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    "title" : "Promote Continuity to Better Support Customer Journeys |Digital.gov",
    "description": "Promote Continuity to Better Support Customer Journeys",
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    {"kicker" : "This Week's IDEA","title" :"Promote Continuity to Better Support Customer Journeys","deck" : "Using service design to focus on "how it works"","summary" : "This week, we’re exploring what it means to promote continuity, and we’re taking a look at ways to use service design to deliver a great experience.","date" : "2020-05-12T17:00:00-05:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"ammie-farraj-feijoo" : "Ammie Farraj Feijoo","dan-williams" : "Dan Williams"},"topics" : {
        
            "content-strategy" : "Content strategy",
            "customer-experience" : "Customer experience",
            "digital-service-delivery" : "Digital service delivery",
            "user-experience" : "User experience"
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      "filename" :"2020-05-12-promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2020/05/2020-05-12-promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2020/05/2020-05-12-promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2020/05/2020-05-12-promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys.md","slug" : "promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/05/12/promote-continuity-better-support-customer-journeys/","content" :"\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"quote-block \"\u003e\n    \u003cblockquote\u003e\n      \u003cspan class=\"quote-block__quotation-mark\"\u003e“\u003c/span\u003e\n      Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. That\u0026rsquo;s not what we think design is. Design is how it works.\n      \u003cspan class=\"quote-block__quotation-mark\"\u003e”\u003c/span\u003e\u003ccite\u003e— Steve Jobs\u003c/cite\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n  \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWelcome to \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/topics/this-weeks-idea/\"\u003eThis Week’s IDEA\u003c/a\u003e, where we talk about one essential topic around \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/21st-century-integrated-digital-experience-act/\"\u003e21st Century IDEA\u003c/a\u003e and share resources and tools that you can use to start making small, incremental changes to your websites and digital services.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e21st Century IDEA states that new and updated executive agency websites should have “a consistent appearance” (\u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5759/text\"\u003eP.L. 115-336\u003c/a\u003e §3(A)2).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis requirement really means that we need to \u003ca href=\"https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-principles/#promote-continuity\"\u003epromote continuity\u003c/a\u003e by minimizing disruption and providing a consistent experience—across sites, devices, channels, services, agencies, and time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsistency is not necessarily conformity. Each website has a unique audience, mission, and goal, so the way that we implement our solutions differs. But, we can promote continuity by starting from shared solutions and values. The U.S. Web Design System\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-principles/\"\u003edesign principles\u003c/a\u003e are one set of shared values.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, what does it mean to promote continuity, and how can we build user-centered solutions that address the whole experience of our customers in the context of their journey?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn 2003, when asked about the success of the iPod, Steve Jobs said, \u0026ldquo;Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it\u0026rsquo;s this veneer—that the designers are handed this box and told, \u0026lsquo;Make it look good!\u0026rsquo; That\u0026rsquo;s not what we think design is. It\u0026rsquo;s not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHow can we design government websites so they look good AND work? How can we design our services to better support customer journeys?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccording to the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/event/2018/07/26/civic-service-design-tools-tactics/\"\u003eservice design\u003c/a\u003e framework, we need to address both the “frontstage” appearance of our websites and “backstage” components like governance, infrastructure, and policies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\u003carticle\n  class=\"dg-note \"\n\u003e\n  \u003ch4 class=\"dg-note__heading\"\u003e\n    \u003csvg\n      class=\"dg-note__icon usa-icon dg-icon dg-icon--large\"\n      aria-hidden=\"true\"\n      focusable=\"false\"\n    \u003e\n      \u003cuse xlink:href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/uswds/img/sprite.svg#notifications\"\u003e\u003c/use\u003e\n    \u003c/svg\u003e\n    \n      Note\n    \n  \u003c/h4\u003e\n  Over 10 million people per month visit the \u003ca href=\"https://www.va.gov/\"\u003eDepartment of Veterans Affairs\u003c/a\u003e (VA) websites. Many had a fractured, frustrating experience locating the information they need. A united VA team worked across boundaries to eliminate outdated content, move essential information to a new content management system, and give Veterans the 21st century digital experience they deserve. So far, the new VA.gov has had a significant impact. For example, since the national rollout there has been a \u003ca href=\"https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/improving-the-experience-for-veterans-scheduling-medical-appointments-online-d60d5c0a25df\"\u003e700% increase in appointments scheduled online\u003c/a\u003e.\n\u003c/article\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn October 2019, the \u003ca href=\"http://designsystem.digital.gov/\"\u003eU.S. Web Design System\u003c/a\u003e team held a digital experience meetup, and we asked digital experts from federal agencies what they do to deliver a great digital experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n        src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/twidea-9-breakout-group-brainstorm.png\"alt=\"Photo of a people working together in a conference room at GSA. All are seated at tables while one person takes notes at a whiteboard.\"/\u003e\u003cp\u003eA breakout group brainstorms what it means to deliver an experience that solves a problem at the board.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow are a few things attendees said they do to promote continuity on their websites.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCreate a clear vision, northstar or mission statement\u003c/strong\u003e based on desired outcomes and customer expectations for the website. For example, Digital.gov’s \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/about/\"\u003eAbout page\u003c/a\u003e is the site’s “northstar.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHelp customers easily find the information.\u003c/strong\u003e Prioritize \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/digitalgov-user-experience-resources/digitalgov-user-experience-program-usability-starter-kit/\"\u003eusability\u003c/a\u003e over style.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEliminate long, hard-to-navigate pages.\u003c/strong\u003e Each page should meet a specific need.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImprove site navigation.\u003c/strong\u003e Check the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2017/04/14/steps-towards-seo-meta-descriptions-on-medlineplus/\"\u003emetadata on pages\u003c/a\u003e and review your \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2016/01/07/content-models-as-simple-as-pizza-pie/\"\u003econtent model\u003c/a\u003e, so pages do not get lost in your search.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDevelop service blueprints.\u003c/strong\u003e Plan out and \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2013/11/18/creating-cross-channel-experiences/\"\u003ecreate cross-channel experiences\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUse journey mapping.\u003c/strong\u003e Identify continuity gaps for critical activities. For example, the USAgov team \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2018/02/05/using-journey-mapping-streamline-processes-across-agencies/\"\u003eused journey mapping to improve the customer experience for newly naturalized citizens attempting to travel abroad\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eManage and structure content.\u003c/strong\u003e Review the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2013/10/30/content-management-systems-toolkit/\"\u003eContent Management System (CMS) Toolkit\u003c/a\u003e and determine if a CMS could help you deliver a better experience.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n        src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/twidea-9-mural-meetup-summary.png\"alt=\"Screen capture of 325 notes that have been separated into five groups in four columns on an online whiteboard. There are 59 light green notes under Group 1 (A great experience is straightforward and makes sense, it just takes ...). There are 111 light blue cards in Group 2 (To deliver an experience that solves a problem, I need ...). There are 60 pink cards in Group 3 (To make a better digital experience, it would be helpful to have access to ...). There are 85 yellow cards in Group 4 (To make me feel capable and in control of the digital experience, I need ...). Ten black cards are in an additional group, Miscellaneous, below Group 1 in the bottom left corner. In the paragraph below this image, there is a link to the whiteboard where one can zoom in and out to read the cards.\"/\u003e\u003cp\u003eSummary from four breakout groups.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003eCheck out \u003ca href=\"https://app.mural.co/t/gsa6/m/gsa6/1572357401222/808fd33c3973577ab1d89592a22be587862d7390\"\u003ethe summary from the four breakout groups\u003c/a\u003e at the meetup for more insights and inspiration! (\u003cem\u003eNote: There are 325 cards in the summary; use the zoom settings in the bottom right corner of the summary to zoom in and read them.\u003c/em\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContinuity is key.\u003c/strong\u003e Let’s work together to promote continuity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"up-next\"\u003eUp Next\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe \u003ca href=\"https://lab.opm.gov/class-sign-up/\"\u003eLab at OPM offers classes\u003c/a\u003e in human-centered design. Check out their 2020 classes, including \u003ca href=\"https://leadership.opm.gov/programs.aspx?course=298\"\u003eProblem-Framing for Solution-Finding\u003c/a\u003e on June 16.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShift your metrics mindset. Join the DAP team on June 24 to \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/event/2020/06/24/dap-learning-series-shifting-your-metrics/\"\u003elearn how to orient your analytics strategy\u003c/a\u003e around success metrics.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"from-the-field\"\u003eFrom the Field\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“All government websites shouldn’t look exactly the same because trust and recognition are not universal. Instead, the design must match the tone and subject matter of each agency’s unique mission.” —\u003ca href=\"https://18f.gsa.gov/2020/02/06/even-with-a-design-system-you-still-need-a-designer/\"\u003evia 18F\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003chr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you have a 21st Century IDEA-related comment or question? Or would you like to give a shout out to your colleagues? Send it to us at \u003ca href=\"mailto:digitalgov@gsa.gov\"\u003edigitalgov@gsa.gov\u003c/a\u003e, and we’ll work to incorporate it into the next newsletter.\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}