NSSF

Social Security, Readable on a Phone

The Problem & Opportunity

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A government social security system was built for administrators, not citizens, and had to become legible on a six-inch screen for members across every age and literacy level.

I turned a complex government system into a simple member app with plain language, accessible layouts, and AI-assisted copy for first-time users.

My Role

UX/UI Designer

I designed the NSSF member app so a complex government system could be read and used on a phone.

  • End-to-end UX/UI for the member mobile experience
  • Plain-language flows that made policy readable on a small screen
  • Accessible layouts and touch targets for first-time users
  • Collaboration with policy stakeholders, developers, and sample member testing

Hero

Social security, readable on a phone.

First-time task completion rose from 61% to 89% for members over 55.

Challenge

A government system built for administrators, not citizens.

  • Long PDFs, nested menus, and policy language on a six-inch screen
  • Many members over 55 had never completed a digital government task
  • Every decision had to earn trust before it earned efficiency

Context

NSSF administers contributions and benefits for workers across Cambodia.

Members did not want a portal. They wanted answers: how much was paid in, what benefits apply, and whether the account is in good standing.

Existing Experience

Policy-heavy screens, dense paragraphs, and nested menus.

Before: dense paragraphs, nested menus.
After: contribution summary, plain language, one clear status.

Pain Points

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  • Users feared tapping the wrong button on an “official” screen
  • Statute language copied into the UI excluded first-time users
  • Finding the last contribution took too many taps
  • Accessibility was treated as polish, not a core deliverable

Design Decisions

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  • One primary action per core task
  • Scannable cards and timelines instead of statute paragraphs
  • Plain language plus an official policy link for anyone who wants the legal text
  • AI-assisted copy at grade-8 reading level, with policy review on every string
Before: dense government paragraph.
After: plain-language card with "See official policy."

Validation

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  • Tested with members who had never used a smartphone for government services
  • Contribution timeline checked at large text without horizontal scroll
  • WCAG 2.1 AA review on shipped paths before release
Benefit summary with contrast, touch targets, and policy link placement.

Outcome

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89% First-time task completion, up from 61%
6/6 Members 55+ completing contribution lookup unaided
3 taps To see the last contribution, down from 7
0 Critical WCAG 2.1 AA blockers on shipped paths

Reflection

Civic UX, radical simplification of bureaucracy, AI-assisted plain language with human oversight, and accessibility as a core deliverable.

Patterns (timeline cards, status chips, plain language plus policy link) were documented so the next policy update would not revert the UI to jargon.

Contact

Let's Connect

Working on a product, or hiring for a Senior UX/UI Lead role in Cambodia? Email me or connect on LinkedIn or Telegram.

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