How We Made nyc.gov Easier for Everyone

AIGA NY is excited to welcome Aamina Ganser, Gina Kim, and Will Zhang of the NYC Digital Service design team to share the story behind the redesign of NYC’s official government website. This ambitious project’s vision was a more accessible, intuitive, and resilient platform built around the real needs of New Yorkers. Drawing on extensive user research, data analysis, and insights from community-based organizations, the team reimagined how government services can meet people where they are.

The redesign is more than a new look; it signals a shift in how the city approaches digital experiences. By building a flexible design system, setting new policies, designing clear navigation across the entire digital network, the team has created a site that will grow with the city and remain focused on serving New Yorkers.
This conversation is also a call to action. We invite NYC creatives to lend their voices and support in shaping the next phase of a truly people-centered civic digital experience through this survey.

Speakers
Aamina Ganser
Aamina is an educator and designer of identities, services and systems that create more inclusive and accessible experiences both online and in the real world. She is currently the Service Design Lead on the NYC Digital Service team, where she translates complex government processes into New Yorker-centered digital experiences through research and end-to-end design. Her design work ranges from developing brand identity systems and conducting patient research at Johnson & Johnson, helping launch Amazon’s Buy now, pay later financing tools across the US and Canada, creating interactive educational platforms for the Smithsonian Institution, and environmental design for public spaces including Bryant Park.
As an educator, she has taught at universities, led museum tours across the US and Europe, and facilitated workshops in community-based organizations, residential reentry centers, and transitional housing.

Aamina received an MFA from CalArts and graduated from UCLA with a BA in World Arts & Cultures. Her work is part of the permanent collection of LACMA, and has been exhibited at the Brazilian Graphic Design Biennial and the Gallery at REDCAT.
Will Zhang
Will is a designer and craftsman who’s just as obsessed with details as he is about systems. He joined the City government in 2022 to learn how to leverage the design process to help New Yorkers. As the Design Lead on the Digital Service team, he’s responsible for the Design System and standards to guide the new transformation of nyc.gov. Previous to working for the City, he was designing products and inclusive experiences for similarly complex companies like Consumer Reports, Vanguard, and Anthem.
Will is based in Brooklyn, and his practice is heavily influenced by his upbringing as a child of immigrants, especially cultural community building and development. Outside of work, he runs a furniture design practice, and organizes community gatherings for side-projects.

Gina Kim

Gina is a designer with experience creating digital products in the public and advocacy space. She helps creatives make a meaningful impact by centering real human experience, elevating the quality of their craft and ensuring they communicate their work with clarity.
Gina is currently the Director of Design at the NYC Digital Service, focused on creating intuitive and accessible experiences for New Yorkers using government services. She is also an advisor at the MFA Design for Social Innovation program at the School of Visual Arts. Previously, she worked at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the U.S. Digital Service at Veterans Affairs.
A native New Yorker, Gina’s passion to design for diverse communities is rooted in her lifelong connection to her home city.

Event Series: Design Spotlight
These events are design talks or conversations that feature designers or creative teams sharing top of mind or breakout work.
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