Blog Post
Ridiculously Hopeful Futures Meets Meeting of the Minds
At California Workforce Association’s (CWA) Meeting of the Minds conference in Monterey (September 2025), we invited participants to time travel…
Focus Areas: Workforce Development
![picture of a portal with lights - purple and yellow streamers hanging down from a door]()
Blog Post
Co-Designing Technology for Human-Centered Public Services
Background In the Spring of 2025, our Ridiculously Hopeful Futures (RHF) project invited community members and public benefits administrators across…
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Case Study
Calbright College – Quality Jobs Framework
![Sample pages from the quality jobs framework]()
Case Study
City of LA Workforce: A 5-Year Path Forward
![Several people are spread out around 6 different tables, writing ideas on post-its to help shape the priorities of the plan.]()
Blog Post
Tool Case Study: Developing Personas in the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board
The CivicMakers Team led the inaugural Workforce Transformation Corps cohort, in partnership with Make Fast Studio, Jobs for the Future,…
![A high level view of key categories used in this Persona. Some elements include: Age, Location, Race/Ethnicity, Language Preference, Family, Education Level, Skills, Employment, and Challenges/ Barriers.]()
Blog Post
Tool Case Study: Ecosystem Mapping in the Anaheim Workforce Connection
The CivicMakers Team led the inaugural Workforce Transformation Corps cohort, in partnership with Make Fast Studio, Jobs for the Future,…
![A zoomed out view of an ecosystem map that was developed for the Anaheim Workforce Connection.]()
Blog Post
Workforce Meets Human-Centered Design in the Middle of the State
The workforce system is obsessed with Human-Centered Design (HCD), and the problem-solving method is no longer simply a buzzword; some…
![Adam Peck presenting the WIB's Annual Plan in front of the full conference.]()
Blog Post
Tool Case Study: Interview Strategy at the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County
The CivicMakers Team led the inaugural Workforce Transformation Corps cohort, in partnership with Make Fast Studio, Jobs for the Future,…
![Four pages of the interview strategy are laid out, overlapping each other. The background fades from white to yellow.]()
Blog Post
Tool Case Study: Journey Mapping to Increase a Sense of Belonging
The CivicMakers Team led the inaugural Workforce Transformation Corps cohort, in partnership with Make Fast Studio, Jobs for the Future,…
![A visual of the re-organized bulletin board, with real pictures of how the categories of resources were changed to better reflect what customers came into the office looking for.]()
Blog Post
Tool Case Study: Stakeholder Identification in LA Workforce Development
The CivicMakers Team led the inaugural Workforce Transformation Corps cohort, in partnership with Make Fast Studio, Jobs for the Future,…
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Blog Post
Leveraging the Power of Apprenticeships
In a continuation of our work with California’s Employment Training Panel (ETP), we recently wrapped up a 10-month design process…
![HCD Process Graphic, highlighting the implementation phase at the very end]()
Case Study
JFF Workforce Communities of Action
![6 members of the project team are together on a zoom call, smiling and prepping for the next session. In the picture (from Left to Right, Top to Bottom) Leah Tremblay-Adams, Brittany Henry, Genna Petrolla, Christina Garcia, Jonathan Osei, and Lee Domeika.]()
Case Study
ETP – Application Process Evaluation
![Two people stand in front of a screen which shows a detailed journey map of the application process. They are both pointing to a part of the screen and discussing it.]()
Blog Post
Innovation Showcase: Co-Designing a Future Where People Come First
At the end of January, we had the honor of designing and facilitating a participatory event with our partners…
![Everyone is sitting around tables, starting to reflect on the prompt: 'How might we spread human-centered design across the California workforce system?']()
Blog Post
Kicking Off the Workforce Transformation Corps!
The Workforce Transformation Corps The CivicMakers Team is honored to support the ambitious Workforce Transformation Strategy of Jobs For the…
![Virginia Hamilton and a kick-off participant are standing with their backs to camera, facing a wall of sticky notes that are labeled ‘skills we want to learn!’]()
Case Study
Project SPARC
![Screenshot from the SPARC Showcase March 2022. Someone is sharing a slide with three quotes from CalWORKs parenting students who shared their experiences around mental health. On the right side are a series of pictures of SPARC Leaders attending the zoom session.]()
Blog Post
Everything is Data: Making Sense of COVID-19 with Human Connection
Finding hope for positive systems change from an informal online meetup with public servants I’ll admit it. I’m a compulsive…
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