Policy and Practice | June 2021

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and contractors had been guiding a set of interconnected initiatives and services, testing and tuning to meet the dynamic pandemic conditions over the past nine months, while supporting the state’s strategic goals. Each individual held a piece of the puzzle, a set of hypotheses on what was working well and what needed to change. Through a series of 1:1 inter- views, these individuals shared powerful anecdotes about Rhode Island residents, communities, and cultural consider- ations. They highlighted the growing health inequities and the desperate situation to do more to reach indi- viduals reticent to accept state-provided services. This became the canvas upon which researchers and designers built out a structured program to uncover valuable insights for the state’s response. Developing Empathy for Rhode Islanders: Conducting the Research The team launched into a set of mixed method research practices, particularly focused on populations within high density, K–12 education, university, and small business settings. This included evaluating the existing data on population trends, behaviors, and risky practices as well as insights

The Governor and her Directors of Health and Human Services com- mitted to bringing this voice into the state’s COVID response. They worked with a team of IBM researchers, strate- gists, and designers to construct a rapid insight generation program that supple- mented their existing intelligence and operations. Together, the State of Rhode Island and IBM kicked off a human- centered research and design initiative. The work was designed to complement the ongoing efforts spanning multiple agencies, the National Guard, and con- tractors united in their efforts to support Rhode Island residents. Within days, initial insights surfaced. Each week, a more complex picture emerged to inform state-supported touchpoints. Ultimately, a new viewpoint to explore and evaluate opportunities sharpened, providing a repeatable framework to guide future program design aligned to resident needs. Understanding the Context Human-centered design offers a powerful mechanism to bring an outside-in perspective, but it is exponentially more successful when grounded in current state pain points and desired outcomes. A diverse team of state leaders, community partners,

Melissa Geissler is a Partner leading IBM's design studio for Public Market clients.

Gorham Palmer is a Distinguished Designer lead- ing IBM's North America User Experience Practice.

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Policy&Practice June 2021