components, no framework, no clarity—just legal red tape, angry users, and outdated systems. I created structure where there was chaos, clarity where there was confusion, and a design system so solid it’s now being used across multiple state departments. Real users, real impact, real results.

Goals

  1. Drastically reduce user error and abandonment
    Over 40% of support tickets were caused by interface issues. The goal was to make task flows clear, predictable, and resilient — especially for older users, mobile users, and high-volume dealers.

  2. Streamline key workflows without violating policy
    Every change had to work within strict legal and compliance constraints. That meant simplifying complex processes (like Real ID verification or vehicle registration) without cutting required steps.

  3. Build a system other departments could adopt
    This wasn’t a one-off fix. The goal was to deliver a scalable, WCAG-compliant design system that could serve as a model for other state services.

My Role + Responsibilities

Led end-to-end UX/UI redesign for NJ DMV workflows. Built a scalable design system and cut user errors by 36% under strict legal and accessibility constraints.

Team

2 front-end devs, 1 content strategist, NJ DMV tech lead. I owned research, IA, wireframes, UI, and accessibility compliance.

Live Preview
Live Preview
Live Preview
Tag It Logo
Tag It Logo
Tag It Logo

Timeline

Q1 2024

Client

Tag It DMV

Category

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design | Design System

Product Duration

3 Months
Problem
Problem
Research
Research
Development
Development
Results
Results

Problem

Problem

Problem

The New Jersey DMV’s online services were broken—fragmented legacy systems, non-responsive UI, and inconsistent workflows made basic tasks (like registration or license renewal) painful.


The real problem: users couldn’t complete critical tasks without abandoning or calling support, driving up costs and frustration. Over 40% of tickets stemmed from interface-induced errors.


This case study focuses on solving one challenge:
Redesign key DMV workflows to reduce user error and increase completion rates—while meeting strict legal and accessibility standards.

Personas
Personas
Personas

Research

Research

Research

I led a dual-track research phase focused on internal constraints and external usability:


Stakeholder Discovery

  • 4 interviews with DMV department heads and IT leads

  • Mapped legacy system limitations and compliance requirements

  • Flagged conflicts between usability and state policy (e.g., legal wording vs. clarity)


User Research

  • 12 interviews + 50 user surveys

  • Targeted pain points: confusing terminology, broken flows, and mobile accessibility

  • 72% abandoned tasks mid-process due to unclear next steps

  • Most users preferred calling an agent over using the online system


Persona

Goals

Frustrations

Behavior

Donna (67, Retired)

Renew license without leaving home

Small text, confusing legal language, fear of “doing it wrong”

Uses a tablet, avoids phone calls

Kevin (34, Dealer)

Register multiple vehicles fast

Inconsistent system behavior across branches

Uses desktop, expects speed

Jasmine (22, Student)

Get Real ID before travel

Doesn't understand eligibility or required documents

Mobile-only, needs step-by-step UX

I led a dual-track research phase focused on internal constraints and external usability:


Stakeholder Discovery

  • 4 interviews with DMV department heads and IT leads

  • Mapped legacy system limitations and compliance requirements

  • Flagged conflicts between usability and state policy (e.g., legal wording vs. clarity)


User Research

  • 12 interviews + 50 user surveys

  • Targeted pain points: confusing terminology, broken flows, and mobile accessibility

  • 72% abandoned tasks mid-process due to unclear next steps

  • Most users preferred calling an agent over using the online system


Persona

Goals

Frustrations

Behavior

Donna (67, Retired)

Renew license without leaving home

Small text, confusing legal language, fear of “doing it wrong”

Uses a tablet, avoids phone calls

Kevin (34, Dealer)

Register multiple vehicles fast

Inconsistent system behavior across branches

Uses desktop, expects speed

Jasmine (22, Student)

Get Real ID before travel

Doesn't understand eligibility or required documents

Mobile-only, needs step-by-step UX

I led a dual-track research phase focused on internal constraints and external usability:


Stakeholder Discovery

  • 4 interviews with DMV department heads and IT leads

  • Mapped legacy system limitations and compliance requirements

  • Flagged conflicts between usability and state policy (e.g., legal wording vs. clarity)


User Research

  • 12 interviews + 50 user surveys

  • Targeted pain points: confusing terminology, broken flows, and mobile accessibility

  • 72% abandoned tasks mid-process due to unclear next steps

  • Most users preferred calling an agent over using the online system


Persona

Goals

Frustrations

Behavior

Donna (67, Retired)

Renew license without leaving home

Small text, confusing legal language, fear of “doing it wrong”

Uses a tablet, avoids phone calls

Kevin (34, Dealer)

Register multiple vehicles fast

Inconsistent system behavior across branches

Uses desktop, expects speed

Jasmine (22, Student)

Get Real ID before travel

Doesn't understand eligibility or required documents

Mobile-only, needs step-by-step UX

Lo-fi wireframes
Lo-fi wireframes
Lo-fi wireframes

Design + Development

Design + Development

Design + Development

Information Architecture + Task Flows

  • Reduced IA depth by 30% to surface key actions faster

  • Built structured flows for top tasks (“Register a Vehicle,” “Get a License”)

  • Collaborated with legal to rewrite policy-heavy content into plain-language microcopy

  • Increased comprehension scores by 42% (Cloze test)


Wireframes + Validation

  • Created 60+ low-fi wireframes, tested over 3 rounds

  • Used tree testing + heatmaps to catch flow bottlenecks

  • Validated edge cases with live user simulations


High-Fidelity UI + Accessibility

  1. Built a responsive, WCAG 2.2–compliant design system from scratch

  2. Key UI features:
    • Real-time form validation with localized error messaging
    • Progressive disclosure for complex steps (e.g., ID uploads)
    • Contextual tooltips and dynamic checklists for compliance-heavy flows

  3. Solved critical edge cases like:
    • Multi-owner vehicle transfers
    • Vehicles not found in state databases
    • Document mismatches during Real ID flow

Hi-fi wireframes
Hi-fi wireframes
Hi-fi wireframes

Results

Results

Results

The project delivered a high-performance, scalable framework for digital DMV services that exceeded initial expectations.


Within 1 Month of Soft Launch:


Metric

Before

After

Delta

Task Success Rate

56%

92%

↑ +36 pts

Avg. Task Completion Time

—

−35%

faster

System Usability Score (SUS)

57

85

↑ +28 pts

Support Tickets

—

−40%

drop


  • More Works More Works

Cover.

REVER®

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design

Cover.

REVER®

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design

Cover.

REVER®

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design

SSC Cover Desktop

Silver Star Capital

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design | Brand Design

SSC Cover Desktop

Silver Star Capital

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design | Brand Design

SSC Cover Desktop

Silver Star Capital

SaaS | E-commerce | Product Design | Brand Design