Some clients preferred notices with a warm tone, while others preferred notices that were to the point. While clients generally preferred short and concise sentences, sometimes adding a few more words for clarity helped their understanding.

Overwhelmingly, clients wanted to feel like the notice was personal. They wanted to see specific reasons why information was being sent to them or see their case details reflected. Titles like “We Need More Information From You” were often better received compared to “More Information Needed”. 

We used our findings to redesign a set of 10 SNAP notices and 6 Child Care Assistance notices, which served as our test notices. To give us a diverse set of samples to test, we chose notices that prompted client action, and that represented different formats or layouts (i.e. short informationals vs longer informationals, and information requests).

In reimagining the notices’ visual design, structure, and written content, we implemented elements such as:

• Accessible language that is compliant with policy requirements
• Tone that finds a balance between being respectful and straightforward
• Design guidelines to help keep visuals consistent across programs 
• Clear structure that highlights the most important information 

Beyond the notices themselves, we explored updates to supporting communication materials, including the creation of a client journey map to send after application submission. We also redesigned existing enclosures that are sent out with notices, like change report forms, hearing requests, and informational one-pagers.