The UX of Bureaucracy: Mapping User Engagement to Citizen Experiences of Administrative Burdens

Digitalization efforts have transformed how governments engage with citizens. While digital tools offer efficiency gains and improved access to public services, poor interface design often introduces new administrative burdens, undermines service quality, and eventually erodes public trust. This article presents a conceptual framework that bridges administrative burden theory with user engagement research from the human-computer interaction (HCI) field. Specifically, it proposes an integrated framework that maps learning, compliance, and psychological costs onto cognitive, behavioral, and affective dimensions of user engagement. This mapping reveals how intentional UX design may reduce burdens and improve equity in digital public service delivery, while also providing practical guidance for designing inclusive digital public services. In doing so, it emphasizes that interface design is not merely technical but a matter of public values and democratic legitimacy. Thus, I conclude by offering design recommendations and ethical considerations for designing and implementing digital platforms and services in the public sector.