Entering the Public Interest Technology Field with My File NYC

Before my time at New America, I thought of technology and policy as antithetical to each other. I enjoyed computer science because of the immediate impact I could create but questioned whether the work genuinely benefited people. This summer, I learned this generalization could not be further from the truth.

I am an undergraduate student at Duke University studying computer science and public policy. For the past two months, I have had the privilege of interning at New America’s Digital Impact Governance Initiative (DIGI) as part of My File NYC, a pilot project developed by the New York City Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity in collaboration with New America.

My File NYC lets New York City residents securely store and share documents with the Department of Homeless Services, streamlining the process of applying for supportive housing. Throughout my internship, I have taken on various responsibilities with My File, from product management to UI/UX research, while also attending tech policy events. By blurring the line between policy and product, I have broadened my understanding of the opportunities the tech world holds.

As a digital public good, My File sets standards of care and public engagement that I believe in. My internship began by attending USAID’s Diia in DC Summit in May, which celebrated Ukraine’s comprehensive e-governance mobile application. I realized the true success of Diia was not from the services it provided, but from the revolutionary culture change it created. In the same light, My File NYC is a proof of concept: a powerful pilot project to modernize government services and redefine what is possible.

My File is a reminder to create the future we want rather than adapt to the one we are given.

Of course, this is easier said than done. It was important for us to be intentional about our positionality; My File is delicately placed between the unhoused families it serves and the policies that affect them. By reducing the time it takes to provide identification documents, for example, My File has the potential to be tremendously beneficial for residents applying for housing services.

At the same time, we needed to make it clear that My File is not an instantaneous solution. It cannot guarantee application approval or fully relieve the pressure on NYC’s housing services. Because of these complexities, our team works from a place of empathy, care, and responsibility to avoid doing more harm to the vulnerable populations we serve.

My File is piloting as a tool for the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) intake center in the Bronx. I saw how closely we work with PATH administrators to understand the needs of the clients, teams, and staff at the center.

I have heard of human-centered design (the practice of designing with people in mind) in my classes but did not fully understand how to apply it until seeing My File in action. A certain heaviness weighs down our decisions; each one is made deliberately, and not without also considering what could go wrong. For example, instead of prescribing solutions, we prioritize feedback and requests from PATH and frequently pivot from set agendas. We act as a partner seeking to understand, not as a third-party digital agency aiming to fix.

I also witnessed what thorough quality assurance testing looks like. A consistent part of my work with My File is documenting our progress and testing if features work as intended, since bugs in the code are expected with every new development. Rather than being run like a machine with separate parts, our team constantly relies on each other’s different perspectives and feedback.

Our collaboration has helped me understand when and how to take ownership of my work by recognizing my limitations. When I first started, I defaulted to using English to test the website, but I quickly realized I was not using the system’s features the way a significant portion of our users would.

My File plans to launch in 11 different languages, and my work improves how non-English speakers access the site. I have identified discrepancies in existing translations, finalized new UX writing to translate, and reviewed best practices for setting a user’s preferred language. Timing was critical, as we were using human translation and launching new features at the same time. I loved diving into language access, but I can not nearly represent all the languages My File hosts. I found that stepping back and letting others into my work was important, too.

As I reflect on my time with this project, I am so grateful to New America for the opportunity to be a part of the public sector technology community. While talking to public interest technology professionals at various policy events, I realized the public sector is not just made up of the panelists at the table — who are not nearly as intimidating as I thought — but also audience members like me. This experience would not have been the same without getting to know the mentors and friends I have made, as these relationships have solidified that I have a place working in public interest tech if I choose to take it.

Working for the public good is less daunting when conversations with those doing it are so easy. Going forward, I will continue pursuing opportunities that reimagine our current systems while grounding myself in what matters: my relationships with others, my curiosity, and my values.