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MyGovCost
Making Complex Economics Understandable for a New Generation
The Independent Institute developed MyGovCost to help Americans better understand the long-term financial impact of government spending. Powered by extensive economic research and sophisticated financial modelling, the calculator estimates a user’s lifetime tax contributions, projected government spending on their behalf, and the opportunity cost of those taxes over time.
The challenge wasn’t building the model, it was making it understandable.
Our role was to transform a highly technical economic tool into a digital experience that could engage a broad audience, particularly younger users with little interest or background in economics.
The Challenge
The underlying research was extensive, accurate and data-rich, but much of the source material had been developed by economists, for economists.
The calculator needed to communicate complex financial concepts without oversimplifying the underlying methodology or compromising credibility.
Some of the key challenges included:
- Presenting large amounts of personalized financial data without overwhelming users.
- Explaining economic concepts using language accessible to non-experts.
- Creating an experience that would resonate with younger audiences who are accustomed to intuitive, highly visual digital products.
- Building a robust application capable of processing complex calculations while remaining fast and easy to use.
The success of the project would depend as much on communication and user experience as it would on the accuracy of the calculations themselves.
Before
After
Our Approach
1. Starting with the User
Rather than asking users to understand economic theory first, we designed the experience around questions that felt immediately relevant to them.
The calculator progressively introduces information, allowing users to build an understanding of the results as they move through the experience instead of presenting every figure at once.
This reduced cognitive load while encouraging exploration.
2. Translating Technical Content
Much of the project involved translating specialist language into plain English.
Rather than rewriting the economics, we focused on rewriting the communication.
Technical terminology was replaced with everyday language, lengthy explanations were broken into smaller, digestible sections, and supporting copy was rewritten to provide context without unnecessary complexity.
The objective was to make the information approachable while maintaining the integrity of the underlying research.
3. Designing Around Data
The calculator produces significant amounts of personalized information, including financial projections, comparisons and supporting statistics.
The interface was designed to establish a clear visual hierarchy, allowing users to quickly identify the most important insights before exploring additional detail.
Charts, graphics and progressive disclosure techniques helped communicate complex relationships without requiring users to interpret large tables of numbers.
Every visual element was designed to support understanding rather than simply present data.
4. Creating a Modern Digital Experience
The intended audience influenced every aspect of the design.
The experience draws on familiar interaction patterns from modern consumer websites rather than traditional policy or research publications. Large typography, generous spacing, interactive visualizations and concise content help create an experience that feels contemporary while remaining informative.
The goal was to encourage curiosity rather than intimidate users with information.
5. Technical Implementation
Although the interface appears simple, the underlying application required significant technical development.
The platform integrates a sophisticated calculation engine capable of processing multiple user variables to generate personalized financial projections.
The solution includes:
- Dynamic calculation logic
- Interactive charts and visualisations
- Responsive front-end development
- Personalized results pages
- Shareable result links
- Scalable architecture to support ongoing updates to the economic model
Throughout development, close collaboration between strategy, design and engineering ensured the technical complexity remained invisible to the end user.
The Outcome
MyGovCost demonstrates how thoughtful design can make complex information more accessible without reducing its depth.
By combining content strategy, user experience design, visual communication and custom development, the project transformed an advanced economic model into an engaging educational experience that invites users to better understand the long-term financial implications of government policy.
