Grant Tracker

Case Study: Designing a Public Financial Dashboard for Early Childhood Programs

Overview

Role: UX Designer / Product Strategist
Project Type: Public Data Dashboard
Client: Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD), State of New Mexico
Duration: 12 weeks
Team: 1 UX Designer (me), 1 Data Analyst, 1 PM, 2 Engineers, 1 Policy Advisor

Problem Statement

The state of New Mexico developed a public-facing digital tool to increase transparency around early childhood education programs. Initially designed for open access by anyone—government officials, employees, organizations, and the public—the tool’s value was limited by its lack of focus. It provided information, but not insight. As a result, it fell short in helping key stakeholders understand the outcomes and effectiveness of their efforts and decisions.

Goal

Transform the tool into a purpose-driven, data-informed dashboard that:

• Helps ECECD employees quickly assess how and where early childhood funds are being allocated

• Enables elected officials and decision-makers to visualize program reach and community-level impact

• Educates all users—regardless of technical background—on how to use the data to inform actions and investments

Research

Methods:

• Stakeholder interviews across state departments (ECECD staff, program leads, elected officials)

• Task analysis and workflow mapping for budgeting and reporting use cases

• Data source audit to identify available metrics and system gaps

• Usability walkthroughs of early prototypes with non-technical users

Key Findings:

• Users needed not just raw data, but interpretation and context

• Employees wanted a high-level financial view with drill-down capability

• Officials prioritized outcome-focused data: number of children served, services provided, and regional equity

• Public users required a clean, simplified view with minimal jargon

Design Process

1. Needs Alignment
Grouped users by roles and needs: internal reporting, funding oversight, public transparency. Designed dashboard views tailored to each context while maintaining a single, cohesive interface.

2. Narrative-Driven Data Design
Shifted from static tables to story-based visualization. Structured dashboard around key questions:

• How much funding has been distributed?

• Where has it gone?

• What impact has it made?

3. Wireframing and Data Modeling
Created wireframes focused on progressive disclosure—starting with high-level metrics (e.g., total funds spent, providers reached), followed by regional and demographic breakdowns. Collaborated with data analysts to ensure consistency and accuracy.

4. Onboarding and Education Strategy
Recognized that even the best-designed dashboard required user guidance. Developed a built-in onboarding flow and supporting documentation to teach users how to interpret and use the data responsibly.

Key Metrics (Before vs. After Dashboard Launch)

Design Highlights

• Impact Snapshot: Summarized total funds distributed, children served, and providers engaged

• Geographic Breakdown: Visual map interface with county-level insights and filters by funding stream

• Drill-down Analytics: Users could move from overview to granular views (e.g., per-program, per-region)

• Integrated Guidance: In-app tooltips, onboarding flow, and public help documentation enhanced usability

Iteration Example

Initial Design:
Dashboard contained static charts with minimal context. Users were unclear how to interpret what they were seeing.

User Feedback:
“I see the numbers, but I don’t know what to do with them.”

Revised Design:
Integrated narrative framing and contextual annotations (e.g., “This represents 42% of all program funding in rural counties”). Added callouts to explain year-over-year comparisons and changes in funding focus.

Outcome

• Dashboard became the centerpiece for funding presentations, both internally and to elected officials

• Significantly reduced the need for ad hoc data preparation across departments

• Helped New Mexico secure momentum and justification for the next phase of ECIDS (Early Childhood Integrated Data System)

• Recognized as a key transparency initiative supporting early childhood investment strategy

Tools Used

• Figma (wireframes, design system)

• Tableau & Power BI (data modeling and visualization)

• Notion (content strategy and documentation)

• Zoom / Mural (remote collaboration and workshops)

Reflection

This project highlighted the dual challenge of designing for impact and comprehension. A well-built dashboard isn’t enough—users need to understand and trust the story it tells. If we had approached the project as just a reporting tool, we would have missed the larger opportunity: to equip decision-makers with clarity, and in doing so, shape policy and investment in meaningful ways.

The biggest lesson: designing public tools requires intentional education and empathy as much as technical accuracy.

Next Steps

• Expand filtering for demographic insights and equity benchmarks

• Build multilingual support to expand access for broader public users

• Integrate dashboards into ECECD policy planning workflows for long-term strategic use

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