Administrative burden
How public systems offload effort and harm, and what design can do to reduce it.
When we talk about public systems, the conversation often centers on access: Can people get the services they need? But access is only part of the story. The hidden cost is often in the burden of navigating those systems—the countless steps, forms, phone calls, and hours it takes to get to a yes.
This is administrative burden—a term from public policy that describes the learning, compliance, and psychological costs people face when trying to access services. It’s not just an inconvenience, it’s a form of harm. And design has a role to play in reducing it.
Burden shows up in ways big and small
It looks like:
Requiring people to prove what they’ve already told you
Making parents renew childcare benefits every few months
Offering services only during business hours, when people are working
Designing forms that assume a college reading level
Using acronyms, jargon, or PDF forms that can’t be read on a phone
Each barrier chips away at trust. And for those already facing financial or social vulnerability, these barriers compound into real consequences: lost benefits, missed deadlines, spiraling stress.
This image illustrates the concept of administrative burden through metaphor: navigating public services can feel like being trapped in a maze. The dense, winding paths and blocked routes represent the layers of paperwork, confusing rules, and system friction that stall residents, frontline staff, and delivery partners alike.
Designing with burden in mind
Design isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a powerful lever. When done thoughtfully, design can surface how a process actually feels to navigate, and make that experience more dignified, efficient, and fair.
That means:
Mapping user journeys that show where people fall off, not just where they succeed
Testing forms with the people who have to fill them out—not just the staff who wrote them
Flagging policies that force people to jump through hoops instead of supporting them with care
Creating feedback loops with communities who’ve been navigating these systems the longest
This isn’t about making everything simple. It’s about making things make sense—about reducing unnecessary burden so government can truly serve.
Administrative burden isn’t just inefficient—it’s unjust. Let’s build systems that offer support, not struggle.
A better system is possible. Let's build it together.
Designers, policymakers, advocates—this work requires all of us. If you're tackling administrative burden in your community or agency, we’d love to hear how.