ON THIS PAGE →

Government

We work with government agencies to make it easier for their residents to access the public services available to them.

Digital visualization of data points in green and white on a black background, forming a pattern resembling a stylized map of the United States.
Two people wearing jackets, one woman smiling and one man looking away, in an urban environment.
Our Work
  • A team of five diverse professionals working together at a meeting, with one woman standing and pointing at documents on the table.

    Government Innovation

    We embed expert behavioral design teams within government to help make policies, programs, and services more efficient, accessible, and effective for residents.

    Case Studies

    • Read Top 20: Behavioral Solutions for Scaling City Innovation →

  • Store window with sign that says "We Accept SNAP" for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, with shopping carts outside.

    Accessible Public Benefits

    We increase enrollment and retention in public benefits programs by designing clearer and more actionable forms, communications, campaigns, reminders, and processes.

    Case Studies

    • Read Making Shopping Easier for WIC Participants →

  • Two men riding bicycles in a bike lane alongside city buses on an urban street.

    Measuring Program Impact

    We help governments improve programs by evaluating what works, what doesn’t, and how to achieve better outcomes for residents.

Black background with a pattern of green and gray dots arranged in a spiral to the left.

Initiative Spotlight

New York City Behavioral Design Team

ideas42 has had an embedded behavioral design team working across New York City government agencies for 10 years. The goal: increase program efficiency, save tax dollars, and boost satisfaction of both residents and government workers.

Initiative Spotlight
Learn more
Learn more
Partners

Our Partners

  • Black rectangle with a small circular cutout at the top left corner.
  • The word 'Merry' in large black text with a red star and the word 'Christmas' underneath, all on a white background.
  • Logo of Texas WIC featuring a star and the text 'TEXAS WIC' in teal and black colors.
  • California Department of Public Health logo with a stylized map of California in colorful segments and bold blue text.
  • Logo of the Packard Foundation featuring a multicolored grid and the text 'The David & Lucile Packard Foundation'
  • Logo of the W. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with blue text.
  • Logo of CaseOne Imaging with a black and purple stylized wave design.
  • Logo of the Department of Transitional Assistance, featuring a stylized circular design around the lowercase letters 'dta' and the department name written beside it.
  • California Department of Social Services logo with blue text and gold underline.
  • Logo for CalFresh with green and black text and a stylized green and red vegetable design.
  • UCSan Diego Center for Community Health logo
  • Logo of the Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Agriculture & Natural Resources, featuring a fork with two green leaves on top, a brown handle, and a black circle, with blue and gray text beside.
  • Child Poverty Action Lab logo with blue text and arrow symbol
  • Search website logo with a house icon integrated into the letter 'A' in 'SEARCH', and the tagline 'HOMELESS SERVICES' below it.
  • AVS logo with white text on black background
  • Seal of the U.S. Department of Labor featuring an eagle, shield, and various symbols.
  • Logo of William T. Grant Foundation with purple and gray circular designs and the foundation's name in black text.
  • Mathematica logo with the slogan 'Progress Together'
Testimonials

  • “If it weren’t for that [redesigned] letter, I would not have done my SNAP recertification in time. Honestly, I would not be able to feed my kids right now. Normally, you get these letters and it’s like, ‘I don’t understand this. What am I supposed to do?’ But this one was different. I knew what to do, and it just made me think, Why can’t it always be that easy?”

    — NYC Resident who received a redesigned SNAP recertification letter

  • “Our first two years proved the concept of an embedded BDT with cost-effective solutions to difficult policy problems. Today, we’re focusing on institutionalizing behavioral design, data usage, and rigorous evaluation across City agencies, and scaling proven interventions.”

    — Matthew Klein, Executive Director, NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity

Want to learn more about how we can optimize your government service?