密歇根新闻广播 人性化的流程让事情变得简单

Filling out applications for government assistance programs, like Medicaid or food stamps, can be a lengthy¹ and confusing process.

In Michigan, it used to involve filling out a 42-page form that, among other highly-specific questions, asked applicants² to give the exact dates their children were conceived.

But thanks to the work of Michael Brennan and his team at the Detroit design firm Civilla, the application has gotten a user-friendly overhaul³.

Brennan, who is Civilla's CEO, says that his firm focuses on human-centric design. That's the idea that in order to understand a problem, you have to actually spend time with the people you’re trying to help.

When the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) tapped Civilla to redesign their public benefits application form, Brennan says his team started by speaking with individuals who were actually navigating⁴ that system. Those conversations helped them identify major flaws and shortcomings in the process.

Brennan's team later met with state leaders, legislators, [and] members of the non-profit community to illustrate⁵ what applicants experience, in part by having them fill out the lengthy application themselves.

We literally⁶ would have people who had a Ph.D. and say, I can read this, but I actually don't understand this, Brennan said.

So what does the redesigned form look like now?

Today, we have an application that is 80% shorter in words and questions, 60% shorter in the number of pages. It goes through the state process in about half the time, Brennan said.

Brennan says that the state has also asked Civilla to help make the process of renewing aid more straightforward⁷. He hopes that this work will inspire other public institutions in Michigan to use human-centered design to improve the experiences of the people they serve.

This post was written by Stateside production assistant Isabella Isaacs-Thomas.

1 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

2 applicants   

申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were over 500 applicants for the job. 有500多人申请这份工作。
• He was impressed by the high calibre of applicants for the job. 求职人员出色的能力给他留下了深刻印象。

3 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

4 navigating   

v.给（船舶、飞机等）引航，导航( navigate的现在分词 )；（从海上、空中等）横越；横渡；飞跃

参考例句：

• These can also be very useful when navigating time-based documents, such as video and audio. 它对于和时间有关的文档非常有用，比如视频和音频文档。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Vehicles slowed to a crawl on city roads, navigating slushy snow. 汽车在市区路上行驶缓慢，穿越泥泞的雪地。 来自互联网

5 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

6 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

7 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。