ArmyIgnited Student Portal
Transforming military education access through strategic dashboard redesign,
streamlined funding flows, and human-centered document management for 40,000+ service members.
Role
Team Lead & UX Strategist
Client
U.S. Army / Department of Defense
Recognition
DoD Most Innovative Software Award 2023
The Problem
Service members struggled to navigate complex education funding and academic progress.
The ArmyIgnited student portal was essential but overwhelming. Cluttered dashboards, unclear funding flows,
and disorganized document systems created friction that discouraged educational progress.
Cluttered Dashboard
Students couldn’t quickly identify next steps or key information.
Confusing Funding Sources
Students struggled to understand differences between CA and TA funding.
Disorganized Records
Important documents were hard to locate and interpret.
Research & Discovery
Understanding service member needs and pain points
Through interviews, workshops, testing, and analytics review, we uncovered the systemic challenges impacting
student success and confidence.
Student Interviews
Discussed daily usage and funding frustrations.
Stakeholder Sessions
Workshops with education counselors and administrators.
Usability Testing
Observed navigation through dashboard & funding flows.
Analytics Review
Identified drop-off points and confusion patterns.
Journey Mapping
Mapped student path from funding to course completion.
Technical Assessment
Explored system constraints and modernization opportunities.
What We Learned
Students needed clarity, not complexity
“I just want to see what I need to do next. The dashboard shows everything, which means I can’t find anything.”
Students were overwhelmed by an undifferentiated mass of information. They needed hierarchy, priority, and focus.
Funding confusion caused anxiety
“I don’t understand if I’m using TA or CA, or how much I have left.”
Students lacked clear, trustworthy visibility into their funding balances and usage rules.
Document management was a major friction point
“Finding transcripts or invoices takes forever. I know they’re somewhere—but where?”
Students needed fast, intuitive access to important records through search, filters, and previews.
Group training needed visibility
“I want to take group training, but I can’t find what’s available or how to enroll.”
Students needed a dedicated space to discover, understand, and manage group training options.
Design Process
Building a student-centered education platform
Dashboard Redesign & Information Architecture
Created a simplified dashboard focused on next steps, deadlines, and funding status.
Funding Flow Simplification
Designed clear, differentiated views for Tuition Assistance and Credentialing Assistance.
Document Management Overhaul
Introduced categorization, enhanced search, and quick previews for essential documents.
Group Training Section
Built a dedicated area to explore, enroll, and track group training opportunities.
Iterative Testing & Refinement
Conducted ongoing usability testing with service members to refine flows and ensure compliance.
Impact & Results
Transforming military education access for 40,000+ service members
The redesign empowered service members by improving clarity, confidence, and usability across the entire portal.
Improved Student Experience
- Streamlined dashboard reduced cognitive load
- Clear funding visibility increased confidence
- Better document access reduced support tickets
- Group training visibility increased participation
Organizational Impact
- DoD Most Innovative Software Award 2023
- Established design governance in a complex environment
- Pioneered experience-led military education
- Set a new standard for government UX
Department of Defense
Most Innovative Software Award 2023
Recognition for establishing design governance and human-centered design practices within the DoD ecosystem.
Key Learnings
What ArmyIgnited taught me about design in government systems
Clarity beats complexity
Military students need fast, intuitive access to essential information.
Financial transparency builds trust
Clear funding visibility empowers students to take action confidently.
Design governance transforms cultures
Consistent design practices shift even resistant environments.
User research is always possible
Even in constrained, high-security settings, research can be adapted and executed.