Natasha Kurus
About Me
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👋 About Me

Hi, I’m Natasha—nice to meet you!

I’m a self-motivated, reliable, and curious UX designer with a strong sense of ownership and a passion for solving complex problems. Whether I’m collaborating in a team or working independently, I bring energy, creativity, and a positive mindset to everything I do.

With a blend of creative vision, analytical thinking, technical knowledge, and empathy for users, I design experiences that are not only intuitive and inclusive but also aligned with business strategy. I thrive on new challenges and take pride in delivering thoughtful, accessible, and consistent design solutions that make a meaningful impact.

📩 Feel free to reach out natakurus@gmail.com

📄 Download My Resume





Digitizing IRS CAF Requests
(Tax Pro Account)

Modernizing IRS processes for business users.

Role: Design Lead
Team: IRS Online Services – User Experience Services - Tax Pro Account
Timeline: February – May 2025

Overview

The IRS needed to modernize how business tax professionals obtain a Centralized Authorization File (CAF) number—a process previously reliant on slow, paper-based submissions. As Lead UX Designer, I spearheaded the creation of a secure, accessible, and user-friendly digital experience within the IRS Tax Pro Account. This significantly reduced processing delays and helped align design patterns across IRS platforms.

The Problem

Business tax professionals faced persistent delays, confusion, and a lack of visibility due to outdated, manual CAF request procedures. Clear user needs included:

  • A fully digital and integrated submission process
  • Transparent validation feedback and eligibility guidance
  • Unified design across IRS platforms, including BTA and IOLA

My Role & Responsibilities

  • Led end-to-end UX/UI design for the new CAF request feature within the Tax Pro Account
  • Translated complex IRS policy and business rules into intuitive user flows and interfaces
  • Ensured consistent design patterns across BTA and IOLA, promoting seamless transitions for users
  • Aligned all designs to the IRS Online Design Guide (ODG) and ensured WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 accessibility compliance
  • Collaborated closely with product owners, content strategists, developers, and scrum teams to support Agile development
  • Developed annotated prototypes, design specifications, and acceptance criteria to support implementation
  • Reviewed post-handoff development to ensure accuracy and fidelity to the intended experience

Research & Discovery

Partnered with BTA product teams and technical stakeholders to uncover user pain points and backend constraints:

  • Business users often needed multiple CAFs tied to various office locations
  • Authorized Persons (APs) needed clearer prerequisites and setup guidance
  • Validation rules were complex (e.g., EIN checks, role requirements, CAF issuance limits) and required thoughtful user guidance

Design Process & Solutions

Smart and Scalable Form Design
Designed a dynamic form that supported both individual and business tax professionals from a unified entry point:

  • Auto-filled data like EINs and business names for authenticated users
  • Address selection logic allowed flexibility across office locations
  • Contextual tooltips, status indicators, and clear error validation improved usability and accuracy

Cross-Platform UX Consistency
Leveraged the ODG component library to maintain consistency across the Tax Pro Account, BTA, and IOLA. Introduced a shared style and interaction model to reduce cognitive load and improve onboarding for repeat users.

Accessibility Compliance
Implemented screen reader-friendly markup, color contrast checks, and keyboard navigation. Conducted iterative accessibility testing in collaboration with compliance experts.

Guided User Experience
Designed a detailed guidance section on BTA setup, AP eligibility, and authorization logic to reduce user errors and confusion.

Key Challenges Solved

  • Complex Backend Validation: Created real-time feedback for backend checks (EIN matching, CAF limit errors, role mismatches) while preserving smooth task flow
  • Prepopulation vs. Flexibility: Balanced smart autofill features with manual override options for edge cases
  • Design Cohesion Across Systems: Delivered a consistent and familiar user experience across multiple IRS platforms

Outcomes & Impact

  • Replaced a manual paper process with a fully digital solution—saving weeks of processing time
  • Reduced user confusion and submission errors through clearer guidance and real-time validation
  • Introduced scalable patterns for future IRS service digitization

Reflections

This project reinforced the value of designing with both policy and people in mind. By turning dense IRS business rules into intuitive UI and feedback patterns, we built trust and ease into a historically frustrating process.

In future iterations, incorporating early usability testing with external tax professionals and exploring AI-driven guidance or smart FAQs could further enhance the onboarding experience.

Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this federal government project, detailed prototypes, research findings, and internal documentation cannot be shared publicly.