Design Justice: Equity-Centered Digital Design Skill

Design Justice: Equity-Centered Digital Design

Design for the margins, benefit the center. If it works for someone with no stable phone, unstable housing, trauma history, and low digital literacy → it works better for everyone.

Philosophy

Design Justice (Sasha Costanza-Chock) + Trauma-Informed Design + Digital Equity Design

Core principle: The people most impacted by design decisions should be centered in the design process, not treated as edge cases.

When to Use

✅ Use for:

Apps serving recovery/reentry populations
Government/civic tech applications
Healthcare portals for vulnerable populations
Housing/benefits applications
Legal aid and court self-help tools
Nonprofit service delivery platforms
Any app used on shared/public devices

❌ NOT for:

Enterprise B2B SaaS (different constraints)
Marketing funnel optimization
Gamification/engagement maximization
Social media features
General "make it pretty" UX requests

Decision Tree: Which Pattern Applies?

User has unstable phone number?
├── YES → See: Authentication Without Stable Phones
└── NO → Standard auth OK

User may lose internet mid-task?
├── YES → See: Offline-First Design
└── NO → Standard web patterns OK

User may be on shared/public device?
├── YES → See: Shared Device Privacy
└── NO → Standard session management OK

Form is complex or emotionally difficult?
├── YES → See: Trauma-Informed Forms
└── NO → Standard form patterns OK

User has history of system trauma?
├── YES → Apply ALL trauma-informed patterns
└── UNKNOWN → Assume YES for civic/legal/benefits apps

Pattern 1: Authentication Without Stable Phones

Anti-Pattern: Phone-First Auth

Novice thinking: "Everyone has a phone, SMS 2FA is secure"

Reality:

25% of formerly incarcerated people lack stable phone access
Phone numbers change frequently during housing instability
Prepaid phones get disconnected for non-payment
SMS 2FA locks people out of critical services

Timeline:

Pre-2020: SMS 2FA considered best practice
2020+: Code for America documented access barriers
2024+: Email-first + backup codes emerging as standard for civic tech

Correct Patterns

| Need | Pattern | Implementation | |------|---------|----------------| | Primary auth | Email-first | Email is identifier, phone optional | | 2FA | Multiple pathways | Email OR backup codes OR case worker verification | | Recovery | Printable codes | One-time codes that can be written down | | Bypass | Trusted intermediary | Case managers verify via org email | | Essential access | No-signup mode | Core features work without account |

Implementation Checklist

□ Email is primary identifier (phone optional)
□ Backup codes can be printed/written
□ Case worker recovery pathway exists
□ Core features work without login
□ Sessions are not device-locked
□ Phone number changes don't lock accounts
□ "Forgot password" has non-SMS option

Pattern 2: Offline-First / Intermittent Access

Anti-Pattern: Always-Online Assumption

Novice thinking: "Just show 'No connection' error"

Reality:

Public library computers have session limits
Mobile data runs out mid-month
Shelter wifi is unreliable
Users may have ONE chance to complete a form

Correct Patterns

| Need | Pattern | Implementation | |------|---------|----------------| | Data persistence | Local-first | Save to localStorage/IndexedDB immediately | | Form state | Auto-save | Save every field change, not just on submit | | Submission | Background sync | Queue actions, sync when connection returns | | UI feedback | Optimistic updates | Update UI immediately, sync in background | | Progress | Resume anywhere | Let users pick up exactly where they left off | | Status | Visible sync state | "Saved locally" / "Syncing..." / "Up to date" | | Degradation | Graceful offline | Core features work without network |

Implementation Checklist

□ PWA with service worker caching
□ All form data saves to localStorage on every change
□ Clear sync status indicator visible
□ Offline mode tested (airplane mode)
□ Background sync when connection returns
□ No data loss on connection drop (verified)
□ Multi-step flows don't timeout
□ Minimal asset downloads (text-first views available)

Code Pattern: Auto-Save Hook

// Save form state on every change
function useAutoSave(key: string, data: any) {
  useEffect(() => {
    localStorage.setItem(key, JSON.stringify({
      data,
      savedAt: new Date().toISOString(),
      synced: false
    }));
  }, [key, data]);

  // Return saved data on mount
  return useMemo(() => {
    const saved = localStorage.getItem(key);
    return saved ? JSON.parse(saved).data : null;
  }, [key]);
}

Pattern 3: Shared/Public Device Privacy

Anti-Pattern: Persistent Sessions

Novice thinking: "Remember me improves UX"

Reality:

Library computers used by multiple people
Shelter computers are shared
Previous user's data visible = safety risk
Domestic violence survivors need privacy

Correct Patterns

| Need | Pattern | Implementation | |------|---------|----------------| | Default state | Privacy mode ON | Don't auto-save sensitive info | | Logout | Prominent button | Make it obvious, not buried in menu | | Timeout | Warning + auto-logout | "5 min left. Continue?" | | Forms | No autofill default | Disable browser autofill on sensitive fields | | Mode toggle | "Public computer?" | One-click extra privacy mode | | Cookies | Session-only option | Clear on browser close |

Implementation Checklist

□ "Remember me" is UNCHECKED by default
□ Logout button visible on every page
□ Session timeout with save-progress warning
□ Sensitive fields have autocomplete="off"
□ Incognito mode suggested in UI for public computers
□ No cached personal data after logout
□ "Working on a shared computer?" toggle available

Pattern 4: Trauma-Informed Forms & Flows

Anti-Pattern: Bureaucratic Interrogation

Novice thinking: "Collect all info upfront for efficiency"

Reality:

Long forms trigger overwhelm and abandonment
Red error text is shame-triggering
Legal jargon creates anxiety
Surprise requirements feel like traps
"Tell your story" boxes are cognitively overwhelming

Correct Patterns

| Need | Pattern | Implementation | |------|---------|----------------| | Length | Chunked progress | Break into short sections, save each | | Language | Plain language | 6th-8th grade reading level | | Complexity | One question/page | For difficult topics | | Progress | Clear indicators | "Step 2 of 5" always visible | | Validation | Forgiving input | Auto-format, accept variations | | Defaults | Smart prefill | Pre-fill what you can infer | | Help | Inline, not hidden | Help text visible, not in modals | | Flow | Skip and return | Never force-block on optional fields |

Tone Guidelines

✅ Use:

Person-first language: "Person with a conviction"
Transparent timelines: "We'll review in 3-5 days"
Acknowledgment: "This process can be frustrating"
Affirming: "You're making progress"

❌ Avoid:

Shame language: "Your criminal past..."
Vague timelines: "We'll get back to you"
Blame: "You didn't complete..."
Guilt assumptions: "Your offense..."

Color & Visual Guidelines

✅ Calm palette:
- Success: Soft green (#4a9d9e), not aggressive lime
- Warning: Warm amber (#d4a03a), not alarming yellow
- Error: Muted terracotta (#c97a5d), not aggressive red
- Background: Cream/warm neutrals

❌ Avoid:
- Aggressive red for errors
- High-contrast warning colors
- Flashing or pulsing elements
- Visual "alarm" states

Implementation Checklist

□ No form longer than 5 fields per page
□ Progress indicator on all multi-step flows
□ Help text inline, not in tooltips/modals
□ Forgiving validation (formats automatically)
□ No required fields that aren't truly required
□ "Skip for now" on optional sections
□ Calm color palette (no aggressive reds)
□ Person-first language throughout
□ Clear "what happens next" on every screen

Pattern 5: Expungement/Record Clearance Specific

Anti-Pattern: Assuming User Knowledge

Novice thinking: "They know their case numbers"

Reality:

People don't remember case numbers from years ago
Legal terminology is confusing
County/jurisdiction boundaries are unclear
Documents may be inaccessible

Correct Patterns

| Need | Pattern | Implementation | |------|---------|----------------| | Eligibility | Checker first | Show if qualified BEFORE collecting info | | Documents | Multiple upload methods | Email, fax, mail, in-person, photo | | Location | Auto-detection | Don't make them figure out jurisdiction | | Records | Lookup tools | Help them find their own case numbers | | Terms | Plain language | Define every legal term | | Timeline | Explicit expectations | "Most cases take 60-90 days" | | Fees | Waiver prominent | Fee waiver should be default path |

Implementation Checklist

□ Eligibility checker before signup/info collection
□ Case number lookup tool or "I don't know" option
□ County auto-detected from address
□ Document upload alternatives (not just scan)
□ Legal terms have inline definitions
□ Expected timeline stated clearly
□ Fee waiver is default, not hidden option
□ "Not eligible" includes explanation WHY

Code for America Principles

The gold standard for civic tech:

Automatic > Petition-based - Don't require action from people with records
No-cost by default - Fee waivers automatic, not applied for
Government does the work - Don't burden individuals
Co-design with impacted people - Not just user research ON them
Assume gaps in data - Design around incomplete records
Backend automation - Minimal staff time, no manual bottlenecks

Quick Audit Checklist

Run this against any civic/legal/benefits application:

AUTHENTICATION
□ Can user sign up with just email?
□ Is there a non-SMS account recovery option?
□ Do core features work without login?

OFFLINE/INTERMITTENT
□ Does form data survive connection loss?
□ Is there visible "saved" indicator?
□ Can user resume exactly where they left off?

SHARED DEVICES
□ Is "remember me" unchecked by default?
□ Is logout button prominent?
□ Does session timeout with warning?

FORMS
□ Is reading level ≤8th grade?
□ Are there ≤5 fields per page?
□ Is help text inline (not hidden)?
□ Are required fields truly required?

TONE
□ Is language person-first?
□ Are timelines explicit?
□ Is error messaging non-blaming?
□ Are colors calm (no aggressive red)?

LEGAL/EXPUNGEMENT SPECIFIC
□ Is eligibility checked first?
□ Are fee waivers prominent?
□ Is "I don't know my case number" handled?

References

/references/authentication-patterns.md - Detailed auth implementation
/references/offline-first-patterns.md - PWA and sync patterns
/references/trauma-informed-language.md - Tone and word choice guide
/references/code-for-america-learnings.md - CfA case studies

Key Readings

Design Justice Network principles
Code for America's design principles
C4 Innovations equity work (homeless response systems)
Innovation Unit's digital access for rough sleepers
Sasha Costanza-Chock: "Design Justice" (2020)

Agent Skills: Design Justice: Equity-Centered Digital Design

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