HCS Holdings, LLC — human-centered technology & digital consulting
Digital systems built around the people who use them.
We design, research, and build accessible technology for government and commercial organizations — from the first user interview to the system in production.
Select a numbered marker to see the accessibility check behind it.
What we do
Six practices that cover a digital system end to end — understanding the people it's for, designing around them, and building something that holds up in production.
UX/UI design
Interfaces shaped by how people actually work, not how an org chart is drawn. We design flows, screens, and interaction patterns, then test them against the people who'll use them.
Human-centered design & research
Interviews, contextual inquiry, and usability testing that ground decisions in observed behavior. We bring the evidence into the room before design decisions get made, not after.
Digital accessibility
WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 conformance built in from the first wireframe. Audits, remediation, and training so accessibility survives past the launch date.
Web & application design
Public-facing sites and internal case-management tools, designed for the people who depend on them daily — including the ones with the oldest browsers and the slowest connections.
Technology consulting
Guidance on platforms, architecture, and delivery models suited to regulated, mission-driven environments — where the constraints are as real as the ambitions.
Digital solution development
Turning validated designs into working software, built to scale within procurement, security, and compliance requirements from day one.
How a project runs
Four stages, repeated in cycles rather than handed off once. Each one feeds evidence back into the next.
Discover
Stakeholder workshops and field research to understand real needs, workflows, and constraints before anything gets designed.
Design
Wireframes and accessible prototypes, built iteratively with the people who'll actually use the system.
Validate
Usability testing and accessibility audits before development starts, so problems get caught on paper, not in production.
Deliver
Development, handoff, and support that keep the system usable as requirements and users change.
Accessibility isn't a checklist item
For public-sector work especially, accessibility is a legal requirement and a design discipline. We treat it as both.
Every engagement is measured against WCAG 2.2 AA and Section 508, whether or not it's named in the contract. That means color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen-reader compatibility, and plain-language content are part of the design brief from the start — not a remediation pass after launch.
When we inherit an existing system, we run a structured audit first: automated scans paired with manual testing using screen readers and keyboard-only navigation, so findings reflect how people actually encounter the barriers.
What we check, every time
- ✓ Color contrast ratios across text, icons, and interactive states
- ✓ Full keyboard operability and visible focus order
- ✓ Screen reader compatibility across NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver
- ✓ Plain-language content at a public-facing reading level
- ✓ Form labeling, error messaging, and status announcements
- ✓ Responsive layouts down to small screens and 200% zoom
Tell us about the system you're building.
Share a bit about the project and where it stands. We'll follow up to set up a conversation about scope, timeline, and fit.
Prefer email? Write to hello@hcsdigital.co