Midyear Update from Coforma
The past many months have been turbulent, bringing unexpected changes and posing new challenges. True to our culture of disrupting the status quo to enable meaningful change, we’ve embraced this time of change by engaging in fruitful work that seeks to make a difference in people’s lives and in how they access critical products and services.
We recognize the need for fostering thoughtful approaches to accomplishing business goals, and we know that it isn’t just business as usual. Not for us, not for our project partners, and not for our industry colleagues. But for everyone.
We’ve worked to make space within our company and partnerships to support individuals and businesses as they reassess business strategies and goals, retool teams for these times, and proceed with their missions and lives under new circumstances.
What We’ve Been Doing
Throughout the year, we’ve been working with public and private organizations to create designs and design systems, engage in research, and build technology that positively impacts end users. We’ve also worked to expand our access to Federal Government contract vehicles and other opportunities.
Fostering Inclusive Design Practices
Our Designing for Trans and GNC Folx Webcast Panel featured four designers and researchers addressing key questions about designing to improve the experience of TGNC people as they access needed services.
Chartering Impactful Programs
Health+ is an ongoing series of research and delivery (healthathon) cycles. Each project builds creative, new resources to better support people living with high impact health issues. Health+ Sickle Cell Disease, the first high-impact health issue placed in focus, is sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Chief Technology Officer.
Forging New Alliances
We’ve extended our relationship with Halfaker and Associates LLC (Halfaker), a technology solutions company serving the health, intelligence, defense, and security sectors of the Federal Government, by establishing an 8(a) and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB)-certified Joint Venture (JV) to deliver innovative digital services to the Federal Government. We’re also learning from them through the All Small Mentor-Protégé Program partnership, recognized and facilitated by the Small Business Association.
Crafting Inclusive Design Frameworks
In partnership with Flexion, we’ve provided software development services for 10x, a program by the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services dedicated to funding and developing federal employee’s ideas to improve how our government builds technology for public good. One focus of this effort has been working to ensure those users of assistive technology have a fully functional and optimal user experience when interacting with products built using the US Web Design System, and those team members working on digital products are educated in the how and why of making their products accessible.
Building a Better Professional Design Community
On July 1, 2020 Coforma Chief Experience Officer Ashleigh Axios began a two-year term as President of the AIGA National Board of Directors. AIGA, the professional association for design, advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. As Chair of the Board, Ashleigh will work with AIGA leadership to take the largest and oldest design organization into a new, more equitable future.
Retooling the Social Distancing Reporter App
We designed and developed the design system for Camber Systems’ Social Distancing Reporter, presenting valuable mobility data to policymakers and researchers across the country in an accessible way. Camber Systems is the authoritative provider of mobility data analysis and insights in the COVID-19 environment.
Shaping the Cybersecurity Product Experience
Our partnership with cybersecurity experts Shift5 made their technology more accessible for vulnerable industries. We incorporated Human-Centered Design practices into web and graphic designs, development, and communications collateral as the company expands its cybersecurity product suite and capabilities.
Commitment to BIPOC
Coforma rejects the status quo and believes Black culture, community, work, and life matters. We are committed to creating a hospitable environment for all in and outside of our company. We will not do work that devalues BIPOC.
Kat Allarde came onboard as Senior Manager, PMO. She works at the intersection of client and internal teams — connecting across research, engineering, design, product, and business teams — to see projects through to successful completion while helping grow our overall delivery capabilities, PMO best practices, and project management standards. Read more
Sabrina Fonseca became our Principal Design Strategist. Sabrina leads discovery, user research, strategy, conceptual design, and usability testing for government, enterprise, and nonprofit projects. Read more
James Hobbs joined us as Senior Product Designer. He uses his creative leadership expertise across product and experience design, bringing experience from nonprofit, foundation, education, startups, and the public sector via the federal government. Read more
Yoni Knoll joined Coforma as Director of Creative Technology. Yoni leads the firm’s technology team, oversees technological interests, and serves as the primary development resource and liaison for Coforma’s clients. Read more
About Coforma
We build ethical technology products that disrupt the status quo through Human-Centered Design and research. We design solutions that have a positive social impact in an effort to help government modernize services and provide better digital products for the people who need them most. Visit us at coforma.io to learn more about our work.
This post was updated 9/27/2020 to reflect the company’s name change.
