Blogs on Digital.gov

Rebuilding CDC.gov

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how the CDC.gov team used a bold “Clean Slate” approach to reimagine the site and meet real user needs.

Reduce, remove, remediate: PDFs and government websites

Tue, 31 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In a recent governmentwide community discussion, we shared tips to remediate the use of PDFs on government websites, focusing on balancing needs, choosing formats, starting fixes, and ensuring documents are accessible for everyone.

Designing a multilingual future: A conversation with Laura Godfrey

Mon, 23 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

On the eve of her retirement, Laura Godfrey reflects on multilingualism and equitable access to government information.

FY 24 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The FY 2024 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment highlights progress and ongoing challenges in federal digital accessibility efforts. This assessment provides key findings on governmentwide accessibility maturity and actionable recommendations. The recommendations include stronger enforcement of 508 standards, increased resourcing, and integrating accessibility into the technology lifecycle to enhance compliance and access for all.

Approaching language translations to provide a better user experience: A Login.gov case study

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how the Login.gov team improved translations and added a new language to enhance their service.

Making government text messaging more effective with Notify.gov

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

To improve access to government services, GSA launched Notify.gov, a notification tool that sends text message reminders about government services and benefits programs. This service aims to ensure families receive the right information at the right time on the government services they use.

Driving Digital Transformation Across Government for Lasting Impact

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Digital promotes effective, usable federal services that enhance public trust in government. Over the past four years, the Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer (OFCIO) has laid the groundwork for a modern, secure, and user-friendly federal government. From advancing cybersecurity to forging global partnerships and streamlining IT investments, these efforts have improved how millions interact with government services.

How we measure the success of coaching engagements

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

18F measures the success of coaching by tracking the progress of first-time product owners. Through self-assessments and ongoing support, they focused on developing key skills such as product discovery and vendor management. This approach allowed them to visibly track growth and ensure agency partners were empowered to lead their technology modernization projects with confidence.

18F project defaults

Thu, 05 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0500

18F collaborated on 31 government digital service projects in 2024, including the IRS Direct File Pilot and Notify.gov. To streamline processes, they shared five default templates for other project teams to adopt and improve efficiency and transparency on their own projects.

Navigating digital acquisitions

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn the best practices for agile acquisitions—from building and buying solutions, to overcoming common roadblocks.

Ensuring Effective and Timely Usability Research

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Usability reflects how easily a user can accomplish their goals while using a product or service. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) has issued new guidance to streamline usability testing for federal forms, websites, and services, helping agencies conduct usability tests in a more quick and efficient manner that is consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). By enabling faster, more effective testing, OIRA aims to enhance public interactions with the government and ensure equitable access to federal resources.

TTS made a lasting impact with civic tech in FY24

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Technology Transformation Services (TTS) made significant strides to prioritize and improve federal digital services in FY 2024. From expanding Login.gov to over 72 million users, launching tools like Notify.gov, or redesigning Vote.gov in 19 languages, explore how TTS continues to set the standard for impactful civic tech innovation.

Publishing federal sales data: how we used design studios and user testing to develop a user-centered dataset

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Office of Natural Resource and Revenue (ONRR) successfully added federal sales data to the Natural Resources Revenue Data (NRRD) platform using design studios and user testing to create a user-centered dataset. By involving subject matter experts and refining prototypes through feedback, the team delivered the project ahead of schedule while meeting user needs. Future plans included additional usability testing and expanding stakeholder engagement.

Crafting quality content throughout its lifecycle

Tue, 12 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn about the life cycle of content, how content comes across to the user, and how to develop a content management strategy.

Transition Post 3: Managing Electronic Messages and Social Media Accounts

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) released a new blog on the management of federal records and transitions for federal agencies. Shedding light on the usage of agency-managed communication platforms and social media accounts, agencies are given instructions on how to best comply with the requirements outlined in the Federal Records Act.

Three ways to write fearless spreadsheet formulas

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Spreadsheet formulas can be intimidating, especially given their critical role in government operations. Applying simple programming principles, 18F created a resource for making formulas clearer, easier to read, and less error-prone. 18F introduces three key techniques: using the LET function to name variables and organize code logically, adding comments to clarify complex formulas, and leveraging the LAMBDA function to break down problems into manageable parts. Together, these methods transform spreadsheets from sources of anxiety into tools of clarity and confidence.

You've launched, now what? Planning for the future of your content

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Creating quality digital content is not a one-time endeavor. Explore these approaches to managing and improving excellent digital content over time.

Tips for building a small, scrappy digital team

Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Explore hiring strategies, how to leverage contractors, and creative approaches for building your digital team.

Enhancing the customer-centricity of GSA websites

Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

An overview of GSA’s website evaluation process, which combines qualitative and quantitative data to assess website management and performance.

Broadening Public Participation and Community Engagement With the Federal Government

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Government works best when it incorporates transparent engagement and feedback from the public. The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is enhancing public participation in federal decision-making through draft guidance and a proposed toolkit. These resources aim to standardize best practices, improve accessibility, and ensure underserved communities have meaningful opportunities to contribute. By prioritizing transparency and collaboration, OMB seeks to create politics that reflect the voices and needs of the public.

Making the case for human-centered design: A Department of Justice case study

Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Access DOJ initiative shares nine lessons on making services more accessible, effective, and efficient.

Building a tool to make mail in voter registration more accessible

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Vote.gov partnered with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to create an accessible tool for filling out the National Mail Voter Registration Form. It simplifies the process with features like screen reader compatibility, mobile-friendly design, and state-specific instructions. Available in English and Spanish, the tool reduces errors and helps state election offices process forms more efficiently, making voter registration easier for everyone.

18F Folks: Adopting a new illustration library

Mon, 21 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

18F adopted a new illustration style, 18F Folks, to better represent the broad spectrum of human experiences. Moving away from simple bust portraits, this updated style captures more complex emotions and human interactions, fostering a stronger sense of connection. By focusing on inclusivity, 18F aims to make government content more relatable and welcoming, ensuring everyone feels valued and understood.

Making targeted improvements to NPS.gov: A case study from the National Park Service

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

NPS enhances user experience on NPS.gov by integrating Digital Analytics Program web analytics data and customer feedback from GSA Touchpoints.

Are social media influencers right for your digital media campaign?

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how to work with social media influencers to achieve your goals, while accounting for different budgets.

18F's year of launches

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Over the past year, 18F has helped partner agencies launch innovative software products to improve the public’s experience with the federal government. From helping Get.gov simplify domain requests to working with Notify.gov to develop a new public benefits texting service, the six projects featured here focus on putting their users first. Learn more about how these launches emphasize the importance of user research and strong partnerships in delivering better government services.

Building a culture of customer experience across government

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Life Experience teams contain lessons for establishing a culture of customer experience in government, shifting to a focus on organizational practices.

Simplifying manual accessibility testing: How plain language instructions drive compliance

Mon, 07 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Testing for accessibility ensures that digital services are usable for everyone. Explore how the Office of Natural Resources and Revenue (ONRR) streamlined their manual testing process with plain language instructions to create a more uniform testing methodology across their agency. By balancing detail with usability and continually updating resources, ONRR empowers both their small team and subject matter experts to meet Section 508 compliance.

Uncovering impactful solutions through user research

Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:30:00 -0500

Get an overview of what user research and user testing are in a federal context. Learn what policies apply and what resources are available.

Delivering a digital-first public experience: One agency's plan

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Learn how the U.S. General Services Administration is tackling the 100+ requirements of OMB memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience.

Data.gov launches metrics tools

Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

New Data.gov metrics dashboard provides information on most visited datasets, most downloaded files, most clicked outbound links, top search terms, and more.

A revised and expanded guide for de-risking government technology projects

Thu, 12 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

18F recently launched an updated version of the 2020 De-risking Government Technology Guide, offering a new section on vendor management, and combining the State Software Budgeting Handbook and Federal Field Guide into one unified resource. The guide offers practical methods for reducing risks in government tech projects, drawing from 18F’s experience and state employee input. This revision reflects the evolving needs of government agencies, providing key insights on custom software development, vendor collaboration, and performance-based contracting.

How the Open Data, Design, and Development team implemented state and offshore region navigation pages with hallway testing

Tue, 03 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

User feedback is key to creating great digital products, but limited resources can hinder research efforts. Hallway testing provides a quick, useful solution. By conducting informal interviews, the Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Department of the Interior gathered insights to improve navigation to state and offshore region pages on the Natural Resources Revenue Data website. After testing prototypes, the best option was implemented, streamlining access white minimizing resource use. The team’s next steps include monitoring performance, evaluating the addition of maps on select pages, and continued hallway testing.

On USDC's third anniversary, Fellows from all three cohorts reflect on their experiences

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Digital Corps (USDC), a two-year paid fellowship program for early-career technologists, launched in 2021. USDC achievements include hiring more than 150 technologists to support high-impact projects at 25 agencies. In honor of the third anniversary, six Fellows share their experiences and offer advice for those interested in combining their technological expertise with a focus on public service.

How multicultural research guides the USA.gov benefit finder

Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Discover how USA.gov tailors its benefit finder experience for both English and Spanish-speaking users through culturally nuanced content. Through dual-track language research, a bilingual support team, and A/B testing, USA.gov ensures that more users receive relevant, empathetic, and user-friendly content. The USA.gov team also identified and addressed recruitment challenges to interatively improve its ongoing research processes.

How Login.gov uses roadmapping to build trust with its partners and the public

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

To increase transparency, the Login.gov team publishes a program roadmap that lays out their upcoming initiatives.

A journey of improvement: Creating a self-assessment for digital experience

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Memo M-23-22 from the Office of Management and Budget provides guidance to federal agencies on delivering a digital-first public experience. To quantify its compliance with the memo, the Open Data, Design, and Development team at the Department of the Interior created and conducted a self-assessment of its digital products. The team used a scoring spreadsheet to measure compliance across categories like accessibility, design consistency, and mobile responsiveness. The results helped the team develop a plan to prioritize improvements and engage with leadership for support on other initiatives.

User research and the Paperwork Reduction Act

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

User research is an important part of customer experience transformation. Different types of research require different approval under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). Through seven case studies, the U.S. Digital Service shows how agencies conducted valuable user research that did not require PRA approval and successfully integrated findings into their projects. Their work illustrates how thoughtful user research transforms delivery of services and helps agencies build trust in government.

10 years of the U.S. Digital Service: Transforming government for the digital age

Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Over the past decade, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has collaborated with more than 30 federal agencies to create user-friendly, reliable, and seamless digital experiences. Their work prioritizing human-centered design and engineering includes improving services for veterans with Veterans Affairs, launching the Internal Revenue Service Direct File Pilot, and supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, USDS remains committed to building trust, fostering innovation, and scaling digital capacity across the federal government, ensuring better service for all Americans.

Department of Justice recognizes anniversary of executive order to improve access for people with limited English profiency

Mon, 12 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Justice recently marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, which aims to improve access to federal services for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP). Its Civil Rights Division reviewed language access plans across federal agencies, emphasizing progress in hiring and staff training, improving language assistance services, and expanding multilingual content. The department is committed to eliminating language barriers in federal programs, improving communication and access for all communities.

Department of Labor, General Services Administration to centralize government benefits information on USA.gov and USAGov en Español

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In September 2024, Benefits.gov will be discontinued, with its services and information moved to USA.gov and USAGov en Español. This change, which aligns with Executive Order 14058: Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government, aims to create a seamless, user-friendly experience for accessing government benefits in both English and Spanish. The new platform, with a focus on equitable access to information, will feature improved navigation and benefit-finding tools.

IT warning banners: How GSA is working to stop unnecessarily frightening users

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

OMB Memo M-23-22 discourages the use of pop-ups and modals. GSA IT updated security policies so that IT warning banners are presented less intrusively to users.

Developing an easier way to recruit user research participants

Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500

USA.gov and 10x recently partnered to develop a new user research recruitment page. The page launched in February 2024 and has attracted hundreds of sign-ups. It allows participants to assist in testing government websites for compensation, and helps teams find participants that match needed demographics. By simplifying the process and expanding recruitment of diverse populations, the initiative aims to support and streamline user research. It plans to add recruitment opportunities in additional languages and recruit more specific audiences for future studies.

Supporting innovation through the American Rescue Plan

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0000

GSA uses American Rescue Plan funding for over 40 initiatives to foster community, improve user experiences, and empower underserved populations.

Reassessing priorities: Adapting to additional work without additional resources

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s Open Data, Design, and Development (ODD) team is taking on management of a fourth website, despite being short-staffed. As a result, they have revisited and reprioritized their yearly goals. To do so, they utilized a prioritization matrix, developed a structured impact assessment, and laid out a transition plan. Their process ensured realistic workload adjustments, improved team morale, and highlighted the importance of practical goal-setting, especially when teams are short-staffed.

Introducing the Department of Homeland Security customer experience toolkit

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The Department of Homeland Security’s Customer Experience Directorate developed a customer experience (CX) toolkit to help agencies implement CX strategies using a human-centered design approach. The toolkit offers resources to enhance service delivery, processes, and systems, following a “Ready, Set, Grow” framework for planning and implementation. It aims to serve as a reference for organizations bringing CX practices to their own agencies.

Designing for people with disabilities

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The User Experience (UX) team at USA.gov’s Public Experience Portfolio recently conducted a study to analyze the experiences of individuals who access USA.gov through assistive technology. The team partnered with a local organization to gather insights from a diverse group of participants, many of whom are blind or deaf. The study revealed various habits and challenges faced by these users, such as a preference for mobile sites, difficulty with website carousels, and a reliance on clear headings and action-oriented descriptions. These findings can guide improvements in accessibility, such as clever link labeling and better navigation aids for assistive technology users.

18F's engineering craft practices at 10

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

18F recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by renewing its commitment to refining and sharing best practices through regular publications, tech talks, and updates to the 18F Engineering Guide. They also created a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization.

18F's engineering craft practices at 10

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

18F recently celebrated its 10th anniversary by renewing its commitment to refining and sharing best practices through regular publications, tech talks, and updates to The 18F Engineering Guide. They also instructed a permanent principal consulting engineer role to enhance digital service delivery and support skill development within the organization.

A small team's journey through digital maturity

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:55:00 -0500

As a small team, Digital.gov adopted user research and customer experience early. That foundation helps develop evidence-based strategies for today.

Evaluating your agency's accessibility just got a whole lot easier with GSA's OpenACR Editor

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 12:55:00 -0500

To help agencies evaluate the accessibility of their digital products, GSA is making it easier to create Accessibility Conformance Reports through its new OpenACR Editor.

Bridge the gap between policy and implementation: Impactful solutions and strategies for success from Digital.gov's spring 2024 summit

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 10:55:00 -0500

The summit highlighted digital transformation, emphasizing the significance of recent OMB memos for improving accessibility and customer experience.

Digital front door: Expanding access to VA

Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

More Veterans are turning to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for healthcare and benefits, accessing these services online through tools like the VA Health and Benefits mobile app and VA.gov. With over 2.28 million app downloads and 17.8 million monthly visitors on VA.gov, these digital tools provide faster, easier, and more inclusive access to VA services. Learn more about how these technologies are often Veterans’ first interaction with VA by watching their latest video, Digital Front Door: Expanding Access to VA.

Unsolicited data: A valuable resource for digital customer experience enhancement

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Optimizing federal service touchpoints involves analyzing both actively-sought and spontaneous feedback, introducing new metrics and data points.

Back to basics in the age of AI

Tue, 18 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The federal government is actively discussing the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI). It has the potential to transform our digital service delivery, automate tasks, and enhance data analysis. However, AI also presents challenges and risks such as bias and ethical concerns. The team at 18F provides a quick overview of AI, its place in government today, and the techniques and frameworks they are currently using to navigate this complex new landscape.

How the U.S. Department of the Navy is delivering IT that just works

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services is working to revolutionize how information technology is acquired.

Case study: Increasing access to required bankruptcy meetings

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual Section 341 bankruptcy meetings lead to more participation from both consumers and creditors, minimized delays, and saved time and money for all. Learn about USTP’s human-centered design process for a pilot program in three states to increase public access to these virtual meetings.

Case study: Removing barriers to applying for a presidential pardon

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

At the Department of Justice, Access DOJ and the Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) partnered to simplify and streamline the presidential pardon application process. By conducting usability testing and gathering feedback, they identified key issues with the existing application, such as its complexity and length. See how redesigning the forms to be more accessible and understandable led to a more efficient process for both applicants and staff.

Federal customer experience: OMB has taken actions to implement cross-agency priority goals

Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In 2021, the President’s Management Agenda identified federal customer experience as a priority area for improvement. To implement this priority area, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set two long-term, cross-agency priority (CAP) goals. In this study, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews OMB and selected federal agencies’ efforts towards these CAP goals. Learn about actions taken by OMB and selected High Impact Service Providers (HISPs), how OMB has facilitated interagency collaboration, and the extent to which OMB has overseen and assessed progress on these CAP goals.

FedRAMP governance

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) has recently updated its governance structure to better serve its customers. Learn about their recently-formed FedRAMP Board, composed of federal executives; the FedRAMP Technical Advisory Group (TAG), composed of technology experts; and updates made to the Federal Security Cloud Advisory Committee (FSCAC). These groups collectively aim to strengthen and expand FedRAMP’s cloud service capabilities.

Three tips for using meta descriptions

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, the goal is to make content more useful to the public, and meta descriptions are one way to help people quickly find the government information they’re looking for. These brief summaries of webpage content appear in search engine results to entice users to click through, attracting visitors to agency websites. Regularly updating these descriptions based on user data can enhance their effectiveness. Read in more detail about their three tips to create effective meta descriptions: identify commonly searched keywords, write engaging and actionable descriptions, and ensure each one is unique.

Why some technologists choose public service

Wed, 22 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The General Services Administration (GSA) employs nearly 12,000 people who provide services to federal agencies and the public, and has been recognized as one of the top federal agencies to work for, emphasizing a people-first culture. Through the Tech to Gov initiative, GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) has successfully recruited top tech talent to enhance digital government services. Get to know some of GSA’s newest technologists.

A five-step plan for communicating with leadership

Mon, 20 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

How to engage leadership personally, adapt communication styles, and choose appropriate timing for effective interactions and feedback.

One year with the new USAGov

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

It has been a year since USA.gov and USAGov en Español were relaunched using human-centered design principles. Using task backlog, the USAGov team has addressed content gaps, improved discoverability, and implemented technical updates. Through usability tests, visitor comments, and click behavior the team was able to unravel and respond to user feedback and unmet needs, leading to noticeable increases in visitor satisfaction and task accomplishment. Moving forward, the focus will shift to enhancing public engagement with the government, improving the search for benefits-related content, and exploring interactive and personalized user experiences.

FEMA National Summit on Risk Communications, Crisis Communications, and Community Engagement

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of External Affairs is convening risk and crisis communicators and community leaders who are on the front-line of the climate and emerging hazard crises. Attend the free, June 10, 2024, summit virtually, or in Washington, DC. The agenda includes: the sharing invaluable tools and insights, how to implement culturally competent and accessible communications, how to integrate behavior change strategies, and more. An ASL interpreter will be provided.

Creating a blueprint for quality: How the PX Contact Center helps agents grow their skills

Tue, 23 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Every day, live agents at USA.gov’s Public Experience (PX) Contact Center answer questions from the public about government benefits and services. Learn how the PX Contact Center develops a workforce of excellent agents, using immersive onboarding, tailored and continuous training, feedback loops, and calibration meetings to empower their agents to deliver accurate information. USA.gov’s system for employee and contact center management ensures that every customer interaction leaves a lasting impact.

Google Analytics 4: Transition strategies for federal websites

Mon, 22 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Learn how the Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team at the Department of the Interior (DOI) transitioned from Google Analytics - Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4! Discover how the ODDD team coordinated with the Digital Analytics Program, developed explorations (instead of custom reports), and set up their own DOI agency property.

Progress towards delivering a digital-first public experience

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Each year, more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments get information and services from about 430 federal agencies and sub-agencies. The Biden-Harris administration is driving a bold vision for how government agencies serve their customers digitally with OMB’s ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. Agencies have already made significant strides. Learn about recent successes by the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA, and how OMB will continue to collaborate with agencies to ensure ongoing improvement in digital government services.

Delivering seamless customer journeys

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

GSA shares a 4-step process used to measure and analyze related websites, and additional plans to improve customers’ digital experience.

Determining the true value of a website: A GSA case study

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

GSA has developed a composite indicator to visualize six key components of website success.

Now available: Trusted Tester for Web Certification courses, version 5.1.3

Fri, 12 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has updated its Trusted Tester program courses. It features six improvements, including accessible plain language, adjusted exam requirements, and enhanced course design. The updated curriculum aligns with the latest Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process for Web, offering a more efficient learning experience. Enrollment is open via the Training Portal, and inquires can be directed to the DHS Accessibility Helpdesk for assistance.

Celebrating the work of public servants

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Performance.gov invites you to participate in their #GovPossible campaign to celebrate Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW)! Recognize the invaluable efforts of government employees who ensure that the everyday needs of Americans are met. Access a range of tools and resources to help you join the #GovPossible campaign and show your support. The #GovPossible toolkit makes it easy for you to participate in this important (and fun!) campaign.

Meet your Digital Experience Council

Tue, 09 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Digital Experience Council plays a critical role in coordinating governmentwide efforts and assisting agencies in delivering digital experiences that meet the public’s needs and expectations.

Justice department to publish final rule to strengthen web and mobile app access for people with disabilities

Mon, 08 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

On April 8, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications for people with disabilities. This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. Learn more about this rule and why the Attorney General believes it will “break down barriers that have kept people with disabilities from fully participating in American Life.”

Calling All Americans! The federal government is seeking your input

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wants your thoughts on how federal agencies can more broadly and meaningfully engage with you and your communities. Share your ideas by May 17, 2024 to help build a more inclusive, responsive, transparent, and accountable government.

18F practices in action (spoiler: this stuff works)

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

How well do 18F software development practices work? The 18F team reflected on a recent project for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) .gov registry to gauge the effectiveness of six recommendations aligned with what they actually did.

Reconsidering the consent form: the least user-friendly aspect of UX research

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team has replaced signed consent forms with a more accessible user research agreement process, offering multiple opt-in points. This ensures informed consent and participant autonomy. Explore why and how the ODDD team implemented this comprehensive participant consent process in their user research.

How USAGov uses data to improve content

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Each month, USAGov’s content designers spend many hours ensuring that the content on USA.gov and USAGov en Español is up-to-date, accurate, and meets user needs. Learn how their team does holistic reviews of each topic section based on a rolling calendar with the goal of updating all content at least every 6 months.

18F at ten

Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:02:00 -0500

We’re celebrating all the ways we continue to realize our founding vision: bringing technologists into government, launching shared digital services, and helping partner agencies build user-centered technology.

Search.gov year in review: 2023 report

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:23:00 -0500

Learn what types of information people searched for on federal websites in 2023, see emerging trends the team is exploring to improve customers’ search experience in 2024, and check out three new updates. The data tab provides insightful summaries for 13 popular topic areas—and lists the public’s top 25 search terms, in their own words, for each.

Customer experience: beyond surveys

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -0500

Want to measure customer experience? Surveys aren’t the only way! Consider these guiding questions to help your team select an approach based on what you want to learn.

Optimizing the federal digital experience: aligning content governance, coordination, and database development

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -0500

This blog post dives into the details of building a dynamic content database and audit for onrr.gov. Learn how effective subject matter expert (SME) coordination, strategic content planning, and application of visualization tools contribute to enhancing content governance and user experience on a federal website.

Timeless top 10 best practices for great government websites

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0500

While the field of federal web management continues to evolve, the core best practices have remained essentially unchanged for two decades.

Balancing priorities and values

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 19:07:00 -0500

This article summarizes four priorities and values that simply take time: consideration of the public’s time, privacy, accessibility and equity, and scope.

Getting the word out about voter registration: Vote.gov's first social media takeover with USAGov

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Last fall, vote.gov and the USAGov program partnered for their first-ever social media takeover on National Voter Registration Day. The campaign, which encouraged the public to register to vote, reached 36,000 people across USAGov’s platforms and generated over 2,000 engagements. The partnership raised awareness for vote.gov, boosted vote.gov’s website traffic, and laid the groundwork for the future collaborations and resource-sharing between the two entities. This collaboration between vote.gov and USAGov offers a model for social media takeovers and partnerships between federal agencies and teams.

Gathering feedback with customer panels

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 10:00:00 -0500

Explore behind-the-scenes process of creating customer panels for the .gov domain registrar, managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). By engaging with current users through a customer panel, the team gained direct insights, identified areas for immediate improvement, and discovered new features for the product roadmap. Learn the approach involved and how the outcomes highlight the panel’s impact on defining language, improving usability, and generating ideas for future features.

Designing with empathy

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:53:00 -0500

Discover the transformative power of empathy in design with USAGov’s benefit finder. From simplifying applications to a mobile-first approach, the revamped tool not only functions efficiently in two different languages and cultural contexts, but demonstrates the consideration for users in challenging situations. Explore how empathy turned a government service into a compassionate lifeline, creating a product that genuinely understands and meets people where they are.

Maximizing impact of federal websites: Integrating metrics with annual goals and policies

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 15:05:00 -0500

The Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team discusses how OMB’s recent memo, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience (M-23-22), inspired them to reassess their metrics plan to harmonize with policies governing federal public websites.

In 2023, TTS stepped up to meet growing technology demands for government

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 11:21:00 -0500

GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) celebrated major milestones and met growing demand for its services in 2023. This wrap-up summaries key successes in five areas: improving customer experience, modernizing federal technology, innovating for the future, focus on equity and accessibility, and building the technology workforce of tomorrow.

Webinar: Non-Compliant Permanent Digitized Records FAQ

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

On January 10, 2024, NARA hosted a webinar to walk through frequently asked questions about and discuss options and paths for non-compliant digitized permanent records. The discussion also covered the upcoming June 30, 2024 deadline in M-23-07 for NARA to stop accepting records in analog format.

Customer experience and human-centered design

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:46:00 -0500

Customer experience is the application of design within a business context to craft the human experience.

Accessibility testing: Creating digital services everyone can use

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:33:00 -0500

Making sure that USA.gov and USAGov en Español remain accessible to people with disabilities is essential. The product team shares four testing tips they’ve learned to help ensure that everyone has equal access to digital products and services.

GSA Issues Report to Congress Highlighting Need for Improvement in Federal Government Section 508 Compliance

Thu, 28 Dec 2023 14:33:00 -0500

The report, the FY23 Governmentwide Section 508 Assessment, evaluates reporting entities’ adherence to the criteria established by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in coordination with GSA, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the U.S. Access Board (USAB). It provides a baseline and recommendations for strengthening compliance initiatives and enhancing Section 508 activities across the federal government.

OMB Releases Digital Accessibility Guidance to Ensure All Americans Have Ability to Access Critical Government Resources

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 08:34:00 -0500

The Biden-Harris Administration is championing inclusivity by requiring federal agencies to prioritize accessibility in the digital space, recognizing the gap in access for the 61 million Americans with disabilities on nearly half of popular federal government websites. The new guidance mandates rigorous testing, inclusion of individuals with disabilities in design processes, and the incorporation of experts in procurement, emphasizing a commitment to universal access. Read more to discover how these measures aim to change the federal digital experience for all Americans.

Amplifying customer voices

Tue, 19 Dec 2023 17:38:00 -0500

Understand how to use natural language processing and advanced analytics to gain insights on high-impact service performance and survey design.

Less is more: Improving the public's web search experience with filters

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:54:00 -0500

Explore the evolution of search experiences on federal websites as Search.gov introduces customizable search filters, providing users with the same flexibility familiar from e-commerce sites. Devolve into the NASA case study, uncovering how this innovative feature enhances accessibility and efficiency for a seamless user journey.

Making GSA's public art collection more accessible

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 23:30:00 -0500

GSA’s Fine Arts team recently leveraged modern product development practices to launch the new collection website.

Sharing artifacts and outputs from research

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 15:48:00 -0500

Have you conducted user research and are now wondering which artifacts or outputs you can share and with whom? 18F provides tips on determining your target audiences, using discretion for sensitive data, and ensuring that such work complies with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA).

Extended comment period on draft FedRAMP memo

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 11:25:00 -0500

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is requesting public comment on a new draft memorandum to strengthen and enhance the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). The comment period for the Modernizing the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) memo has been extended to December 22, 2023.

Delivering on 21st Century IDEA: A case study from the GSA SmartPay team (Part 3)

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:04:00 -0500

A GSA SmartPay product owner shares her experience designing user-centered, accessible content for multiple audiences.

Delivering on 21st Century IDEA: A case study from the GSA SmartPay team (Part 2)

Wed, 29 Nov 2023 08:02:00 -0500

A GSA SmartPay product owner shares his experiences as a first-time product owner in a government agile development project.

Delivering on 21st Century IDEA: A case study from the GSA SmartPay team (Part 1)

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 08:52:00 -0500

The GSA SmartPay program, the largest government charge card and commercial payment solutions program in the world, celebrated their 25th anniversary by launching three new websites with a user-centered, agile approach.

Managing a high-performing dream team in the federal government

Mon, 27 Nov 2023 12:32:00 -0500

Discover how the Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) transformed their federal projects with Agile methodologies, creating a culture of collaboration, accountability, and openness. From unique sprint names to engaging traditions and innovative knowledge-sharing practices, this blog post offers insights into building a high-performing dream team in government.

Defining benchmarks and targets for intranet KPIs

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 16:41:00 -0500

Discover the keys to intranet success by harmonizing objectives, metrics, benchmarks, and targets. Elevate your organization’s intranet to new heights!

The CFPB Language Access Plan for consumers with limited English proficiency

Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:06:00 -0500

The Language Access Plan describes the CFPB’s policy and how the CFPB’s language access activities are implemented across operations, programs, and services.

Cultivating a dynamic career in user experience

Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:48:00 -0500

Dynamic careers are derived from creativity, accountability, influence and strategic planning. Learn about how enhancing job skills builds resilience in today’s work environment.

2023 Federal Customer Experience (CX) Summit

Thu, 02 Nov 2023 17:37:00 -0500

The inaugural Federal CX Summit will be held November 16th, 2023. Featured speakers from across government will share how to focus on delivering impact to customers and building CX capacity, and will discuss innovations, trends, and technologies that can be leveraged to enhance customer experience at federal agencies. Register to attend this virtual event co-hosted by the Customer Experience Center of Excellence (CX CoE), 18F, and the CX Community of Practice.

Speaking your language USAGov outreach approach to bilingual content

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:29:00 -0500

As a bilingual program, USAGov aims to give English and Spanish-language audiences the information they want in the cultural context they need. Here are a few main things the team learned when transcreating messaging through the USAGov and USAGov en Español outreach channels.

Who is controlling your control system?

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 09:39:00 -0500

Best practices for security administration of control systems and their components. Specific guidance and lessons learned from a federal information system manager.

Decoding public sentiment: Harnessing open data to gain insights into service delivery

Mon, 30 Oct 2023 10:00:00 -0500

Exploring High-Impact Service Provider performance through open source data analysis to enhance customer experience with federal services.

Navigating the NIST industrial control systems overlay

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 19:35:00 -0500

A quick-start user guide for information technology professionals to begin using overlays as a part of their regular security assessments.

The Cybersecurity Battleground: Reflecting on the past, envisioning the future

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 08:43:00 -0500

This month marks the 20th anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, as well as the beginning of a new government fiscal year. In this Great Government through Technology blog post, Laura Stanton, Assistant Commissioner in the Office of Information Technology Category (ITC) of the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS), takes the opportunity to delve into some recent notable cybersecurity events, the broader implications for government agencies, and her vision as GSA continues to play a pivotal role in positioning agencies to create a safer and more secure digital future.

Celebrating 20 years of USAGov en Español

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 09:08:00 -0500

USAGov en Español is excited to celebrate their 20th anniversary this month! Since 2003, the website has been a trusted guide to government information and services for Spanish speakers. Explore this timeline of USAGov en Español’s milestones, name changes, and accomplishments as they’ve served Spanish speakers and federal partners over the past two decades.

An update on our transition

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 11:20:00 -0500

We posted a few weeks ago about changes coming to .gov. Here’s a quick update on our progress and a recap of what’s happening. Find out how these changes impact U.S. governments that already have a domain, want a domain, or have requested a domain.

IHS health information technology modernization: The path forward

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:28:00 -0500

Save the date for this year’s fourth Tribal Consultation and Urban Confer, hosted by the IHS Health IT Modernization Program. The virtual event on November 8 will provide updates to the EHR vendor selection and program timeline, as well as host an open and welcoming space for dialogue with IHS leadership.

Readout of White House Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence and Health

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 11:43:00 -0500

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) this week convened a roundtable that highlighted the Biden-Harris Administration’s priorities to develop and deploy advanced AI tools that benefit the health and wellbeing of all Americans. The discussion focused on deepening awareness and understanding of the benefits and risks of AI and welcoming new ideas on the responsible development of AI to improve health outcomes for all Americans. Working sessions focused on specific use cases, including where AI can be used to mitigate public health challenges, and improve access by supporting equitable health decision-making in resource-limited settings.

5 things we learned from our scams wizard usability test

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 10:57:00 -0500

USAGov’s usability (UX) team developed a step-by-step process for visitors to easily report a scam. Here are 5 things the team learned from performing usability testing on the tool.

New IDManagement.gov is refreshing the conversation about Zero Trust

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 14:53:00 -0500

IDmanagement.gov has received an update that makes it easier for users to find exactly what they need.

Kids Online Health and Safety

Thu, 28 Sep 2023 15:38:00 -0500

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Task Force on Kids Online Health & Safety, NTIA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) are working with other agencies to advance the health, safety and privacy of minors online by identifying current and emerging risks, potential benefits, and efforts to mitigate harms.

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:26:00 -0500

OMB recently released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).

A website refresh in 3 months

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 12:16:00 -0500

A website redesign doesn’t have to be a big project. By approaching it as a process of iteration, we launched a refreshed site in the span of several weeks.

Creating a functional inventory database for website content audits

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 08:06:00 -0500

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue recently completed a site-wide content inventory and audit. Here is how they modified an existing content inventory spreadsheet to act as a functional database for enhancing content throughout the site.

6 lessons from a project handoff

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 11:22:00 -0500

Project handoffs are not simple. Teams have their own cultures and work styles. Without planning, a project could lose institutional memory, time, quality, and funding when it passes from one team to the next. Here are 6 lessons we learned as a recent project changed hands.

NASA Releases First Season of Spanish-language Podcast

Fri, 15 Sep 2023 19:56:00 -0500

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, NASA is releasing new content for Universo curioso de la NASA, the agency’s first Spanish-language podcast. A five-episode season will start Tuesday, September 19, with new episodes released weekly. In each episode, Universo curioso will highlight the contributions of NASA’s Hispanic and Latino workforce to the agency’s groundbreaking work in Earth and space exploration. The season features interviews with NASA experts, including an astronaut, a space weather scientist, an astrochemist, and oceanographers. Episodes focus on some of NASA’s top missions, bringing the wonder of exploration, space technology, and scientific discoveries to Spanish-speaking audiences around the world.

From pageviews to progress

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 15:05:00 -0500

A 10-year recap of GSA’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP) highlights its impact on federal government agencies and the public, high-level observations using government-wide website analytics and trends, and new goals set for the next decade to help generate useful answers to meaningful questions to make government websites better.

A conversation about content audits

Tue, 12 Sep 2023 10:12:00 -0500

Content audits can be tedious. Two content designers discuss why we do them anyway, and how to get started.

Catching up with the TANF Data Portal project

Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:22:00 -0500

Around 800,000 low-income American families receive cash assistance through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) each month. 18F and the Administration for Children & Families’ Office of Family Assistance partnered on building a new data portal for TANF. We caught up with Office of Family Assistance leaders to see how their agency is continuing with the work.

Infrastructure as a (public) service

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 11:10:00 -0500

Over the next few months, CISA will initiate major changes to the .gov top-level domain (TLD) tech infrastructure, laying a foundation for the services we will offer in the coming years.

Infrastructure as a (public) service

Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:59:00 -0500

In fall 2023, we’ll launch a new registrar: a better way to get and manage a .gov domain.

First, do no harm: mistakes to avoid in creating accessible user experiences

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 15:30:00 -0500

Accessible design and development practices help us build inclusive experiences. But we can lose sight of the people we serve if we don’t steadily work to better understand our users. To create accessible experiences, avoid these mistakes.

Making the case for sentence case on USAGov’s websites

Tue, 05 Sep 2023 09:53:00 -0500

What is the best case style to use for titles and headings? For the new USAGov websites, we discuss the decision to use sentence case on USAGov products.

Quarterly PMA Updates Lead the Way for Improved Service Delivery and Trust-Building

Wed, 30 Aug 2023 09:52:00 -0500

Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its latest updates to the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). This quarter, the Implementation Leads for Customer Experience (Priority 2) share updates on where we are with this PMA priority.

Blind Veterans can now read decision letters

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 13:08:00 -0500

VA now offers accessibility to blind Veterans so they can independently read decision letters online.

Seven tips on facilitating unplanned topics in meetings

Tue, 22 Aug 2023 12:53:00 -0500

Facilitating a workshop can feel like a daunting task. Here at 18F, we’ve identified seven tips to keep your workshop organized and flowing, despite unplanned scenarios.

Advanced Section 508 compliance testing: moving beyond automated testing and screen readers

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 09:22:00 -0500

Members of the Office of Natural Resources Revenue team recently completed the free, six-course Trusted Tester accessibility compliance training and certification from the Department of Homeland Security. Here’s what they learned, and how they applied this new knowledge to the two websites they manage.

4 steps writers and editors can take to demonstrate value

Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:00:00 -0500

As plain language writers and editors, we need to demonstrate the value we bring to projects. This writeup explains how to calculate the costs of our work and articulate its value.

Fact Sheet: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities

Thu, 03 Aug 2023 15:06:00 -0500

This NPRM proposes a specific technical standard that state and local governments would have to follow to meet their existing obligations under Title II of the ADA for web and mobile app accessibility. Purpose of this fact sheet: This fact sheet gives a plain language summary of the NPRM. The summary is designed to provide introductory information about this proposal for people who may not have a legal background.

Get to know Search.gov

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:56:00 -0500

Search.gov’s goal is to deliver a high-quality, government-wide search engine that allows agencies to customize search experiences for the public, regardless of website type or organization. Learn about standard offerings, as well as three major enhancements.

GSA Shared Service Provider Program Guide

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 15:15:00 -0500

The newly-released SSP Program Guide was created for commercial vendors interested in becoming a Shared Service Provider.

Reflections on a year in government from 11 U.S. Digital Corps fellows

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 11:41:00 -0500

To celebrate their first year in government, 11 U.S. Digital Corps Fellows reflect on what they have learned.

How a Small Team Modernized a Federal Website to Improve CX

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 12:38:00 -0500

The recent redesign of the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) website stands as an example for agencies seeking to enhance their online platforms. ONRR’s Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team played a pivotal role in this website transformation by embracing open data, user-centered design, accessibility, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

GSA debuts new search tool to support Native governments and businesses

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 18:26:00 -0500

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) debuted a new search tool that enables buyers to search for Native business categories in GSA Advantage!, GSA eBuy, and GSA eLibrary for commercial products and services. Tribal governments are limited in their ability to generate traditional government revenues because of their unique federal status, and the income from Tribal businesses is an important source of development for these communities. This new feature will help Native businesses be visible in a diverse range of channels where they can sell products and services.

3 ways to improve communication between contact center agents and customers

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 10:41:00 -0500

The USAGov Contact Center is committed to meeting customers’ needs empathetically, efficiently, and accurately. Here are three tips recommended to USAGov agents for interacting with customers.

10 ways to recognize employees at work

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 18:26:00 -0500

Showing appreciation works best when it’s not one-size-fits all. Here are 10 ideas to get started.

How to choose the right metrics for your intranet

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 15:25:00 -0500

Explore key metrics to optimize your agency’s intranet to foster improved user engagement, experience, and overall satisfaction.

The four operating levels of 18F projects

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 09:10:00 -0500

At 18F, we partner with government agencies to help them deliver new or modernized digital services and help set them up for success after we conclude the project. To support these outcomes, we set up our work to track on four levels: project management, product development, post-18F sustainability and learning to the broader government community.

FCC requires video conferencing platforms to be accessible and proposes platform integration with sign-language services

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 10:57:00 -0500

The Federal Communications Commission voted to require video conferencing platforms, like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Webex, to comply with the accessibility requirements under the Communications Act and agency rules that govern interoperable video conferencing services.

Making the big move - Special report: Search in support of federal web modernization

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:43:00 -0500

For the past several years Search.gov has reported each year on the top public needs based on the search terms they used. This special report will take a different approach. It still offers a high level view of the public experience of seeking services and information from the government. But it also tells the story of change, and how these changes affect search and findability.

Planning and implementing a search engine for a redesigned federal government website

Fri, 26 May 2023 12:14:00 -0500

In this blog, we walk you through our planning and implementation process for Search.gov. We share lessons learned, as well as resources we found useful.

Digital Autopen Playbook pinpoints how agencies can leverage technology for digital signatures

Tue, 23 May 2023 15:48:00 -0500

The Digital Autopen Playbook is a practical guide to help federal agencies create and use a digital autopen for Federal Register documents.

Personas: learn how to discover your audience, understand them, and pivot to address their needs

Fri, 19 May 2023 15:48:00 -0500

Advice from five federal experts on creating user personas.

Why vote.gov supports multiple languages

Tue, 16 May 2023 10:48:00 -0500

summary

A digital accessibility catalyst for your next policy refresh

Mon, 15 May 2023 14:51:00 -0500

Use GSA’s IT Accessibility Policy Framework to update digital accessibility language in your agency’s policies.

Judiciary Launches New Federal Ticket Processing Website

Tue, 02 May 2023 10:36:00 -0500

Individuals can now pay tickets for minor federal violations more easily, using a redesigned website for the Judiciary’s Central Violations Bureau. The website, officially launched in early May, leverages new technologies and best design practices to improve usability and accessibility across devices, including smart phones.

The 18F design chapter

Tue, 02 May 2023 09:43:00 -0500

Designing technology-enabled public services requires deep expertise in how different elements of the experience come together (or don’t!). The 18F design chapter comprises four discipline-specific cohorts — service design, user experience (UX) design, product design, and content strategy — each of which has a primary focus, with corresponding tools, methods, and techniques.

18F Checks in With the Dawson Project at the U.S. Tax Court

Tue, 25 Apr 2023 09:52:00 -0500

In December 2020, the United States Tax Court introduced DAWSON, a modern open-source case management system developed with assistance from an industry partner and 18F. DAWSON streamlined Court operations and changed the way the public interacts with the Court.

The art of storytelling in a hybrid world

Thu, 20 Apr 2023 09:52:00 -0500

Combined with technology and audience awareness, our increasingly digital, hybrid world can still leverage that in-person charm through the art of storytelling.

Introducing the new USA.gov

Tue, 18 Apr 2023 09:34:00 -0500

We’re excited to share that the new USA.gov and USAGov en Español are live. However, we’re not finished. See what we’ll be working on in the future.

Modernizing a federal government website with user-centered design

Thu, 30 Mar 2023 16:57:00 -0500

In this blog post, we break down our process for redesigning a federal government website (onrr.gov) into six detailed sections. This blog serves as a helpful guide for other agencies looking to do a major website redesign.

Who's your website manager?

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 15:29:00 -0500

The importance of HR and accountability to improving digital service delivery at federal agencies.

Am I doing it right? A checkup for agile teams

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 13:42:00 -0500

Even on the best teams, things need to be monitored and adjusted. If you are doing this for the first time, it can be even harder. In this article, I share some signals of what success looks like and what to do if you are stuck in one of the many common pitfalls.

Plain language on onrr.gov: coordination and implementation with web content owners

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 12:28:00 -0500

Strategies, examples, and lessons learned from coordinating with content owners to enhance plain language on onrr.gov.

Testing Beta for Accessibility

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:23:00 -0500

The USAGov team strives to ensure all our websites are accessible to as many people as possible, including those who need the use of specialized assistive technologies when browsing the internet. In building beta.USA.gov, we deliberately validated that it met Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 compliance requirements. Our testing approach includes a three step hybrid method that may be suitable for other agency use.

5 Changes the UX Team Made for Beta

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:44:00 -0500

The USAGov UX team has made improvements to beta.usa.gov in new ways. See the five changes that help us understand user needs and pain points.

HHS Leverages Data for Impact and Action at the 2023 Health Datapalooza

Fri, 10 Mar 2023 18:29:00 -0500

U.S. Digital Corps Fellows at HHS proved instrumental to delivering this year’s Health Datapalooza, especially the 2023 Health Equity DataJam, which launched at the event as a two-month-long technology sprint through the end of April. A professional association for health services and policy researchers will run the DataJam using HHS open data. Thanks to the U.S. Digital Corps Fellows, HealthData.gov includes DataJam challenge prompts, priority themes, open datasets, and curated resources for solvers.

Call for participation: Government UX summit 2023

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 07:46:00 -0500

The UX Summit will be a one day virtual event on June 14, 2023. New and experienced UX practitioners are encouraged to participate.

A happy compromise between people-first and plain language

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 12:31:00 -0500

Find out how the National Institute of Corrections is using people-first plain language in its communications. See what words and phrases they’re changing.

Building Beta: The Foundation

Tue, 07 Mar 2023 10:41:00 -0500

The USAGov program has been developing a new iteration of our bilingual sites, USA.gov and USAGov en Español. In the process of building beta.USA.gov and beta.USA.gov en Español, we’ve been rethinking our work style and priorities. Follow the “Building Beta” series to learn how we’re reimagining the way we approach product management, usability, accessibility, content creation, analytics, and outreach.

Understanding design in 10 questions

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 10:08:00 -0500

How the discipline of design can help your agency improve customer experience.

Challenge.Gov FY22 Year In Review

Mon, 27 Feb 2023 08:32:00 -0500

Challenge.gov is proud to be part of an ecosystem advancing open innovation in the federal government and engaging the public in open ways. Through the collective efforts of federal challenge managers and the ChallengeGov team, Challenge.gov hosted more prize competitions from a greater number of federal agencies than in previous years. Review fiscal year 2022’s accomplishments, and five goals for FY23.

18F Checks In With Emily Read and the USGS Water Resources Mission Area Projects

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 11:28:00 -0500

At 18F, we like to keep in touch with our project partners. 18F partnered with the USGS Water Resources Mission Area from March 2020 to June 2022 on a wide variety of projects together. We caught up with Emily Read, Chief for the Web Communications Branch at USGS Water Resources Mission Area.

Digital governance at GSA

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 17:31:00 -0500

A peek into GSA’s internal processes for managing their websites and improving digital experience.

Faster build times on cloud.gov Pages

Thu, 23 Feb 2023 11:40:00 -0500

We’ve made two recent changes to cloud.gov Pages to make website deployment faster so you can focus on your code, design, and content.

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) and onrr.gov

Wed, 22 Feb 2023 11:18:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) includes five design principles that facilitate human-centered design. In this post, we look at the work our team does to make sure we’re meeting each principle.

Three Tips for Using Facebook and Instagram Stories

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 10:57:00 -0500

At USA.gov and USAGov en Español, we’re always looking for better ways to connect people to government information through social media. Using stories has helped us increase our engagement rate and our number of followers as we deliver helpful information to people. Stories may be a good addition to your agency’s social media strategy, too. These three tips can help you get started.

Strengthening information accessibility for consumers with limited English proficiency

Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:44:00 -0500

We listened to feedback from people who use our materials in various languages to make sure people could find the information they need most, in the language they prefer. Now we’re relaunching our pages in multiple languages.

We asked our design team: What did you learn in 2022, and what are you looking forward to in 2023?

Mon, 13 Feb 2023 17:04:00 -0500

The beginning of the year is a good time to hunker down, reflect on the past, and envision the future. We brought some of that reflection into a design chapter meeting, where we asked the team: “What did you learn in 2022? What are you looking forward to in 2023?” Here’s what some of our team members had to say.

Collaborate with the TTS Public Benefits Studio

Tue, 07 Feb 2023 12:52:00 -0500

The Benefits Studio is seeking feedback and collaboration as it explores texting as a tool to improve the public experience of benefits programs.

#GovLove 2023

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 15:56:00 -0500

We’re spreading the #GovLove with Performance.gov the week of February 13th to celebrate public servants like you! Prepare your hearts to be warmed.

How to manage a federal website

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 09:13:00 -0500

Managing government websites is a targeted exercise. Here are 5 steps to help you build and maintain a successful one.

Bringing design in-house

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 10:11:00 -0500

What is design, who are designers, and how can they help your agency? Learn how to build a design team that can help your agency solve “wicked problems” and be more innovative.

Revisiting who uses ONRR.gov: refining personas

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 11:45:00 -0500

We’ve conducted several studies where we’ve noticed gaps in our onrr.gov personas, so we decided to revisit them.

To Build Trust, Aim for Easy

Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:12:00 -0500

Trust is earned through consistency and commitment. Build sites that build trust by considering user needs, respecting people’s time, and avoiding customer experience pitfalls.

Nearly 68 Million People Spoke a Language Other Than English at Home in 2019

Tue, 06 Dec 2022 10:10:00 -0500

The number of people in the United States who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 23.1 million (about 1 in 10) in 1980 to 67.8 million (almost 1 in 5) in 2019, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau report.

18F Checks in With Jerome Lee and the eAPD Project

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 10:27:00 -0500

18F partnered with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from December 2017 to June 2020 on the development of a product called eAPD — a user-friendly, modern product to streamline the creation, submission, review, and approval of the Advance Planning Documents that states use to request IT grant funding from CMS. We caught up with Jerome Lee of CMS, the product owner of eAPD.

Making Impact at Scale: Software Engineering in the Federal Government

Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:19:00 -0500

Engineering fellows with the U.S. Digital Corps share their paths to becoming software engineers and why they decide to use their skills to improve government services.

Accessibility Testing for onrr.gov

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:27:00 -0500

How do you make sure a website is accessible? This blog post outlines the four steps the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR - pronounced like "honor") at the U.S. Department of the Interior took to verify accessibility.

Sunsetting Go.USA.gov: Final User Statistics

Tue, 15 Nov 2022 16:05:00 -0500

The digital landscape has changed significantly since we launched the Go.USA.gov service in 2009. Over the last two years the team looked carefully at the program holistically, taking into consideration the future of the program, the current landscape related to using shortened URLs and alignment with strategic business goals. In early 2022 we made the difficult decision to initiate steps to sunset the service.

The Privileged Identity Playbook Guides Management of Privileged User Accounts

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 10:28:00 -0500

The Privileged Identity Playbook is a practical guide to help federal agencies implement and manage a privileged user management function as part of an overall agency ICAM program.

Tips for communicating about your research with non-scientists

Wed, 09 Nov 2022 12:53:00 -0500

Using plain language to describe your work is not only important, it’s also part of the NIH mission and federal law. Here are some tips for telling the public about your research and why it matters.

Jargon Madness: A Plain Language Exercise

Mon, 07 Nov 2022 19:14:00 -0500

During the 2022 Plain Language Summit, Laura Rabuck of the Veterans Health Administration demonstrated how to promote plain language practices by focusing on jargon, a common enemy of all plain writers.

Putting People at the Center of Digital Government

Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:30:00 -0500

USAGov and USAGov en Español are working to reimagine the way we provide government information and services to the public. The USAGov team is an example of how GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) is aligning and living up to the challenges outlined in the President’s Management Agenda. The focus in 2022 has been on centering the work around the people we serve.

Incorporating Evaluation into Digital Forms

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 13:59:00 -0500

The American public spends approximately 11.5 billion hours per year filling out federal government forms. Form complexity can result in lack of submission or completion, and errors on forms can cause processing delays and affect whether the form is accepted — which can have far-reaching consequences. Learn how Five GSA offices and the American public worked together to improve federal forms.

Managing Stakeholder Feedback: Lessons from Experience

Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:59:00 -0500

During the 2022 Plain Language Summit, Stephanie Morrison from the Department of Health and Human Services provided five tips for managing reviewers when asking for feedback.

6 Important Factors To Consider for Digital Advertising in Government

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 12:38:00 -0500

The Federal Communicators Network community shares how agencies can approach digital advertising.

Medicare Open Enrollment Period Outreach & Media Materials

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 11:04:00 -0500

Medicare Open Enrollment kicks off this Saturday, October 15 and runs through December 7. Join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on social media to help spread the word! For suggested posts and shareable images, use their partner social media toolkit – available in both English and Spanish. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #MedicareOE to engage with the conversation online.

Sunrise to Sunset: Building a Customer-centric Digital Ecosystem

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 08:30:00 -0500

GSA has developed the Digital Lifecycle Program, with tools and guidance to help teams manage a compliant, customer-centric digital property from ideation through sunsetting.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Sat, 08 Oct 2022 11:33:00 -0500

This year, the Federal Cyber Workforce Management and Coordinating Working Group, in partnership with OPM, is hosting an interagency contest to promote and expand awareness of the Cyber Professionals Community on Open Opportunities. This community serves as a central hub to post and participate in cyber career development opportunities. Download their Toolkit (1.29 MB, 21 pages) to learn more about the interagency contest that runs October 3rd to December 2nd.

Taking a Design-led Approach to Digital Modernization

Fri, 07 Oct 2022 09:06:00 -0500

Learn how GSA uses collaboration, empathy, and existing expertise to modernize their digital portfolio and improve customer experience.

Your Federal Front Door: USA.gov and USAGov en Español are Focused on the Public

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 10:31:00 -0500

The Biden-Harris Administration’s President’s Management Agenda Vision (PMA) lays the foundation for an effective, equitable, and accountable government that delivers results for all Americans through three main priority areas. Periodically Performance.gov shares stories that highlight real world examples of one of the three PMA priorities. Follow along as they discuss the current approach of the USAGov team and what’s on the horizon for the USAGov website.

Closing the Disability Divide

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:11:00 -0500

Over 67 million people in the United States have a disability, constituting the largest diversity group in the country. Despite decades of advocacy and struggle, people with disabilities continue to experience significant gaps in health and well-being, educational attainment, employment, and wealth compared to people without disabilities. These gaps have been termed the “disability divide.” The purpose of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness campaign at the National Institutes of Health is to educate staff regarding the divide and to celebrate those who help close the disability divide by advocating for people with disabilities.

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 10:07:00 -0500

Observed annually in October, NDEAM celebrates the contributions of America’s workers with disabilities past and present and showcases supportive, inclusive employment policies and practices. In recognition of the important role people with disabilities play in a diverse and inclusive American workforce, the theme for NDEAM 2022, Disability: Part of the Equity Equation.

Join USAGov en Español for Our Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Twitter Chat

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 16:00:00 -0500

For the last few years during Hispanic Heritage Month, USAGov en Español has partnered with federal agencies in a Twitter chat to let people know about official government information and services in Spanish. If you’re part of a government agency, we invite you to take part in this year’s chat on October 6, 2022 at 1 PM ET.

CXDay

Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:40:00 -0500

CXDay—Help us celebrate and champion customer experience (CX) in government. Join Performance.gov and agencies across government for #CXDay on Tuesday, October 4th.

Webinar Recap: How to Measure Effectiveness of Your Digital Outreach and Communications

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 10:52:00 -0500

Panelists shared their experiences, lessons learned, and best practices for what works in federal government agencies that have robust programs reaching a diverse American public.

Making Infrastructure Less Invisible

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 16:51:00 -0500

Over the last year, there has been a constant stream of activity at the .gov registry, but most of it hasn’t been on display. This post highlights some of the work to make .gov the most boringly secure, conventionally unconventional domain for governments.

Creating a Culture of Innovation at Your Agency

Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:10:00 -0500

When we talk about innovation in government tech, what do we mean? During a recent project, 18F partnered with a government innovation lab to help them understand the impact innovation can have at their organization.

Serving the Public: Five Veterans' Journeys to Public Interest Tech

Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:56:00 -0500

U.S. Digital Corps Fellows share their public service journeys from military service to public interest tech.

The 18F Engineering Sandwich for Cloud-based Web Apps

Tue, 06 Sep 2022 13:20:00 -0500

The 18F Engineering Sandwich for Cloud-based Web Apps—18F Engineering is often thought of as a technology shop, but that’s too broad. There are very few technology choices we actually make at the project level, so, more often than not, we combine a limited set of technologies to make our applications. To explain this, we’ll use the metaphor of a sandwich shop.

Helping People Discover Benefits With the New BEARS Locator

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 12:16:00 -0500

Back in March, we shared about the work we were doing to develop BEARS, the Benefits Eligibility Awareness Resource Service. USAGov’s new online locator tool, available in English on USA.gov and in Spanish on USAGov en Español, helps people find government benefits and services geared to major life events. It officially launched in early August, and we wanted to give you an update.

Senior Executives Part 5: Use Stories as Leading Indicators

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 15:18:00 -0500

Executives often rely on productivity metrics to measure success, but these measures can obscure whether the software is actually working for users. Stories are a better resource to build a strategy between a senior executive and a product team. This is part five in a series on how senior executive and tech teams can be better allies.

GSA Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) Program

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 18:11:00 -0500

Since 2012, over 200 Presidential Innovation Fellows have supported initiatives at more than 50 agencies, providing expert advice in specialized disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data strategy, product management, human-centered design, software development, and digital strategy. These efforts have enhanced agencies’ abilities to provide the best customer experience for their stakeholders and the public. The PIF program plans to celebrate the anniversary over the next year with activities to highlight the program’s impact and community since it launched.

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 15:21:00 -0500

Private sector organizations use revenue as the primary measurement to justify improving experiences. Many government services don’t have revenue as a lever, so how can we justify work to improve experience? The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) leveraged a few metrics on their team that fall into three categories: laws and regulations, improving the experience for users, and saving time for employees.

Senior Executives Part 4: Initiate More Direct Interaction To Build Rapport

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 20:45:00 -0500

summary

FedRAMP Launches OSCAL Developer Data Bites Series

Thu, 18 Aug 2022 09:51:00 -0500

U.S. Department of Defense Releases First Departmentwide Social Media Policy

Mon, 15 Aug 2022 11:20:00 -0500

The DOD released a policy that for the first time spells out, from the highest levels of the defense community, how DOD military and civilian personnel should use official social media accounts to best advance the mission of the U.S. military and further instill trust in the credibility of the DOD.

Modernize Your Identity Management Process Through ILM

Fri, 12 Aug 2022 08:47:00 -0500

Senior Executives Part 3: Use Short-term Initiatives To Build Confidence in Long-term Decisions

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 20:08:00 -0500

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Community Research Explores Ways To Improve Access To Multilingual Content

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 11:31:00 -0500

A group from the Multilingual Community noticed inconsistencies in access to languages other than English across government websites, and have started working on a solution.

White House and GSA Celebrate Record Years in Prize Competitions, Citizen Science Efforts

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 17:59:00 -0500

none

Senior Executives Part 2: Work Outside the Traditional Hierarchy To Set up an Initiative for Success

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 15:31:00 -0500

In order to ultimately succeed at delivering human-centered software, two critical groups need to work closely together: the product team and a champions group. This is part two in a series on how senior executives and tech teams can be better allies.

Webinar Recap: How to Build Your Digital Dream Team

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 13:55:00 -0500

Highlights from the Web Managers Community of Practice panel that shared how to get the right team in place to create a trusted, seamless online experience for all your customers.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Partner Toolkit

Fri, 22 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) recognizes the need for governments, states, territories, tribes, crisis centers, and partners to speak with one voice to ensure there is a clear understanding about what 988 is and how it will work. We encourage you to use these communication outreach materials and build upon them with your community coalitions to meet the needs of your specific audiences.

Senior Executives Are the Allies Tech Teams Need, Part 1

Wed, 20 Jul 2022 13:50:00 -0500

What Agile Looks Like at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 14:10:00 -0500

Agile at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) started with 18F. They reflect on where they are today, five years later.

Help Us Improve Digital Forms

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 12:32:00 -0500

Content Design for beta.ADA.gov: Writing for Action and Flexibility

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 18:00:00 -0500

An Accidental AI Professional

Wed, 06 Jul 2022 20:06:00 -0500

FedRAMP Penetration Test Guidance Updates

Tue, 05 Jul 2022 14:16:00 -0500

Announcing the CX Maturity Model

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 13:11:00 -0500

C-SCRM Acquisition Community of Practice (ACoP) Interact Site

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 12:10:00 -0500

What is Customer Experience?

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 13:18:00 -0500

DHS Usability Testing Kit

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:31:00 -0500

Announcing Data Governance Charter Templates

Wed, 08 Jun 2022 16:25:00 -0500

Sunsetting Go.USA.gov: Frequently Asked Questions

Tue, 24 May 2022 08:08:00 -0500

Technology-boosting TMF Investments Deliver Benefits for the American Public

Mon, 23 May 2022 11:00:00 -0500

The Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is working to transform the way the government uses technology to deliver for the American public in an equitable, secure and user-friendly way. It strategically invests in priority IT modernization projects that are aligned with the fast pace of changing technology and agency needs. Here are a few examples of how the TMF has invested in multiple projects that are helping many agencies deliver what people need when they need.

10 Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content: A Q&A with Michael Mulé

Mon, 23 May 2022 08:30:00 -0500

This question and answer session for our webinar, Language Connections: Tips to Create, Maintain, and Present Non-English Digital Content, can help you improve access to your multilingual digital content.

USAGov Content Design Team: 2021 Highlights

Tue, 10 May 2022 14:31:00 -0500

Two Years of Federal Student Aid's Virtual Assistant Lead to Lessons Learned and a Clear Vision of the Work Ahead

Mon, 02 May 2022 16:00:00 -0500

Education’s FSA team behind Aidan® shares what they’ve learned over the past two years to help drive improvements and expand the product to a wider range of users.

Finding Post-award Balance With Quality Assurance

Mon, 02 May 2022 10:28:00 -0500

Finding post-award balance with quality assurance

Sun, 01 May 2022 13:35:00 -0500

Why We Created a Troubleshooting Guide

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 11:55:00 -0500

Celebrate Public Service Recognition Week with the #GovPossible Toolkit

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 14:56:00 -0500

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How USAGov Engaged With the Public in 2021: 3 Examples

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 09:59:00 -0500

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Sunshine Week: How GSA Supports Open Government Principles

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 18:49:00 -0500

Sunshine Week (March 13-19, 2022) celebrates the Government in the Sunshine Act, which promotes greater transparency in government activities. Our mission at GSA is to deliver effective and efficient government services for the American people. To do so, we have to be transparent and accessible—by opening meetings to the public, ensuring that federal buildings and facilities are fully accessible to all people, and making information on documents or pages (web pages, PDFs, newsletters, etc.) open and accessible. Learn about some of our initiatives that best display these principles.

Creating a New Way for People To Discover Government Benefits

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 19:47:00 -0500

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Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 21:17:00 -0500

GSA Highlights Progress on Citizen-Facing Digital Services, Cybersecurity in First Year of American Rescue Plan

Thu, 10 Mar 2022 14:14:00 -0500

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From Fellowship To Full-time: How a CFPB Software Engineer Helped Protect Consumers and Built a Career in Civic Tech

Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:15:00 -0500

Anselm Bradford, a front-end engineer at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), is using his tech skills to protect American consumers.

Wireless Mobility Solutions Training: Bringing the Experts to You

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 10:33:00 -0500

Wireless Mobility Solutions Training: Bringing the Experts to You

Search.gov 2021 Year In Review

Tue, 22 Feb 2022 13:34:00 -0500

Search.gov 2021 Year In Review

Improving Acquisition Governmentwide: IT and Professional Services

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 09:17:00 -0500

Assessing the State of Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 15:55:00 -0500

The 2021 State of Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Report describes the growth and maturity of federal RPA programs to convey agency progress in digital transformation and automation.

Webinar Recap: How To Best Connect With Your Spanish-speaking Audience During an Emergency

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 10:44:00 -0500

In this panel discussion, experts from different agencies shared how they’ve used social media to reach Hispanic audiences during emergencies and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Customer Experience (CX) Symposium Series: A Thought Incubator for Federal CX Practitioners

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 11:21:00 -0500

What is the past, present, and future of public sector customer experience practice? The CX Symposium series gathers practitioners to map our way.

Next Steps for Section 508 Compliance at the Office of Natural Resources Revenue: Stakeholder Interview Findings

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 11:56:00 -0500

Call for Participation: 2022 Government UX Summit

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:47:00 -0500

Learn more about the User Experience Summit submission process, and submit your presentations for consideration!

New Improvements to Regulations.gov Boost Transparency and Engagement

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 10:57:00 -0500

Celebrating Digital.gov Communities: 2021 in Review

Tue, 11 Jan 2022 17:50:00 -0500

Happenings, milestones, and data points from the past year.

Open-source Information Architecture Design: Using the Tools You Have To Conduct Card Sorting and Tree Testing

Thu, 06 Jan 2022 11:30:00 -0500

Learn how we used GitHub to conduct a card sort and tree testing to improve the information architecture for onrr.gov.

New EPA Interactive Map on Community & Citizen Science

Wed, 05 Jan 2022 17:55:00 -0500

Keynote Speaker Recap: Would More Plain Language Have Saved Us From the Worst of the Pandemic?

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 13:02:00 -0500

A summary of Cynthia Baur’s keynote at the 2021 Plain Language Summit.

Webinar Recap: Key Takeaways on Simplifying Hazard Communications With Plain Language

Tue, 04 Jan 2022 12:35:00 -0500

An overview of the presentation by Danielle Nagele of NOAA at the 2021 Plain Language Summit. Learn how she and her team used feedback to decrease confusion and increase impact.

Webinar Recap: The Part-Timer

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 09:51:00 -0500

Learn how Joanne Short of the United States Postal Service (USPS) opened professional doors by going beyond her job description in her Plain Language Summit session, The Part-Timer.

Using Technology to Improve Customer Experience and Service Delivery for the American People

Mon, 13 Dec 2021 11:02:00 -0500

Executive Order 14058, released today, reinforces the second priority of the President’s Management Agenda—centered around improving customer services through technology—and demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to reducing customer burden, addressing inequities, and streamlining processes.

GSA’s New Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Guide Helps Agencies Make Better Decisions About Cloud Architecture

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 13:10:00 -0500

GSA’s Fedramp Celebrates 10 Years of Impact on Cloud Security

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 12:59:00 -0500

USAGov Fourth Quarter 2021 Insights

Tue, 07 Dec 2021 14:04:00 -0500

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Unique Vulnerability Counts with Container Scanning

Thu, 02 Dec 2021 17:14:00 -0500

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The Opportunity Project 2021 Summit: Open Innovation for All

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 13:49:00 -0500

CIO Handbook

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 14:59:00 -0500

Three Ways USAGov Outreach Can Help with Your Agency's Next Campaign

Wed, 17 Nov 2021 16:56:00 -0500

Webinar Recap: U.S. Web Design System October 2021 Monthly Call

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 10:26:00 -0500

In this recap of the October 2021 U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) Monthly Call, the USWDS team shares how their community can help teams solve problems together, and what tools and channels we can use to ask questions, get answers, and provide useful feedback.

Webinar Recap: U.S. Web Design System September 2021 Monthly Call

Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:34:00 -0500

For our September call, we focused on the future of the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS): Where does the design system go from USWDS 2.0? What did we learn from our 1.0 and 2.0 releases? Read key points and takeaways from this month’s presentation.

Learn How to Create an Accessible Meeting

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 10:37:00 -0500

FAR Updated To Add Revised Section 508 Standards for Information and Communication Technology

Tue, 02 Nov 2021 09:00:00 -0500

Start Your Tech Career in Government as a U.S. Digital Corps Fellow

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 10:33:00 -0500

Applications for the first cohort of U.S. Digital Corps Fellows will open on Monday, November 8th.

From Silicon Valley to GovTech: How a Data Scientist Turned Their Passion for Helping People Into a Career in Public Service

Mon, 25 Oct 2021 10:33:00 -0500

Many opportunities are available for technologists to make an impact in public service. See how Avena Cheng, a data scientist at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), turned a passion for improving people’s lives into a govtech career.

The Weekly Ship: What It Is, Why Useful, and How To Create Your Own

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 12:52:00 -0500

summary

Navigating ATOs

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 11:02:00 -0500

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Census-Led Prize Challenge Incentivizes Using Open Data for Good

Fri, 08 Oct 2021 11:15:00 -0500

The Open Data for Good Grand Challenge is now welcoming submissions from technologists and collaborators focused on deploying products with federal open data, as well as recruiting for qualified judges to score the submissions and help select winners!

Building a Tech Career in Government

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 15:56:00 -0500

Starting a civic tech career in government is not as unusual as you think. Current GSA employees share how they are building theirs.

USAGov en Español Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Wed, 06 Oct 2021 21:05:00 -0500

Since 2003, one program in GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS) has been leading the way in which the government serves the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. That program is USAGov en Español, the official guide to government information and services in Spanish.

Digital Meets Culture: Getting Your Culture in Line With Your Digital Strategy

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 09:40:00 -0500

Learn how digital service teams in government navigate through the currents of organizational culture and implement change at their agencies.

Document Accessibility: Getting From 5,000 to 0

Fri, 03 Sep 2021 11:48:00 -0500

Building a Bureau-Wide Usability Collaboration Group: Lessons Learned from the U.S. Geological Survey

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:05:00 -0500

Learn about the U.S. Geological Survey’s Usability Collaboration Area in this short interview with the group’s organizer.

Introducing the U.S. Digital Corps

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 11:14:00 -0500

GSA Future Focus: IT Innovation

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 11:47:00 -0500

Key Insights from the White House Director of Digital Strategy, Robert Flaherty

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 16:06:00 -0500

This article highlights unique tips related to digital content, audience reach, video posting, and strategic communication, that were shared by Rob Flaherty, the Director of Digital Strategy at the White House, during the Digital.gov event, Digital Strategy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

5 Tips for Implementing Citizen Development in Your RPA Program

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 13:44:00 -0500

The Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Community of Practice highlights five key points for implementing RPA citizen developers, as shared by federal subject matter experts James Gregory (General Services Administration), Frank Wood (Defense Logistics Agency), and Russ Kuehn (Social Security Administration) during their recent webinars with the Federal RPA Community of Practice.

Involving End Users at All Stages To Create Actionable Science Products for Complex, Real-World Issues

Fri, 13 Aug 2021 10:15:00 -0500

How co-production methods increase the usefulness of scientific results, products, and tools

A User-Centered Approach: Simplicity and Complexity in a Homepage Graphic

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 16:29:00 -0500

3 Health-Tech Tips From the Team Behind VA’s COVID-19 Clinical Decision Tool

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 12:13:00 -0500

Presidential Innovation Fellow Kaeli Yuen shares tips for developing clinician- and patient-centered healthcare tools.

6 Ways Translation Glossaries Help Agencies Succeed In Sharing Information

Tue, 27 Jul 2021 17:43:00 -0500

Learn how multilingual glossaries set your content translations up for success by maintaining consistency and lightening the workload for future translations.

Twitter Chats as Effective Outreach: A Reflection on National Consumer Protection Week 2021

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 17:10:00 -0500

Twitter Chats as Effective Outreach—For over a decade, USA.gov and USAGov en Español have used Twitter to reach the public, amplifying information for our agency partners in English and Spanish. See six of the best practices followed and lessons learned during a two-hour live Twitter chat with the Federal Trade Commission and Social Security Administration for National Consumer Protection Week 2021.

GSA Launches New Innovation Adoption Community of Practice

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 15:55:00 -0500

GSA is launching the Innovation Adoption Community of Practice on Digital.gov to connect those who embrace innovative methods and practices that improve government service delivery.

GSA Future Focus: Web Scraping

Wed, 07 Jul 2021 17:17:00 -0500

Your Experience Matters

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 14:20:00 -0500

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Developing a Data-Driven Roadmap

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 17:00:00 -0500

A Presidential Innovation Fellow working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs shares how complex organizations can create data-driven roadmaps.

Making It Easier for People to Find Federal Agencies

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 19:14:00 -0500

Innovating Across Highly-Regulated Industries and the Federal Government

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 16:23:00 -0500

Four lessons learned from the similarities and differences between highly-regulated companies and the federal government.

Deep Fakes and Social Media: A Q&A With Alex Cohen

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 11:21:00 -0500

The questions in this post were curated from attendees of the Deep Fakes and Social Media Webinar, hosted by the SocialGov Community of Practice and Digital.gov on May 18, 2021.

Accessibility: Usability for Every Ability

Tue, 25 May 2021 09:26:00 -0500

Accessibility: Usability for Every Ability—Accessibility enables full participation, and everyone who works on government websites has a role to play in making federal resources accessible and inclusive.

3 Things You Should Know About the Federal RPA Use Case Inventory

Mon, 24 May 2021 15:22:00 -0500

The Federal Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Community of Practice is updating the RPA Use Case Inventory, which provides detailed information on over 300 RPA Use Cases across the federal government.

How To Navigate Challenges to Successfully A/B Test Your Emails

Fri, 21 May 2021 11:44:00 -0500

The article will go over some best practices of implementing A/B testing on your emails.

8 Ways Community of Practice (CoP) Managers Can Improve Member Engagement on Listservs

Fri, 21 May 2021 09:31:00 -0500

Are you a Digital.gov Community of Practice (CoP) lead? Find yourself participating in a CoP discussion and wondering what else you can do? We’ve got some suggestions.

The Federal Web in the Year of COVID-19

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 13:55:00 -0500

The past year was like no other. We take a look at how it affected federal website traffic and search data.

Using Chatbots To Improve Customer Experience

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 20:33:00 -0500

Three federal teams showcase their success using chatbots to improve customer satisfaction, increase availability, and empower their users to accomplish tasks faster.

Building a User-Centered Data Strategy

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:30:00 -0500

Building a User-Centered Data Strategy—Developing a data strategy is challenging, but 18F can help agencies with the process of creating an effective one. Our principles of user-centered design, agile, and iterative delivery can increase an agency’s chance for success in using data more effectively.

2020 Annual Review

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 17:00:00 -0500

Search.gov Year in Review—Search.gov recently released their annual report that looked at federal search traffic during 2020. Between the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and environmental emergencies, 2020 was truly an extraordinary year. The COVID-19 pandemic changed search patterns and volume significantly. Some topics saw as high as a 500% increase in volume, while others dropped 90%. Forms, usually one of the top needs, saw a steady level of demand but still dropped to 5th place in 2020 due to other emergent needs.

How to Present Like a Pro

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 00:00:00 -0500

How to Present Like a Pro—When you are presenting on streaming video, you are essentially doing the same thing as a television news anchor. Try these common methods that television presenters use daily to improve your presentation skills in the “zoom” era.

6 Ways To Navigate the Civic Tech Sea of Newness

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 15:22:00 -0500

Two former private-sector marketers now serving as Presidential Innovation Fellows share tips for building relationships and finding your way as a civic technologist.

Next for the U.S. Web Design System

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 15:13:00 -0500

What’s Next for the U.S. Web Design System—In 2020, we brought together researchers, designers, engineers, and policymakers to conduct research across dozens of federal agencies to help support emergency response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we released a new and exciting report and strategy that outlines what’s next for the design system and our community.

Security is Everyone's Responsibility: Delivering Secure, Usable Login for Government

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 10:28:00 -0500

How login.gov incorporated human centered design and continuous discovery into their product development process to improve the user experience.

Five Insider Secrets to Engaging Emails

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 10:39:00 -0500

Engaging readers who receive hundreds of emails a day is not easy, but it starts with the most critical starting point—empathy for their time.

The New FedRAMP.gov

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 17:48:00 -0500

The New FedRAMP.gov—FedRAMP is excited to announce the launch of our revamped website. Thanks to feedback from our partners and stakeholders, the website has an improved user experience that makes FedRAMP information and resources more accessible. The website provides more in-depth information about FedRAMP’s authorization process, enabling agencies, Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), and Third-Party Assessment Organizations (3PAOs) to easily access pertinent information related to their role in the FedRAMP Authorization process.

Call for Participation: 2021 Government UX Summit

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 12:43:00 -0500

Join us as virtual presenters for the 2021 Government UX Summit in June! This is a great opportunity to hone your UX skills with the best and brightest user experience researchers and designers from across the government.

A Soldier's Journey from Big Tech to Government Innovation

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:52:00 -0500

Why I returned to government service, how I brought my tech experience with me, and why you should too.

Agile Assessment Guide - Best Practices for Agile Adoption and Implementation

Tue, 29 Dec 2020 16:50:00 -0500

Agile Assessment Guide: Best Practices for Agile Adoption and Implementation—Agile is an approach to software development in which software is developed incrementally and is continuously evaluated for functionality, quality, and customer satisfaction. Agile can reduce the risks of funding a program that fails or produces outdated technology. This GAO guide released in September 2020 presents federal auditors and others with best practices to assess the adoption and use of Agile in federal agencies and elsewhere. It is available in two files: a 268-page PDF, and a 290-page PDF that is accessible.

Become a DAP Certified Analyst

Mon, 28 Dec 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Become a DAP Certified Analyst—The Digital Analytics Program (DAP) now offers the opportunity to become a DAP Certified Analyst. Prospective analysts must complete the DAP Certification Exam with a score of 80 percent or better. The exam is 50 questions and is multiple choice. Prospective analysts can take the exam more than once.

How to Build an Analytics Strategy

Wed, 23 Dec 2020 17:15:00 -0500

How to Build an Analytics Strategy—The Digital Analytics Program (DAP) recently partnered with Digital.gov to help set up an analytics strategy to monitor their website and overall platform performance. DAP provided a start-to-finish approach for assessing, reporting, and taking action using this strategy in a 3-part series.

A Dashboard for Privacy Offices

Tue, 15 Dec 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Through work funded by 10x, a team from 18F investigated how technology can help busy privacy offices manage your PII, and make their work more accessible and understandable for the public.

Transition Post 4: President-Elect Transition Team Materials

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 19:55:00 -0500

Transition Post 4: President-Elect Transition Team Materials—Here is a fourth post in GAO’s series on records management during presidential transitions; it is related to questions concerning the records management responsibilities related to Transition Teams.

COVID-19 is Complex, as is COVID-19 Open Data

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 13:30:00 -0500

COVID-19 Is Complex, as Is COVID-19 Open Data—HHS recently released granular Covid-19 Hospital Data in order improve data sharing to accelerate scientific and public health insights.

TTS Bug Bounty Program: 3 Year Review

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 10:56:00 -0500

We’re reflecting on our Bug Bounty program for the last 3 years and highlighting some lessons learned.

Federal Student Aid’s New Virtual Assistant Offers Model for Improved Customer Service in Government

Mon, 07 Dec 2020 10:43:00 -0500

Aidan, Federal Student Aid’s new virtual assistant, gives customers instant responses to questions about financial aid, loan balances, repayment plans, where to find pages on StudentAid.gov, how to identify their loan servicers, and more, without having to contact a call center.

Archivist Memorandum to Agency Heads on Presidential Transition

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:55:00 -0500

Archivist Memorandum to Agency Heads on Presidential Transition—On Monday, November 30, the Archivist of the United States sent a memorandum to agency heads reminding them of the importance of records management during a presidential transition. In this memo, the Archivist emphasizes that in order to have a successful transition, it is crucial that agency heads work with their Senior Agency Official for Records Management and Agency Records Officers to ensure that this message is communicated within the agency and that all agency officials and employees are properly briefed on their records management responsibilities. Review the resources posted on their website for additional information about federal records management during transition.

Deceptive Design: How to Identify and Combat Consequence Design

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 09:08:00 -0500

State of Federal RPA Report: Adoption and Impact of Robotic Process Automation in the Federal Government

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 09:48:00 -0500

The report describes the maturity and growth of RPA programs to convey agency progress in digital transformation and automation.

Zero Pageviews Is Your Goal: Finding Problem Pages with Website Analytics

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 -0500

Improve customer experience by turning your website analytics upside down to track the numbers for pages you DON’T want visitors to see.

Discovery BPA Evaluation Process: How to Operationalize this Practice

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 11:20:00 -0500

This guide provides acquisition professionals the steps and resources needed to operationalize the evaluation process developed for the Discovery BPA.

True Crime Detectives: How We Used Free Web Metrics Tools To Uncover a Cybersecurity Incident

Mon, 26 Oct 2020 00:08:00 -0500

Join USA.gov as we slowly uncover a conspiracy to scam Americans using fake government websites… and then try to foil the caper!

Transition Post 3: Managing Official Email and Social Media Accounts

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 19:58:00 -0500

Transition Post 3: Managing Official Email and Social Media Accounts—As part of their federal government transition series, this third post highlights the need to manage official email and social media accounts of senior officials as they enter and exit Federal Service. It is very important for these officials to keep personal materials separate from official accounts or systems. This avoids the laborious and difficult task of reviewing voluminous materials when leaving the agency.

Product lessons from the front lines of COVID-19 civic tech response

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 00:00:00 -0500

Two Presidential Innovation Fellows share how we can build digital services quickly without compromising quality for the public in times of crisis.

Transition Post 2: Entrance and Exit Checklists for Senior Officials

Thu, 15 Oct 2020 19:59:00 -0500

Transition Post 2: Entrance and Exit Checklists for Senior Officials—This post in their federal government transition series highlights the specific resources we have created for senior officials entering and exiting Federal Service. It is critically important these officials are aware of their records management responsibilities. Our Documenting Your Public Service guide includes Model Records and Information Management Entrance and Exit Checklists. These checklists serve as models for records management staff to adapt for use in their own agencies.

Digital Analytics Program releases Web Analytics Playbook

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 13:20:00 -0500

Digital Analytics Program releases Web Analytics Playbook —Take a look at these considerations anyone managing a web analytics tool should keep in mind!

Transition Post 1: General Resources from NARA and GSA

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 20:01:00 -0500

Transition Post 1: General Resources from NARA and GSA—During the month of October, GAO will be sharing a series of posts on records management best practices for officials entering and exiting Federal service. Today we’d like to highlight resources made available by GSA for all agencies. They maintain the Presidential Transition Directory to connect the people helping to plan and design the next federal government with information and resources. This Directory also incorporates OMB Memo M-20-24: Implementing the Presidential Transition Act. Our staff worked with GSA to ensure records management guidance has been updated and incorporated into the Transition Directory.

Improvements to the US Web Design System Banner Content and Code

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 14:20:00 -0500

Improvements to the US Web Design System Banner Content and Code —We improved the security banner that’s featured on many government websites and we encourage teams to update to this new security language as soon as possible.

6 Ways Government Innovators Are Building Stronger Public Services

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 10:00:00 -0500

Learn how federal agencies are using AI, data, cloud computing, customer experience, and the TTS tech stack to improve civic resources for all Americans.

A Federal Guide to De-risk Government Technology Projects

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 09:00:00 -0500

FAS Works to Enhance Competition

Tue, 01 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Have you heard? The Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) is making exciting progress through the Federal Marketplace Strategy towards implementing new authorities and flexibilities that enhance competition in acquisition.

2 Lessons Tech Leaders Can Learn From Unprecedented Health Research

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 18:00:00 -0500

Presidential Innovation Fellows believe that representation, communication, and data fuel a strong product launch. Here’s how we put them to work at the National Institutes of Health.

Code.gov Better Know an Engineer: Rayvn Manuel

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Code.gov Better Know an Engineer: Rayvn Manuel—We’re back with another installment of Better Know an Engineer. We are pleased to feature a friend of Code.gov and all-around amazing person, Rayvn Manuel; senior application developer and DevOps engineer at the Smithsonian Insitute's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC).

Measure Performance to Make Continuous Improvements

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 12:00:00 -0500

This week, we’re exploring what it means to measure performance, and we’re taking a look at how listening to customers is the best way to continuously improve websites and digital services.

Spotlight Story: Pioneering Open Source at the CFPB

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 13:00:00 -0500

When’s the best time to tweet? @USAGovEspanol experiments with Twitter

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 07:55:00 -0500

An Introduction to cloud.gov for Product Managers

Tue, 21 Jul 2020 12:00:00 -0500

Essential information that government product managers should know about cloud.gov.

How to Test Websites for Accessibility

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 17:00:00 -0500

Transform Federal Business Operations: Join the RPA Community of Practice

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Federal employees interested in robotic process automation should join the RPA Community of Practice as their agencies commence their RPA programs.

Giving Users the Information They Crave: Data and Analytics Tips From USAGov en Español

Wed, 08 Jul 2020 09:00:00 -0500

Transforming How DOJ's Civil Rights Division Engages With the Public

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 18:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Data Federation graduates the 10x Program, Launches New Repository

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:40:00 -0500

GSA’s 10x program is proud and excited to announce the graduation of the U.S. Data Federation project, the first to exit 10x after receiving all four phases of 10x investment.

Bringing Our Human(ity) to Work: 5 Ingredients for a Delightful Town Hall

Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:00:00 -0500

How to design impactful and engaging Town Hall or large group meetings.

Building Trust in a Public Health Crisis

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 18:00:00 -0500

Intro to GitHub for Content Creation with Malaika Carpenter

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

In this live training, Content Strategy and Design Specialist for GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), Malaika Carpenter, breaks down how to use GitHub into easy, practical steps and demonstrates ways to use this tool to create, manage and publish website content.

"Diga o marque 2": USAGov en Español’s New Approach to Interactive Voice Response

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 09:00:00 -0500

Experimenting with SpecialAnnouncement Markup (Updated June 09, 2020)

Mon, 11 May 2020 12:00:00 -0500

What USA.gov learned during its pilot with SpecialAnnouncement markup to make COVID-19 information easier to find in search results, now updated to reflect changes by major search engines.

DigitalGov Year in Review: Our Top Blogs, Resources, and Writers for 2016

Fri, 03 Feb 2017 11:25:00 -0500

DigitalGov had a pretty great year in 2016, and that was largely due to a bevy of talented and dedicated writers from over 50 agencies and departments across all 3 branches of the federal government (Thank you!!!). Below, we’ll review some program highlights from the last year, including our top-viewed articles and resources, and tell you how you, too, can contribute to DigitalGov in 2017.

Agency Perspectives on Personas (Use, Development and Challenges)

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 10:00:00 -0400

Personas are tools your agency can use to learn about your end users and drive decisions. Personas are so useful because they serve as a communication tool for your team. You can keep these personas in mind to guide any work that your agency performs. Let’s delve a bit deeper into personas and review two

How our developers and accessibility specialists work together

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Planning for accessibility is critical to creating more inclusive digital experiences. Discover how developers and accessibility specialists from USA.gov collaborate early in the development process to ensure that their government websites are accessible for everyone. By following established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, USA.gov proactively reduces the need for later fixes.

Mapping of WCAG 2.0 to Functional Performance Criteria

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Making .gov More Secure by Default

Mon, 22 Jun 2020 15:00:00 -0500

The DotGov Program announces its intent to preload the .gov top-level domain in order to protect .gov site visitors.

Build Sites to Address the Entire User Journey

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 15:00:00 -0500

This week, we’re exploring what it means to understand the user experience, and we’re taking a look at ways to use journey mapping to find opportunities for improving products and services.

Making Critical Government Information More Resilient

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Who's on Your Digital Dream Team?

Wed, 27 May 2020 23:00:00 -0500

This week, we’re exploring what it means to establish effective governance, and looking at ways to clarify and fill the roles of all the players on your team.

Federal Source Code Study Series

Wed, 27 May 2020 11:00:00 -0500

Federal Source Code Study Series — Read the first article of the Federal Source Codes Study (FSCS) series. The FSCS was a three-year study that examined the federal government’s effort in implementing the Federal Source Code Policy and open sourcing software.

Tapping Into SEO: How Government Websites Can Improve Content Reach

Wed, 20 May 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Implementing a few easy steps for research and search engine optimization can help boost your content and get it in front of the right audience.

Promote Continuity to Better Support Customer Journeys

Tue, 12 May 2020 17:00:00 -0500

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.

What’s new in USWDS 2.7.0

Mon, 11 May 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Release Notes: What’s new in USWDS 2.7.0—Read more about these components on our website, but we’re excited to start releasing the first of a number of new design system components planned for 2020!

A Guide For Agencies Building CX Capacity

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0500

GSA’s customer experience team has released a federal buying guide to aid agencies with buying CX Services.

Connecting Americans to Coronavirus Information Online

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 10:00:00 -0500

The American people need access to the most up-to-date public health guidance and information on coronavirus testing facilities. To help Americans find coronavirus information online, incorporate Schema.org’s new standard tags into all web pages related to COVID-19.

Experimenting with the Micro-Purchase Threshold

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 09:30:00 -0500

Through the use of an open-source procurement process, we created an experiment others can replicate to encourage Agile thinking.

Strengthen Your Organization's Vision Through Collaboration

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:00:00 -0500

Inclusive visioning helps accelerate successful outcomes. To help agencies innovate from within, bring people together to make big IT Modernization strategies come to fruition.

A Token of Our Affection: A Field Guide to USWDS 2

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0500

18F recently worked with the Cloud.gov team to update their public site to the U.S. Web Design System, 2.0. The USWDS provided concepts they were able to use to translate designs into code a lot faster, and deliver higher fidelity results. Check out their USWDS field guide!

Let’s Talk Shop: How USAGov Outreach Connects With Agency Partners

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 15:00:00 -0500

USAGov Outreach connects with agency partners in a variety of ways—if you’re from a federal agency looking for new ways to reach your audience, learn about partnering with USAGov!

Listen to Customers by Asking the Right Questions

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0500

This week, we’re exploring what it means to listen, and we’re taking a look at ways to use feedback to drive continuous improvement.

10x Announces 25 Projects to Start Phase One

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 15:30:00 -0500

10x, the federal venture studio, has approved 25 new projects for Phase One funding.

18F Is Here to Help During Critical Times

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:00:00 -0500

Government agencies are seeing their systems and staff stretched to the max as they do their best to serve the public. 18F is a team of government employees with expertise in modern digital tools and practices, and we’re here to help.

Spring Cleaning Tips for Web Content

Tue, 07 Apr 2020 09:00:00 -0500

This week, we’re providing a few tips for tidying up redundant, outdated, and trivial content.

Press or Say 1: USAGov Expands Its Use of Interactive Voice Response

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 18:00:00 -0500

In 2019, USA.gov received nearly half a million calls! To help callers get answers for basic questions more quickly, and to save money and free-up our contact center agents to handle more complicated questions, the USAGov Contact Center recently added more interactive voice response (IVR) messaging.

Continuous Learning for Product Managers

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 13:00:00 -0500

As product managers, we never stop learning because products never stop evolving and changing. You need to quickly get up to speed on a product’s technical implementation, design, user research, and business needs.

Updates on 21st Century IDEA: Key Insights & Lessons Learned

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 12:00:00 -0500

We spoke to Ammie Farraj Feijoo, GSA’s 21st Century IDEA implementation lead, to get the rundown on what’s been accomplished and what’s on deck for 2020.

Learning Culture: 10 Personalized Employee Experiences

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 19:00:00 -0500

Employee experience solutions begin with exploring small changes with how we experience work on an everyday cadence.

Call for Participation: Government UX Summit 2020

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 09:00:00 -0500

We’re looking for speakers to share their experiences as UX practitioners in government.

Even with a design system, you still need a designer

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 16:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System gives flexibility to teams to build the right solution for users, but there are still plenty of design decisions that teams need to make to be successful. In short, you’ll still need a designer.

Deep Dive into the UX Field

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 12:00:00 -0500

There is a growing number of uses for user experience (UX) design, as well as a growing alphabet of UX-related careers; this series will offer some insight into the field by speaking with UX experts in government.

Adopting the USWDS, One Step at a Time

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 19:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System is key to new website standards

Improving the Experience of Federal Grant Reporting

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 15:00:00 -0500

The 10x Federal Grant Reporting project team at GSA is investigating opportunities to make the grant reporting process more efficient.

Search.gov: 2019 in Review

Mon, 27 Jan 2020 13:00:00 -0500

In 2019, Search.gov served 295,916,305 queries across more than 2,000 government websites. Find out more in their annual report, including the most common topics that people searched for.

Website standards

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 19:00:00 -0500

GSA officially released the ‘website standards’ referenced in Section 3(e) of 21st Century IDEA. The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) is key to new website standards.

Login.gov has surpassed 20 million registered users

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 23:00:00 -0500

This week, Login.gov has surpassed 20 million registered users! Congratulations to the team for hitting this milestone while keeping the product simple and secure for the public.

10 Employee Engagement Experiences to Foster Collaboration

Wed, 22 Jan 2020 09:00:00 -0500

How do we create an agile federal culture that’s more inclusive, insightful, and efficient? Explore 10 teamwork engagement experiences with your agency to foster collaboration.

Agencies on a Mission to Match Service Members with Civilian Careers

Tue, 21 Jan 2020 21:10:00 -0500

The Veterans’ Employment Challenge is part of a larger government-wide initiative to support workforce development. Submissions close January 24, 2020.

Taking a Look at the USAGov Analytics Dashboard

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 11:40:00 -0500

The USA.gov’s team launched a new analytics dashboard that shows the top pages and topics that are trending on USA.gov and USA.gov/espanol. This gives agencies a better window into the information the public needs most so they can prioritize that information and make it more accessible to their users.

A Look at the New GSA.gov

Wed, 08 Jan 2020 18:00:00 -0500

How the GSA incorporated the U.S. Web Design System into their flagship site.

USWDS Maturity Model

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:05:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System released a maturity model to help you adopt the design system incrementally as you design and build better digital experiences for the American public

Focusing on People to Solve IT Problems

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500

“The best way to define and develop solutions is to put the people dependent on those solutions at the center of your process.” — A look at how the Centers of Excellence (CoE) team is using human centered design in their work.

Welcome to the NEW Digital.gov

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 11:00:00 -0500

We’ve been working on a new version of Digital.gov, and we’re ready to make it available to you.

UX Documentation: Convince Them the Problem Is Real

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 15:00:00 -0500

If you want to make worthwhile investments in the way you interact with customers, think UX. Here are some ways to communicate user experience to key stakeholders and gain support for UX improvement projects.

An Introduction to Accessibility

Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:11:00 -0500

This week, we're taking at look at how to reframe our approach to encouraging others to build with accessibility.

Long-term teams, not sudden handoffs

Mon, 09 Dec 2019 12:00:00 -0500

Don’t let your agency waste knowledge and opportunity. Instead of planning for a handoff to O&M, plan for a long-term team. Instead of launching and then keeping it running, plan for ongoing development.

Health.gov’s Move Your Way Activity Planner: A Case Study

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:00:00 -0500

How an HHS team developed a bilingual online tool using audience research and iterative feedback to help adults increase their recommended aerobic activity and strength training.

IT Modernization Apprenticeship Experience: Breaking Down Workforce Innovation Barriers at USDA

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 09:30:00 -0500

An interagency Apprenticeship Experience is the next generation of learning and development: hands-on learning, on-the-job training, and networked mentorship.

Building the Elements That Earn Trust

Mon, 18 Nov 2019 08:34:00 -0500

This week, we’d like to talk about trust, and the elements that go into building trust with people who are using our services.

Meet Your Federal Web Council

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 13:30:00 -0500

When something important needs to be coordinated across the federal web space, the Federal Web Council is the vehicle for getting it done.

Let’s Talk 21st Century IDEA

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 10:00:00 -0500

We are starting a new blog post series on 21st Century IDEA that’ll break down one essential topic and point to guidance to start running with it.

Building Product Management Capacity in Government, part 1

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 11:00:00 -0500

18F is kicking off a new series on building product management capacity in government agencies that explores the process of helping people in government transition into product management roles through experiential learning.

A New Version of the FRB’s Money Adventure App Helps Expand Digital Outreach

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 14:28:00 -0500

The Android version of the Federal Reserve Board’s first public mobile app, Money Adventure, is now available. See how market research led to its development, and how it differs from the iOS version.

Feedback-Driven Updates to the PRA Guide

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 23:00:00 -0500

This week, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), clarified the process for information collections associated with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA). These changes include an easy to understand chart that lays out the steps for this sometimes hard to understand process, and are a direct result of the feedback they’ve been getting from the community.

Join the U.S. Web Design System Community

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 13:00:00 -0500

Are you and your team working with the U.S. Web Design System on your site, or have plans to start using it? The USWDS team has a public Slack channel where you can meet other government engineers, content specialists, and designers who are working with the USWDS to build accessible, mobile-friendly websites.

The Most Popular Questions from the Public

Tue, 08 Oct 2019 12:00:00 -0500

The team at USAGov analyzed more than 13,000 chats and phone calls from the public, in both English and Spanish, and then tagged these inquiries by popular topic area. These are the top questions our government-wide contact center received over the last four months.

Technology Transformation Begins With People: Closing the Human-Technology Gap

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 12:00:00 -0500

GSA's Technology Transformation Services is prototyping a human-centered approach to cultivating an environment of lifelong learning to attract and retain the best talent to serve our citizens.

Prototyping Engagement Workshops for the Future of Federal Data, Dashboards, and Storytelling

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 18:06:00 -0500

User-centered design is critical for meetings—from the front lines to C-suite. How might we host more hands-on learning sessions and experience exchanges to improve and customize the way the federal workforce communicates to diverse stakeholders?

What the PIFs Have Been Up to in 2019

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 10:30:00 -0500

Members of the PIF class of 2019 include data strategists, AI specialists, venture capitalists, and neuroscientists. See what they’ve been up to this year.

A Successful, Vibrant, and Productive Career for Federal Employees

Mon, 05 Aug 2019 13:00:00 -0500

Insights from the White House Workforce Data Interoperability Sprint present an opportunity to reframe the skills gap to accommodate a more flexible learning system and more accurately reflect the changing nature of work.

Get Your Idea Funded Through 10x

Tue, 09 Jul 2019 09:00:00 -0500

Introducing a new investment fund for technology products in the federal government

You might not be as agile as you think you are

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 17:00:00 -0500

The mandate to be agile is everywhere. But agile isn’t an on-off switch. It’s a skill and a mindset that is developed over time, through dedicated work, open teams, and lots (and lots) of practice

Introducing a Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

Tue, 18 Jun 2019 09:00:00 -0500

A guide to navigating the PRA process with confidence.

Building Trust with Users Through Open Communication and Feedback

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 14:00:00 -0500

A look at how FEMA responds to user needs and bugs in their app development.

SUCCESS STORY: The U.S. Web Design System 2.0 from GSA

Mon, 10 Jun 2019 11:00:00 +0000

Code.gov breaks down the latest USWDS 2.0 release with highlights of the most important features that will help teams build better websites for the American public.

Human-centered design for IT centralization

Mon, 20 May 2019 13:00:00 +0000

Are you working on an IT centralization project? Here is why taking the time to prioritize users is important and will result in services that work better for the people you serve.

Making tough content choices

Mon, 20 May 2019 12:00:00 +0000

Making tough content choices is user-centered. Having no content for a certain subject is often better for the user than having outdated, misleading, or erroneous content.

Introducing the New Robotic Process Automation Community of Practice

Wed, 08 May 2019 17:48:00 -0500

The new community will explore opportunities, share ideas, and collaborate on how RPA can be effectively implemented in federal agencies.

How Presidential Innovation Fellows and 18F Support One Another in Agencies

Tue, 07 May 2019 11:00:00 -0500

Two teams working together to help agencies become more effective at meeting the needs of citizens.

Journey Maps as Communication Tools

Tue, 07 May 2019 10:00:00 +0000

The team at Office of Natural Resources Revenue wrote about how they use journey mapping to help teams look at their agency’s processes in a more comprehensive way.

Presidential Innovation Fellows Join FDA to Advance Digital Health

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 15:00:00 -0500

A new PIF team has begun their work applying data science approaches to device, drug, and software development, and associated regulatory decisions.

Introducing USWDS 2.0

Mon, 08 Apr 2019 09:00:00 -0500

Today’s update introduces a powerful toolkit of new features to help make creating useful, consistent digital services faster, simpler, and more fun.

Web Analytics: Why the Users Metric Just Got More Complicated

Thu, 04 Apr 2019 13:51:00 -0500

A look at how the new Safari policy will alter your web analytics benchmarks.

Q&A With Ryan Day About GSA’s API Strategy

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:00:00 -0500

These new API standards will make it easier for GSA staff to launch and maintain good APIs.

A Year in the Life of a PIF

Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:38:00 -0500

As a Presidential Innovation Fellow in my second year, I often get asked by the newer class of PIFs coming in, “What does a successful PIF year typically look like?”

Deep Dive: Using Data Technology + Innovation for Lyme Disease

Mon, 18 Mar 2019 13:00:00 -0500

A 14-week sprint delivered digital tools that used federal open data to address Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

Becoming a product manager

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 10:49:00 -0500

Go Beyond Coaching and Mentorship and Get Started as a Sponsor

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 09:00:00 -0500

One step beyond mentorship is another practice called sponsorship: action-orientated, deeply invested support that helps others in their long-term professional advancement.

Using Augmented Reality to Teach Kids about Currency

Tue, 05 Mar 2019 12:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Currency Education Program used research, prototyping, and user-feedback to develop a mobile app to teach young students about money.

Deep Dive: How a Health Tech Sprint Pioneered an AI Ecosystem

Wed, 27 Feb 2019 13:00:00 -0500

Seven teams created digital tools that help in finding experimental therapies for patients, and for clinical trials to recruit new patients.

Why Our Country Needs More Civic Tech Leaders

Tue, 26 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0500

Government is a great place to work for technologists, data scientists, designers and entrepreneurs who want to serve and solve problems for the American people.

Introducing the 2019 Presidential Innovation Fellows

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 09:24:00 -0500

We are excited to announce our 2019 Presidential Innovation Fellows (PIF) who have begun their “tour of duty” in American tech.

Out On the Front Lines of Civic Tech

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0500

A look back at the Presidential Innovation Fellows work with federal agencies in 2018.

Introduction to remote moderated usability testing, part 1: What and why

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0500

U.S. Digital Service: Instagram

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0500

Health Tech Sprint Aims at Improving Care Access and Experience

Fri, 02 Nov 2018 10:40:00 -0500

This sprint is designed to improve care by assisting in access to novel therapeutics and improving clinical trials.

GSA Steps Up Security for .gov

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 15:00:00 -0500

GSA’s DotGov Program is modernizing the security of .gov to make government websites and systems more secure.

Shared infrastructure as code again

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 12:01:00 -0400

18F has reduced the ATO process down to a mere 30 days, from 6 months. Learn more how they’re doing it.

A Design Challenge to Improve How School Data is Reported

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Join ED for two days of sketching, prototyping, and building solutions to help states design family-friendly approaches that make school data more transparent and accessible.

Mon, 24 Sep 2018 11:01:00 -0500

Shared infrastructure as code

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 12:01:00 -0400

18F has reduced the ATO process down to a mere 30 days, from 6 months. Learn more how they’re doing it.

Want a More Innovative Agency? Encourage Employees to Experiment

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 10:12:00 -0500

How agency leaders can create a work environment that fosters innovation via creativity and experimentation.

Collaborating for Better Design, Technology, and User Experience

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:18:00 -0500

Overview of initiatives across Federal government that focus on IT design, development and accessibility.

Experiments in Tweaking Agile for UX

Tue, 17 Jul 2018 09:00:00 -0500

Designers at the Federal Reserve Board share how they adjusted the agile process to work better for their team.

Introducing Accessibility for Teams

Tue, 10 Jul 2018 16:38:00 -0500

A quick-start guide for embedding accessibility and inclusive design into a team’s workflow.

How One Team is Making the Transition to Agile

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 11:36:00 -0500

A hybrid approach of waterfall and agile practices is helping the USGS make the transition to agile.

Thinking About Going Agile? 5 Benefits Your Office Will Reap With Agile Methods

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Five benefits of using agile methodologies that can help federal employees improve the quality of their work.

New USAGov Program Aims to Help Agencies Market Within the Federal Government

Mon, 02 Apr 2018 12:00:00 -0500

The Outreach and Marketing team from USAGov helps agencies amplify their key messages through a variety of channels.

The Value of Federal Government Data

Wed, 14 Mar 2018 03:00:00 -0500

Dr. Bill Brantley covers the application of infonomics as a way to help agencies to measure and use data for organizational innovation and digital transformation.

Thinking About Going Agile? Consider Mass Training to Facilitate the Change

Tue, 13 Mar 2018 12:00:00 -0500

How organizational instruction can help transform the processes and culture of your office.

Redesigning an Intranet Site: Final Stages, Launch, and Lessons Learned

Wed, 07 Mar 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Helpful lessons from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) on the redesign of an intranet.

Why Your Team Needs Its Own Style Guide and Where to Start

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 10:00:00 -0500

Learn how creating your own style guide can help facilitate development for agency websites. Review best practices, lessons learned, and examples from the U.S. Web Design System, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Trends on Tuesday: Because Seeing is Believing—Augmented Reality in the Federal Government

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 12:00:00 -0400

See how augmented reality may be used for data management and cybersecurity practices.

Using Journey Mapping to Streamline Processes Across Agencies

Mon, 05 Feb 2018 11:52:00 -0400

How one team used journey mapping to improve the customer experience for newly naturalized citizens attempting to travel abroad.

Learn About the Updated IT Accessibility Standards

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:32:00 -0400

Effective January 18, 2018, the revised 508 standards modernize the federal government’s IT accessibility standards and bring us into alignment with governments around the world.

Making Customer Satisfaction Data Actionable at the Peace Corps

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 09:30:00 -0400

Learn how measuring customer experience helped inform and guide website development at Peace Corps.

A Better DigitalGov

Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:05:00 -0400

We’re going to try something new here, something better.

3 Ways to Manage Research Projects Remotely

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 16:28:00 -0400

Being a remote team doesn’t mean you should forgo any of your research rituals. It means finding different ways to do them.

Machine Learning Paired with Skilled Data Scientists is the Future of Data-Driven Decision Making

Tue, 03 Oct 2017 12:05:00 -0400

ML can provide high-value services for data management and analytics, security threat detection, and process improvement but it doesn’t stop there.

Finding Usability Testers: Tips from an Army Recruiter

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 14:50:00 -0400

An Army recruiter shares how her training in the Army has helped in her approach to usability testing, and gives a peek inside how usability testing works for USAJOBS.gov at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

The Data Briefing: How to Build a Chatbot in a Weekend

Wed, 27 Sep 2017 15:40:00 -0400

As chatbots have become more popular, some online sites will let you create a chatbot with little or no programming.

Slack AMA Connect Standards Team with Public

Mon, 25 Sep 2017 15:47:04 -0400

The Standards team hosted their first AMA (Ask Me Anything) with the public in August. Here’s a breakdown of the big topics discussed during the chat.

Managing Custom Software Development in Government When You're Not a Software Engineer

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 16:10:00 -0400

As custom software development becomes integral to accomplishing any program’s mission, many managers in government find themselves faced with handling the unfamiliar: overseeing the design and implementation of a digital product that is functional, user-friendly, and necessary for realizing your program’s mission.

The Data Briefing: Will Artificial Intelligence Tools Replace or Augment Federal Employees?

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 11:00:44 -0400

A Washington, D.C. think tank recently released reports advocating using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to reorganize the federal government.

A Conversation With ITIF About the State of Federal Government Websites

Wed, 20 Sep 2017 11:00:00 -0400

Since it’s been nearly six months since their report was released, we wanted to check in with ITIF and see what they’ve learned, what they’ve heard from agencies and what their future plans are to build on this research.

Design and Conflict: Do You Know Your Conflict Style?

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 09:00:34 -0400

Building empathy towards users is always a part of the UX process, but it’s not always common practice to build empathy towards our teammates. Here’s an idea to proactively address conflict and build empathy through understanding on your team.

The Data Briefing: How Blockchain’s Future Growth Will Affect Federal Agencies

Wed, 13 Sep 2017 09:01:00 -0400

Blockchains are an innovative technology which promises to radically change how society conducts business. It will take significant changes in organizational processes before agencies can begin to support blockchains.

USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov Measure Content Efficiency With New KPI Metric

Tue, 12 Sep 2017 12:14:34 -0400

This post was originally published on the USA.gov blog.

CFPB Serves up Financial Tips to Seniors

Mon, 11 Sep 2017 10:00:44 -0400

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Meals on Wheels America have created multilingual educational resources about financial scams that target the elderly which can be easily distributed to seniors in the communities they serve, and downloaded or ordered in bulk for free by the general public. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Consumer Education &

USDA FoodKeeper App Update Expands Content Offerings

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 03:59:14 -0400

The USDA’s multilingual FoodKeeper app has been updated to include three options for receiving food recall updates and expands storage timelines to over 500 products. This post was originally published on the USDA blog. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced new updates to its popular FoodKeeper application that will provide users with new access to

How Federal Leaders Can Build the Will, Skill, and Velocity Needed for Digital Transformation

Wed, 06 Sep 2017 03:00:31 -0400

Learning—and practicing—five imperatives of network leadership can help agencies improve their odds for successful digital transformation. Many organizations are undergoing digital transformation because the organizations see that it is necessary for long-term survival. However, digitally reinventing the organization is “one of the hardest journeys to make.” According to industry experts, two-thirds of organizations will fail

Code.gov User Interviews — What We Learned

Tue, 05 Sep 2017 02:00:20 -0400

This post was originally published by Code.gov on Medium. It’s been a year since the federal government published the Federal Source Code Policy, which created the foundation for Code.gov. In honor of the policy’s anniversary, we checked in with our users to learn more about them, their needs, and the challenges they face. Our users

HIV.gov’s 6 Ways to Stay Social Media Savvy

Thu, 31 Aug 2017 02:49:14 -0400

This post was originally published on the HIV.gov blog. Editor’s Note: At HIV.gov, our team calls include a weekly update on digital trends. These updates allow us to stay current and inform our work. We recently asked HIV.gov’s former digital strategist to suggest ways our HIV partners can stay up to date with social media trends.

Walter Reed’s 3-D Printing Innovations Help Warfighters Get Back to Life

Tue, 29 Aug 2017 10:02:21 -0400

This is part of an ongoing series highlighting the innovations and research happening at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Wounded warriors who dream of returning to playing hockey, climbing mountains or simply brushing their teeth with ease can look to 3-D printing innovations at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to

Government Launches Login.Gov to Simplify Access to Public Services

Mon, 28 Aug 2017 09:04:54 -0400

Joel Minton, a member of the U.S. Digital Service, is working with GSA’s Technology Transformation Service as the director of login.gov. Tom Mills is the Chief Technology Architect at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In early April, the U.S. Digital Service and 18F launched login.gov, a single sign-on solution for government websites that will enable

Emerging Tech and Open Data for a More Open and Accountable Government

Thu, 24 Aug 2017 08:44:44 -0400

Open data and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers, such as blockchain—hold vast potential to transform public services held back by bureaucracy and outdated IT systems.

NIST Publishes NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework

Tue, 22 Aug 2017 12:00:51 -0400

Categorizing and Describing Cybersecurity Work for the Nation The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) is pleased to announce the release of Special Publication 800-181, the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. This publication serves as a fundamental reference to support a workforce capable of meeting an organization’s cybersecurity needs. It provides organizations with a common, consistent

NIST Crafts Next-Generation Safeguards for Information Systems and the Internet of Things

Tue, 22 Aug 2017 02:00:13 -0400

Information systems—from communications platforms to internet-connected devices—require both security and privacy safeguards to work successfully and protect users in our increasingly complex and interconnected world. Toward these ends, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has issued a new draft revision of its widely used Special Publication (SP) 800-53, Security and Privacy Controls for Information

Shedding Light on Underserved Users through Research

Thu, 17 Aug 2017 02:29:33 -0400

How user interviews helped spotlight the needs of a previously forgotten group. We may not like to admit it, but, most web services or sites have users that (for whatever reason) just aren’t well understood—and in turn, not well served. Conducting user interviews and making sure you get good participation from those groups can help

2016 / 2017 Mobile Analysis: Mobile Device Trends on Government Websites

Mon, 14 Aug 2017 12:00:56 -0400

Now that we have seen the top level shift from desktop to mobile, let us drill deeper into mobile device specific trends.

The Data Briefing: Federal Government Pioneers in Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Training

Wed, 09 Aug 2017 05:59:54 -0400

When I was in the private sector, around the year 2000, I worked for an information technology (IT) consulting company as a project manager and developer. On one project, I provided support for early mobile devices given to medical students. I worked in a small office around the corner from the cardio-respiratory simulator (CRS). The

By the Numbers: Why Video Is Effective

Mon, 07 Aug 2017 01:54:45 -0400

At HIV.gov, we’re often asked if videos are effective tools for communicating HIV prevention and treatment information. Our experience, the work of our partners, and current research continue to support the use of video for informing and empowering individuals.

Check out Data.gov’s New Metrics Page

Fri, 04 Aug 2017 12:00:38 -0400

Data.gov recently updated its Metrics page to provide greater detail and transparency to the progress of the Data.gov catalog. Data.gov is primarily a metadata catalog, providing information about, and links to, open datasets made available by federal agencies and participating non-federal sources such as state, county, and city

The Cutting EDGE: New Virtual Training Prepares First Responders for Active Shooter Incidents

Thu, 03 Aug 2017 12:14:24 -0400

Amidst the chaos of an active shooter event, preparedness is key to a seamless, swift and effective response—and a new video game funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory just might do the trick.

Have You Critiqued Your Critique Process?

Mon, 31 Jul 2017 12:00:00 -0400

DEMO Whenever I hear someone complain about the process of a design critique, I’m always a bit surprised. Blame it on the fact

The Data Briefing: Ten Years of Digital Transformation—Lessons Learned

Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:00:00 -0400

Since 2007, a major consulting firm has conducted an annual survey on organizations’ “Digital IQ.” In the ten years of organizations grappling with digital transformation, what has been learned?

Making World War I Relevant Today: Are WWI Propaganda Posters the Original Meme?

Wed, 05 Jul 2017 12:36:52 -0400

Merriam-Webster officially defines a meme as “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.” But these days, most of us think of memes as those viral posts online that convey a message using a photo with text. They range from funny to serious to offensive, and everything in

Vets.gov: A Modern Software Development Environment in Government

Mon, 03 Jul 2017 15:36:05 -0400

When people think of government software, they often think of COBOL and PowerBuilder 5, with manual software deploys every three to six months on a fixed number of machines in a government-run data center. This perception is sometimes justified, but sometimes entirely wrong. Regardless, the perception makes many developers reluctant to work for the government

VA Innovators Network Program: Ahead of the Curve in Healthcare Innovation

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 11:00:59 -0400

VA Innovators Network Program Selected as FedHealth IT Innovation Award Winner This month, FedHealth IT announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Innovators Network Program was selected as a 2017 recipient of the FedHealthIT Innovation Award. FedHealth IT recognized 25 Federal Health

Webinar Recap: Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) June Meeting

Fri, 30 Jun 2017 03:00:41 -0400

This June 2017 meeting featured the presentation, Plain Language Spectrum: Every Step Counts!

‘Cybersecuring’ the Internet of Things

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 02:00:47 -0400

I recently had the chance to talk with the legendary Vint Cerf, one of the founding fathers of the internet. We had a wide-ranging discussion about the past, present and future of the internet, network security and what it would take to successfully, safely and reliably merge the digital and physical worlds, a concept known

Hack-to-Learn at the Library of Congress

Wed, 28 Jun 2017 01:06:05 -0400

When hosting workshops, such as Software Carpentry, or events, such as Collections As Data, our National Digital Initiatives team made a discovery—there is an appetite among librarians for hands-on computational experience. That’s why we created an inclusive hackathon, or a “hack-to-learn,” taking advantage of the skills librarians already have and pairing them with programmers to

The Journey to Sharing America’s Code

Tue, 27 Jun 2017 15:42:32 -0400

As the nation’s primary platform for sharing and improving government software, Code.gov can help the government save millions of taxpayer dollars. It’s no secret that the federal government spends billions of dollars a year on software transactions. So, in an effort to cut excessive spending, the

Advice From Digital Thought Leaders

Thu, 22 Jun 2017 15:31:18 -0400

Many know that digital tools have become indispensable for connecting with many audiences—but we also know that what’s available in the digital realm is always changing. So how do you know what tools are best for your purpose? And how do you plan for your organization’s digital future when the pace of change is so

The Data Briefing: The Arrival of Generation Z into the Federal Government. And Generation A?

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 14:58:31 -0400

In the last national election, the earliest born members of Generation Z voted for the first time. In 2019, the American workforce will see the influx of tens of millions of Gen Zers who, according to some researchers, will be a stark contrast to the Millennials that will make the largest part of the 2020

Improving Customer Experience with Digital Personas

Tue, 20 Jun 2017 10:55:09 -0400

Keeping the customer’s needs front and center is important when developing new digital tools. We recently developed a set of user personas as part of our work to establish a more robust—and data informed—understanding of the individuals that engage digitally with the National Archives (NARA). User personas are fictional, but realistic representations of key audience

Fostering Medical Innovation: A Plan for Digital Health Devices

Fri, 16 Jun 2017 15:07:18 -0400

It is incumbent upon FDA to ensure that we have the right policies in place to promote and encourage safe and effective innovation that can benefit consumers, and adopt regulatory approaches to enable the efficient development of these technologies. By taking an efficient, risk-based approach to our regulation, FDA can promote health through the creation

Four Challenges of Adopting Team Structures (And How Leaders Can Mitigate Them)

Thu, 15 Jun 2017 12:00:00 -0400

If you’re considering “going agile,” one of the critical components of such a transformation will be adopting team structures. In your current, pre-teaming state, your developers are probably working by themselves, and may be engaging directly with stakeholders. Agile will place your developers into teams. Teaming is important, as it will enable your development staff

The Data Briefing: the Promise – and Perils – of Artificial Emotional Intelligence

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 11:37:13 -0400

People are quick to treat computer programs as being more aware than computer code could be. However, can computer programs – especially chatbots – have a significant effect on people? Especially people suffering from depression or anxiety? A recent academic study shows some promising results from using a chatbot as a complement to a human therapist.

FedRAMP 5th Anniversary

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 14:10:23 -0400

This week we are excited to celebrate FedRAMP’s fifth birthday! The program has come a long way over the past five years, as we have been able to grow and transform the program to continue to meet the evolving needs of our partners .

FICAM’s New Resources Help Solve Government’s Identity Management Challenge

Mon, 12 Jun 2017 10:11:06 -0400

In today’s digital world, it’s imperative that government agencies safeguard citizens’ physical and electronic security. In the world of Federal IT, adopting and advancing cybersecurity can’t be accomplished in one day, or by one agency. Federal agencies must work together to tackle complex problems and stay ahead of evolving network threats. The Federal Identity, Credential,

Hybrid Cloud: A Key to Phasing in New Technologies

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 11:00:38 -0400

Like any newer technology, cloud computing has faced adoption challenges. IT managers understand the huge potential efficiency improvements and savings that cloud computing can bring to their agencies, but also have questions about security, compatibility, and funding. With these concerns and without a clear path to cloud computing, many agencies continue to maintain on-premises solutions.

The Data Briefing: Design-Driven Enterprise Architecture Creating the New Federal Government Agency

Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:00:19 -0400

It’s been a while since I’ve checked in on enterprise architecture (EA). My last in-depth work with EA was around 2011 when I was on detail to the Office of Personnel Management’s Open Government Team. The EA model I worked with was the top-down organizational design of information technology assets, data assets, and business processes.

Opening Public Services to Artificial Intelligence Assistants

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 14:02:20 -0400

“Hey, Computer, how do I access my public services?” Citizens will soon be able to ask their Intelligent Personal Assistants (IPA) this question through an Emerging Citizen Technology open-sourced pilot program. The purpose of the initiative is to guide dozens of federal programs make public service information available through automated, self-service platforms for the home

The New FEC.gov

Tue, 06 Jun 2017 10:25:09 -0400

Last week, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) unveiled their new website at FEC.gov. This new site is the result of a years-long collaboration with GSA’s 18F and features completely revamped tools for exploring campaign finance data. It provides user-centered content for understanding the reporting and compliance requirements for people participating in federal elections, redesigned tools

Federalist Is out of Beta and Open for Business

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 11:00:17 -0400

If you’re a program manager or a federal web developer you’ve probably been given a seemingly simple task: Create a basic website as part of a new initiative at your agency. The hardest part is often not crafting the content or designing the prototype, but getting the security and privacy compliance in order to launch

From Launch to Landing: How NASA Took Control of Its HTTPS Mission

Fri, 26 May 2017 12:00:50 -0400

18F Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Karim Said of NASA. Karim was instrumental in NASA’s successful HTTPS and HSTS migration, and we’re happy to help Karim share the lessons NASA learned from that process. In 2015, the White House Office of Management and Budget released M-15-13, a “Policy to Require Secure Connections

"Want to Expand Your Innovation Base? Dive In, Run a Challenge, and Listen to Your Customers"

Wed, 24 May 2017 14:00:58 -0400

The Office of the National Coordinator is a small agency in the Department of Health and Human Services whose mission is to increase the interoperability and use of electronic health records and health IT.

How Facebook Live Increased Reach and Engagement of Scientific Lectures at NIH

Mon, 22 May 2017 13:00:34 -0400

Helping patients manage chronic pain has become an increasing challenge for health care providers, particularly in the face of an ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States. In response, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has made funding research on integrative health approaches to pain

The Next Step Towards a Bug Bounty Program for the Technology Transformation Service

Thu, 18 May 2017 02:00:07 -0400

We took a big step toward creating a bug bounty program for our agency by issuing an award to HackerOne for a Software-as-a-Service bug-reporting platform.

New Options Available to Visualize CDC Data

Wed, 17 May 2017 12:00:18 -0400

CDC’s surveillance systems track HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitis, STDs, and TB. Getting this information to those who need it most in an accessible, usable, and meaningful format is a primary goal for CDC. The launch of Atlas in 2012 made this a reality with an online resource that gave users tools to create customized tables,

Becoming an Agile Content Team

Tue, 16 May 2017 14:00:16 -0400

In March, the team of writers and editors at USAGov adopted some agile principles in an attempt to streamline our content development process. We hoped operating in a more agile manner would help us address some of the challenges we were facing as a team:

Webinar Recap: Measuring Your Mobile Users

Mon, 15 May 2017 11:00:23 -0400

This Digital Analytics Program and MobileGov Community webinar focuses on using DAP’s analytics tools and best practices for mobile reporting.

My Q & A with the IT Industry – What’s Working and What Could be Improved in Federal Acquisition

Thu, 11 May 2017 12:00:53 -0400

I recently met with more than 50 representatives from the top IT services companies and talked about the good and the bad in federal acquisition. Some of the discussion was surprising … some not so much. The key takeaways include some changes that are fairly simple for government to implement, yet have big impacts. 1.

The Data Briefing: How to Best Prepare Federal Government Datasets for Chatbots

Wed, 10 May 2017 11:00:46 -0400

Forbes magazine recently ran an article showcasing six handy mobile apps that were built using federal government open data. The apps range from the Alternative Fueling Station Locator to ZocDoc (a doctor locator). What I especially like about the Forbes article is that the author describes the federal government data sets behind each app. There

Cybersecurity: Protecting Manufacturing Technology and Innovation

Thu, 04 May 2017 15:00:45 -0400

Recently a segment on my favorite morning news program stopped me in my tracks. The young and attractive hosts (why are they always so young and attractive?) were demonstrating new appliances including a smart refrigerator. The fridge was equipped with all kinds of high-tech features including touch screen displays, a camera inside that allows you

DHS Study on Mobile Device Security

Thu, 04 May 2017 12:00:43 -0400

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has submitted a report to Congress that details current and emerging threats to the Federal government’s use of mobile devices and recommends security improvements to the mobile device ecosystem. The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) led the study in coordination with the National Institute of Standards and Technology

FOIA Best Practices Workshop Continues This Summer

Wed, 03 May 2017 11:00:41 -0400

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce two new topics and dates for our Best Practices Workshop series as we continue this initiative this summer.

GetMyFuture.org: Essential Youth Resources, Now

Tue, 02 May 2017 14:00:39 -0400

They say that life can be summed up as the process of a series of doors closing. By that, they mean that opportunities for taking different paths start to disappear as you move through life. It’s a logical sentiment, but there’s an obverse to it. When you’re young, all those doors are open. Doors as far as you can see. It’s all about learning how to make informed decisions about what doors to wander through.

Build Your Audience by Hosting a Twitter Chat

Mon, 01 May 2017 15:00:08 -0400

Twitter is more than just a platform for sharing news and updates: it can be a tool for directly communicating with your community and understanding what is important to them. One way you can connect with your Twitter audience is by hosting a Twitter Chat. They can be a good way to discuss key topics,

A Deeper Look into the USDA.gov Website Redesign

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 11:00:11 -0400

We hope you are finding it easier to get the information you need on USDA.gov following the launch of our site redesign in March. We’ve already welcomed over 1 million visitors to the new site and we are pleased with the positive feedback we’ve received thus far. Our redesign makes it easier for you to

Congress.gov 2017 Spring Cleaning: Download Search Results and Advanced Search Enhancements

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 14:19:20 -0400

Spring is a beautiful time of year in Washington, D.C. The temperature warms up; the cherry blossoms are out; and we frequently have an update of Congress.gov to share. In 2015 we added treaties and web-friendly bill text, and in 2016 we expanded the quick search feature. Today there is another round of enhancements to the Library of Congress website for

Federal Pilot to Integrate Public Services Into Intelligent Personal Assistants

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 11:00:33 -0400

The demand for more automated, self-service access to United States public services, when and where citizens need them, grows each day—and so do advances in the consumer technologies like Intelligent Personal Assistants designed to meet those challenges. The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA)

OIP Seeks Your Participation in the Development of the National FOIA Portal

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 02:05:13 -0400

The Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce its collaboration with GSA’s 18F team on the development of a National FOIA Portal. This is the next step in a long line of OIP initiatives working towards a National FOIA Portal going back to 2010 with the launch of FOIA.gov. Most recently, the FOIA

The Data Briefing: The Department of Education Needs Your Help with their First Developers’ Site

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 11:00:26 -0400

The Department of Education (ED) launched its first developer site. The developer site is built on GitHub which will make it easier for ED to centralize their code and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Currently, ten APIs are on the developer site: The Civil Right Data Collection (CRDC) APIs: These three APIs give information on public

Improving Stakeholder Collaboration Can Improve Software Development Performance

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 11:00:17 -0400

It’s important for software development organizations to make it as easy as possible to enable improved stakeholder behavior. Development stakeholders can include business development representatives, product managers, and senior project managers, and they are typically carrying the weight of the organization’s mission. They are concerned about the organization’s goals, and are usually focused on ensuring

Steps Towards SEO: Meta Descriptions on MedlinePlus

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 11:00:08 -0400

MedlinePlus is a consumer health website produced by the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), available in both English and Spanish. As part of our Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategy, we recently added meta descriptions to our health topic pages.

DotGov Domain Registration Program to Provide HTTPS Preloading in May

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 14:19:47 -0400

Effective May 15, 2017, GSA’s DotGov Domain Registration Program will begin providing HSTS Preloading services for federal agencies. This new service helps ensure that visitor communication with .gov websites is not modified or compromised, and hostile networks cannot inject malware, tracking beacons, or otherwise monitor or change visitor interactions online.

How the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Uses the U.S. Web Design Standards

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 11:00:14 -0400

In this second post in our series, we met with the team at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and learned how they used the Standards to train, develop, and design their various websites and applications.

To Get Things Done, You Need Great, Secure Tools

Tue, 11 Apr 2017 11:00:12 -0400

To folks new to government, one of the most surprising differences between our work and work in the private sector are the barriers in accessing commercially available software, and commercially available Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) in particular. There are good reasons for these barriers: the government places premiums on considerations such as security, privacy, accessibility, license management,

Inspiring Data Forum at the Canadian Space Agency

Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:00:16 -0400

Last [month], NASA Open Innovation Program Manager Dr. Beth Beck and her team traveled to the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) near Montreal, Canada to attend the Inspiring Data Forum graciously hosted by our Open Data neighbors to the North. The goal of this gathering was to bolster the working relationship between the two Space Agency’s

HHS Offers Free Content Models and Drupal Features

Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:00:20 -0400

Related Event: Create Once, Publish Everywhere Applied—HHS Content Models and Portability, Tuesday, April 18, 2017; register here. Create Once, Publish Everywhere (COPE) The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is sharing its content models and their related Drupal features for you to use on your sites. A content model is a representation of types of content

Color in Digital Design

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 11:00:46 -0400

How do we choose color in digital design? In print, we have the Pantone fan and what you see is what you get — as long as your printer is color calibrated. With computer monitors, one does not get such precision, even within one office. So how much time and effort do you spend on color selection?

Engineering the Chaski Relay: A Touchscreen Game at the National Museum of the American Indian

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 11:00:22 -0400

The interactive team at the National Museum of the American Indian saw the chaski story as as a candidate for interactivity and gamification, and an opportunity to bring additional engagement to the museum gallery. With a more focused idea and funding from the Electronic Software Association, the team set out on prototyping and development.

A Complete Redesign with You in Mind

Wed, 29 Mar 2017 01:00:36 -0400

We’re excited to launch a complete redesign of USDA.gov featuring stronger visual storytelling components, a more modern user-experience with easy to find services and resources, and to top it off, a completely mobile-friendly design. Through careful planning, thoughtful design, and a primary focus on user experience and usability, we’ve taken the best of government and industry

NASA’s Journey With the U.S. Web Design Standards

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 15:17:05 -0400

The U.S. Web Design Standards were created by the government, for the government. They’re currently implemented on hundreds of government sites, with an audience of more than 26 million monthly users.

New ITIF Report Inspires a Closer Look at Website Performance and Security—Here Is Where to Begin

Fri, 24 Mar 2017 11:02:04 -0400

The Information Technology & Innovation Foundation (ITIF) recently published a report, Benchmarking U.S. Government Websites, that looks at the performance, security, and accessibility of the top 297 government websites.

Mythbuster’s Guide to Accessibility: What We’ve Learned About 508 Compliance That All Technologists Can Use

Wed, 22 Mar 2017 12:14:30 -0400

Too often, we’ve seen others neglect accessibility because of some common misconceptions that make things difficult. In this post, we’ll debunk these myths, so you can easily create universally accessible content.

Presenting Online Data to Wide-Ranging User Communities

Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:00:21 -0400

Presenting data online that will serve a wide range of users can be challenging. It requires an understanding of the target users’ needs, interests, and familiarity with the use of data handling tools. This challenge can be especially daunting for government websites that present data for use by the general public. The audience for such

Buzzwords for 2017

Thu, 16 Mar 2017 11:00:07 -0400

Along with the New Year comes new buzzwords. Here are some that you are certain to hear about and see this year.

The Data Briefing: Understand Serverless Architecture in Three Minutes

Wed, 15 Mar 2017 11:02:43 -0400

You may have heard of “serverless architecture” or Amazon Web Services (AWS) Lambda product and wondered what is unique about this new buzzword. As with many new digital cloud technologies, serverless architecture could mean two things. It may be applications that are built using third-party cloud applications. Or serverless architectures could be pieces of code

Letting Go of 85 Percent of Our Email Subscribers

Mon, 13 Mar 2017 13:04:16 -0400

Late last year, Business.USA.gov (BUSA) began transitioning its web presence to USA.gov and with its content, came its social media and email accounts. While transferring ownership of a Twitter account is fairly easy to do from a technical standpoint, transferring email ownership and tools is not. We had to tackle

How to Tell the World War I Story: Make it Personal

Thu, 09 Mar 2017 02:00:08 -0400

We naturally gravitate towards story-telling. It’s part of our human nature that began thousands of years ago, well before the written word. We want to pass down our history and cultures, and we do this by telling stories because they resonate with us. Stories tap into our emotions. They make us feel. They move us

The Data Briefing: Finding the New Federal Government Technologists

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 02:05:17 -0400

This week, I want to briefly discuss the human resources challenges in finding the new IT technology workers for the government. As agencies move toward microservices, artificial intelligence chatbots, and deep learning application programming interfaces (APIs), the demand for experts in these fields continues to grow fast. The universities and professional development programs are not

DigitalGov Readers and Subscribers: We Want to Talk to You (Again)

Wed, 08 Mar 2017 01:19:51 -0400

We at DigitalGov want to hear more about you – your job, your role, the challenges you face — all of it — as you work to deliver more secure, effective, and reliable digital services for the public.

Becoming an Influencer with Your Audience: Quality vs. Quantity of Content

Mon, 06 Mar 2017 14:30:52 -0400

Regardless of the platform, industry or niche, you became a social media influencer in one of two ways: adopting early, or promoting great content.

Webinar Recap: Better, Faster, and More Flexible—U.S. Web Design Standards Update

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 12:00:10 -0400

The Road to Launch Version 1.0 You may have noticed a new, cleaner, and more modern look to some government websites over the last year—these are the web properties that were early adopters of the Draft U.S. Web Design Standards from 18F, the digital services agency which is part of the General Services Administration (GSA).

Automatic HTTPS Enforcement for New Executive Branch .gov Domains

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 12:00:30 -0400

HTTPS is a necessary baseline for security on the modern web. Non-secure HTTP connections lack integrity protection, and can be used to attack citizens, foreign nationals, and government staff. HTTPS provides increased confidentiality, authenticity, and integrity that mitigate these attacks.

The Life-Changing Magic of Writing Release Notes

Thu, 19 Jan 2017 02:00:17 -0400

A key part of agile development is constantly shipping new features. The team behind the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) beta website ships new features at least once every two weeks. Sometimes the features are big, noticeable changes, such as the new home page we recently launched. And other times they’re small (a copy edit, an

DigitalGov University in Review: 2016 Training Trends

Wed, 11 Jan 2017 12:00:02 -0400

Thanks to your participation, DigitalGov University (DGU), the events platform for DigitalGov, hosted over 90 events with 6,648 attendees from over 100 agencies across federal, tribal, state, and local governments.

The Smithsonian’s IPOP Exhibition Framework: Lessons for a Human-Centered Content Approach

Thu, 08 Dec 2016 12:30:40 -0400

The Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Policy and Analysis has another tool to consider for your UX toolbox: IPOP. Though created specifically for museums and physical exhibitions, IPOP is useful for anyone wanting to widen appeal and engagement.

Five Lessons Learned During a Content Audit

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 12:00:42 -0400

As part of USAGov’s efforts to provide our audience with the reliable and quality information that they need, this summer, the Health, Education & Benefits (HE&B) topic desk completed its first content audit. Methodology and Results Data informed every step we took. In order to determine which areas to focus on first, the desk gathered

In a Marketing Minute: Connecting Teams, Promotions, and Ideas

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 10:00:57 -0400

Every first week of every month, USAGov’s marketing team sends an office-wide email newsletter to give an update on past and current marketing efforts and campaigns. It’s how we try to help keep the rest of the office in the know. The monthly newsletter can spur a content idea, a future marketing endeavor, and act

FIPNet Digital Imaging Partner Guidance Now Available

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 14:00:55 -0400

Guidance for Contributing Digital Content to FDsys (govinfo) is now available on FDLP.gov. Federal Information Preservation Network (FIPNet) digital imaging partners now have guidance documentation for creating and contributing digitally-imaged U.S. Government content to Federal Digital System (FDsys)/govinfo*. The guidance specifications are based on current best practices from the Federal Agency Digitization Guidelines Initiative and

The Future of Technology at GSA

Fri, 02 Dec 2016 12:00:54 -0400

The potential to transform government and impact the lives of Americans is tremendous. Our country needs the government to work well, and technology is the key to that.

Lessons Learned: Evaluating Video Content

Thu, 01 Dec 2016 12:00:23 -0400

If you were to perform research on the value proposition of training videos, you would notice that opinions are split on their efficacy. Despite all the tools that are out there that can help you evaluate video quality, views, and drop-off, there are some things that should be considered in the analysis of your organization’s

Sharing Public Service Visions for Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 12:00:46 -0400

I’m taking a break from sorting through dozens of concepts from federal agencies about how they want to use artificial intelligence and virtual reality for citizens in the coming months in order to share with you just some of these groundbreaking initiatives of tomorrow that can be explored at a DigitalGov University workshop this week.

The Data Briefing: Why and How to Attend Your First Hackathon

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:00:47 -0400

December 9, 2016, will be the 110th anniversary of Admiral Grace Hopper’s birthday. Admiral Hopper was a pioneer in computer programming who created the first compiler and whose ideas lead to the creation of COBOL. An apocryphal legend also credits Admiral Hopper with coining the terms “bug” and “debugging.” The GSA’s IT Digital Service Team

Curate the Best Thinking Available

Wed, 30 Nov 2016 03:00:06 -0400

When I joined the code.gov project, I had just over a month to make an impact on the project. The most pressing work seemed to be defining a software metadata schema — a way for agencies to format the details of the software they’ve built. In August of this year, the Federal Source Code Policy

Health IT Services SIN — Ready to Serve Agencies

Tue, 29 Nov 2016 12:00:35 -0400

This summer I announced the the release of our new Health IT Services Special Item Number (SIN 132–56) on IT Schedule 70. Now, I am happy to report that the SIN has been awarded to 65 highly qualified industry partners — with that number continuing to grow daily as new contracts are being awarded. With such a

GSA Presents: Grace Hopper Day Hackathon!

Mon, 28 Nov 2016 02:00:12 -0400

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Digital Service team is excited to be hosting our next agency hackathon on December 9, 2016. Join coders from across the region as we come together in celebration of Grace Hopper’s birthday.

Understanding Twitter Quality Filters for Content Strategy

Fri, 25 Nov 2016 14:00:46 -0400

In a move to win back users and improve the company’s image, Twitter introduced quality filters in August. They followed this move in November with an option to mute certain words. These changes will have larger ramifications for federal agencies, who will need to focus on quality of content in order to retain their audience

The Data Briefing: It Takes an Online Community to Digitally Transform an Organization

Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:00:49 -0400

The open source movement has changed how we develop software, create content, and even do science. Using a community to help complete projects and bring about change has become so ubiquitous in the last ten years that it has even earned a name — crowdsourcing. Crowdsourcing is a powerful tool and is now being used to help

White House Electric Vehicle Datathon: Unlocking New Opportunities through Data

Tue, 22 Nov 2016 11:08:26 -0400

The White House is hosting its first-ever Electric Vehicle Datathon, and nominations for participation are now open. Don’t miss your chance to join the discussion!

Mobile Development and Testing with Chrome Developer Tools

Mon, 21 Nov 2016 12:00:19 -0400

Around Q3, I was looking for way to test the HTML and CSS of an online application that was to be public-facing. At first, my office’s plan was to connect mobile devices to the network owned by federal employees on a volunteer basis for testing.

A New Prize Challenge for Virtual and Augmented Reality Learning Tools

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 12:00:22 -0400

The Administration has launched a new competition for virtual and augmented reality developers to create learning tools to support career and technical education.

Digging Deep Using the Core Model

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 10:00:34 -0400

The core model is a thinking tool that can be used to get team members from different perspectives (stakeholders, developers, editors, etc.) to start thinking collaboratively. The end goal is that the group will have a common understanding of user needs, business goals, and how different pages should be connected.

New Trademark App Open Source Code on GitHub

Fri, 18 Nov 2016 03:00:31 -0400

Improving the way the government delivers information technology (IT) solutions to its customers isn’t just a goal, it’s our mission. We at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office know that by publishing our open source code, the public can help us come up with new and better IT solutions. In advance of the new Federal

Webinar Recap: Social Media + External Affairs = Outreach Success

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 14:00:46 -0400

Summary: How to leverage your resources to reach Spanish-dominant Hispanics online. A recent DigitalGov University (DGU) webinar provided an introduction to the intersection of two teams with different audiences reaching consensus on goals to maximize insight and outreach effectiveness. Social Media Outreach Goals What does social media outreach success look like? Success is when agencies

FEMA’S Syndicated Content: Digital Assists in Moments of Disaster

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 12:00:39 -0400

I recently interviewed Daniel Kuhns, Web Manager at FEMA, about the site widgets and the FEMA app his organization has been developing. The widgets currently available include: FEMA App, Preparedness, Severe Weather, Private Sector, Kids Fire Safety, and Are you a Disaster Survivor. The FEMA App offers

Are Chatbots the Next mHealth Frontier?

Thu, 17 Nov 2016 10:00:48 -0400

In April, Facebook made it possible for organizations to use chatbots to send and receive messages from users of Facebook Messenger. That’s a big deal. Facebook Messenger is now used by 900 million people every month. As the name implies, it’s a messaging platform that people use to send short messages to each other through

Meeting Patients Where They Are: Liberating Clinical Trials Data Under the Cancer Moonshot

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 13:00:23 -0400

Cancer clinical trials are a critically important step on the pathway for new or improved treatments to make their way to patients in clinics and hospitals in towns and cities across the country. Patients and their loved ones are relying on these rigorous studies to determine whether promising new therapies and approaches might extend how

Congress.gov Homepage Highlights, Alerts, and More Enhancements

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 11:00:37 -0400

This has been an exciting and successful year for Congress.gov. We accomplished a major milestone when we retired THOMAS in July. Over the course of 2016, we completed a number of enhancements to Congress.gov. In April we expanded quick search to include the Congressional Record, Committee Reports, Nominations, Treaty Documents, and Communications. In May we launched several new RSS feeds and

Trends on Tuesday: Americans’ ‘Digital Divide’ on Tech Savviness and Digital Learning

Tue, 15 Nov 2016 11:00:48 -0400

The Pew Internet and the American Life Project released a report recently that analyzed the use of digital tools for different groups of tech literacies.

Hualapai Public Safety Meet Old and New Challenges Through Technology

Mon, 14 Nov 2016 11:00:06 -0400

How can a place be remote and virtually unpopulated, yet constantly full of thousands of people and teeming with activity? It certainly seems impossible, but that is exactly the situation at Grand Canyon West (GCW), home of the Hualapai indigenous Indian Tribe and the famous Skywalk.

“For Those Who Serve” App Collection Provides Mobile Resources for Veterans

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 12:00:47 -0400

In honor of Veterans Day, several VA mobile apps are featured this week in the Apple App Store. In the “For Those Who Serve” collection of resources, Veterans can find the latest military news, essential health and wellness information, and other valuable tools for everyday life. The highlighted VA apps are designed to help Veterans manage their

NASA Addresses OMB M-16-21 Federal Source Code Policy

Thu, 10 Nov 2016 03:00:22 -0400

In August 2016, OMB released M-16-21, which seeks to ensure that new custom-developed federal source code be made broadly available for reuse across the federal government.

The Data Briefing: Four Steps to Becoming a Data-Driven Organization

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 11:00:45 -0400

As the Federal government agencies begin the digital transformation journey, becoming a data-driven organization is even more vital. What does it mean to become a data-driven organization? According to one definition, “[a] data-driven company is an organization where every person who can use data to make better decisions, has access to the data they need

Challenge.gov Launches One-Click Reporting for Annual Prizes Data Call

Wed, 09 Nov 2016 05:43:18 -0400

This year, the deadline for agencies to submit their reporting of incentive prize competitions and challenges for FY16 comes earlier than most. Roughly two weeks from today, by Nov. 18, federal agencies are required to submit their accounts of every prize, competition, or challenge that launched, ran or completed in FY16 via email.

Why World War I Matters for Your Agency

Tue, 08 Nov 2016 11:00:32 -0400

I recently asked some friends—a group of intelligent, successful individuals—what they knew about World War I. The responses I received included, “Ummm…..it was in the 1910s?” or “Started in Europe when the archduke was killed?” Beyond this, it’s mostly blank stares and shoulder shrugs. People who consider themselves history geeks might mention President Woodrow Wilson’s

The People’s Code – Now on Code.gov

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 13:00:08 -0400

Summary: Today we’re launching Code.gov so that our Nation can continue to unlock the tremendous potential of the Federal Government’s software. Over the past few years, we’ve taken unprecedented action to help Americans engage with their Government in new and meaningful ways. Using Vote.gov, citizens can now quickly navigate their state’s voter registration process through

Writing for the Web Is Easy. Writing for Users Is Not.

Mon, 07 Nov 2016 11:00:25 -0400

We all do it. Whether on Twitter, Facebook, or the comment section on a news article, it’s easy to get our writing on the internet. Many of us have personal websites or contribute to blogs. We work at organizations with content management systems that allow us to publish pages with a single button click. The

New API Brings EPIC Earth Imagery to Developers

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 13:00:11 -0400

Daily imagery data taken by the Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera is now accessible via a RESTful API available from the NASA API Portal. The Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) is an instrument aboard NOAA’s DSCOVR satellite, which orbits at Earth’s Lagrange point, the sweet spot in space where the gravitational tug of the Earth and

Celebrating Nanotechnology With a Day, a Dash, Some Nuggets, and a Plan

Fri, 04 Nov 2016 11:00:56 -0400

Summary: The release of an updated National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategic Plan caps a month of activities highlighting nanotechnology. The Federal government continues to play a key role in the success of the U.S. nanotechnology enterprise through the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)—as was

Applying Customer Service Metrics to Improve Customer Experience (CX)

Thu, 03 Nov 2016 10:00:10 -0400

Lately, I’ve looked at how a government agency measures a customer’s experience. It’s such a complex topic that I would need more than one blog to discuss the nuances behind it. In my last blog, I examined and brokedown three types of customer service metrics: customer satisfaction (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), and Customer Effort

The Digital Transition: How the Presidential Transition Works in the Social Media Age

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 12:00:25 -0400

Take a look at how we plan to preserve and pass on the digital history of the Obama administration. President Obama is the first “social media president”: the first to have @POTUS on Twitter, the first to go live on Facebook from the Oval Office, the first to answer questions from citizens on YouTube.

The Data Briefing: Learning from the U.S. Cities on How to Implement Big Data Initiatives

Wed, 02 Nov 2016 10:00:36 -0400

A recent study of big data initiatives in 65 cities has interesting guidance for Federal big data initiatives. The researchers studied how data is collected and then used for decision making in what they called “the framework for Big Data initiatives.” There are two major cycles in the framework: “The data cycle governs the tools

Trends on Tuesdays: Mobile Phone Camera Upgrades Offer Interesting Opportunities for Government Agencies

Tue, 01 Nov 2016 10:00:43 -0400

Professional photographer and early “iPhonography” pioneer, Chase Jarvis coined the phrase, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” The recent jumps in mobile phone photo technology presents interesting opportunities for government agencies to consider as mobile phone cameras are starting to rival and surpass professional gear. When Google and Apple both announced their

Three Small Steps You Can Take to Reboot Agile in Your Organization

Mon, 31 Oct 2016 11:00:10 -0400

This past summer, 18F held an agile workshop for the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. An agency with roots going back to World War II, NTIS is facing a future that requires a strategic realignment towards open data and services. This strategic alignment will also require that NTIS

Social Media Data Deep Dive: Turning Findings into Action

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 11:00:55 -0400

GobiernoUSA, just like USA.gov, is part of a unique effort with a large mission—to guide people to the government information and services they seek. We cover a lot of topics in Spanish via our website, social media platforms, email sends, and contact center. One of the communication channels we focus a lot of attention on

Laying the Foundation for a More Secure, Modern Government

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 03:00:16 -0400

Summary: Building on efforts to boost Federal cybersecurity & as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, today we’re releasing a proposed guidance to modernize Federal IT. America’s spirit of ingenuity and entrepreneurship created the world’s most innovative economy and keeps us dominant in today’s digital age. Indeed, in 1985 about 2,000 people used the Internet;

Federally Funded Research Results Are Becoming More Open and Accessible

Fri, 28 Oct 2016 01:00:53 -0400

Summary: Significant strides in improving public access to scholarly publications and digital data help usher in an era of open science. This week marks the 8th annual Open Access Week, when individuals and organizations around the world celebrate the value of opening up online access to the results of scholarly research. It is an opportune

9 Reasons Your Infographics Might Be Too Big

Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:00:27 -0400

Infographics are a useful tool for communicators to share complex data and information in a quick, easy-to-read format. Infographics can be beautifully designed works of art, pulling in a reader through storytelling and visual entertainment. And like art, infographics can be large, epic works, or small treasures.

The Data Briefing: Help Predict the Future of Federal Government Data

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:00:55 -0400

In December, I plan to write two postings detailing a scenario analysis for the next ten years of the Federal government’s data technologies. Governments are on the cusp of amazing technological advances propelled by artificial intelligence, blockchain technologies, and the Internet of Things. Also, governments will face new challenges such as the recent global cyber

GSA launches new AI, Virtual Reality, and Authentication Programs

Wed, 26 Oct 2016 10:00:17 -0400

Today we’re launching three new initiatives powered by GSA Digital Communities that leap federal agencies ahead on some of the most innovative new capabilities becoming available to our programs — Artificial Intelligence, Virtual/Augmented Reality, and the U.S. Digital Registry. These new Communities and portal are products of inter-agency collaboration and our shared commitment pushing the

DigitalGov Readers and Subscribers: We Want to Talk to You

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:00:21 -0400

As you know, over the last few years DigitalGov has surfaced the innovative advancements many are making across the government space while providing a platform for learning best practices and coming together as a community. Over the course of the next few weeks, a small team from

Expert Insight on Content Strategy and Structure for Future-Ready Content

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:00:10 -0400

We recently interviewed Sara Wachter-Boettcher, author of Content Everywhere: Strategy and Structure for Future-Ready Content. Sara, a frequent conference speaker, runs a content strategy consultancy, and is the co-author of Design for Real Life. She has extensive experience consulting with major brands, universities, agencies, nonprofits, and others to make their content more memorable, manageable, and

Federal Cybersecurity Challenges

Tue, 25 Oct 2016 10:00:09 -0400

These days, when you turn on the news you almost always see another hack, leak, or breach putting sensitive information at risk. But we’ve been focusing on keeping federal agency information systems secure for a long time. For October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month, the WatchBlog takes a look at federal cybersecurity challenges. What is the threat?

Changing the Knowledge Management Tides and Why it Matters: The Federal HR Wiki

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 12:00:26 -0400

Imagine this – a go-to member of your organization just retired, a furlough is approaching, and now no one knows what to do. What communications need to go out? Who is considered ‘excepted’? Can the daycare center stay open? In the absence of mind-melds, how do you make expert knowledge easily accessible to newer team

The Essentials of an Editorial Calendar

Mon, 24 Oct 2016 10:00:37 -0400

Anyone engaged in content marketing or content production probably owns a robust editorial calendar. A calendar that is quickly updated, helps keep deadlines and is flexible can serve as a helpful blueprint of your content activities for the year. At USAGov we cover a lot of topics and partner with many agencies. Having an editorial

GAO to Congress: Federal Agencies Are Making a Difference Through Open Innovation

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 13:00:16 -0400

Federal agencies confront tough problems every day. In searching for solutions, agencies will want to attract different perspectives, test new products, build capacity and communities, and increase public awareness. How do they do it? The answer: open innovation. Federal agencies need to engage and collaborate with all sectors of society, a task made easier by

Dear Search: Reading Between the Lines of Search Data

Fri, 21 Oct 2016 11:00:34 -0400

Welcome to the first Dear Search article, an occasional series where the DigitalGov Search team addresses common search questions. Dear Search, Right now, I am building up user research services that can be offered to product owners on a regular or as-needed basis. So, being able to look at search trends and offer advice to

Announcing the Digital Acquisition Accelerator Playbook

Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:00:41 -0400

Built on the lessons learned during the pilot phase of the Digital Acquisitions Accelerator, the accompanying playbook examines the current acquisition landscape and provides an approach to procuring custom software solutions.

The Data Briefing: Using Artificial Intelligence to Augment the Work of Frontline Government Employees

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 11:00:44 -0400

You have probably read about the recent release of the White House’s report on using artificial intelligence (AI). As with previous technologies, AI holds much promise in the areas of education, commerce, criminal justice, the environment—almost all aspects of the American public’s life. AI also poses a danger if it is not properly managed and

Trends on Tuesday: The Digital Interface — Without a Face — Is Coming Fast

Tue, 18 Oct 2016 11:00:14 -0400

The seemingly sci-fi world envisioned in the movie Her is very close to becoming our reality. Several new developments merging hardware, artificial intelligence technology, chatbots and persistent audio assistants are now available, with software developer kits to expand the platforms.

Analytics Success Series: USA.gov

Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:00:04 -0400

USA.gov’s Analytics Success: using analytics data to inform design and responsivity to create a better experience for the user Last year, the USA.gov team found themselves facing a challenge. We were in need of a new content management system for our websites, USA.gov and Gobierno.USA.gov, which help people find and understand the most frequently requested

What Is Static Source Analysis?

Fri, 14 Oct 2016 11:00:40 -0400

In software development, we use a variety of techniques to help us understand the software we’ve written, whether it works as expected, and whether it will be easy to maintain over time. One of the techniques we use is called static source analysis, and it can tell us a lot about the maintenance requirements of

Progressive Web Applications, Part 2: Pros, Cons, and Looking Ahead

Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:00:04 -0400

A few weeks ago, Progressive Web Applications, Part 1: the New Pack Mule of the Internet introduced PWAs and the technologies behind them. We shared that article to the MobileGov Community of Practice and asked about the pros and cons of this approach to winning mobile moments. What Are Some Benefits of PWAs? PWAs bring

The Data Briefing: Twenty Years of USAJOBS

Wed, 12 Oct 2016 13:00:42 -0400

I recently sat down with Michelle Earley, Program Manager, to discuss the new changes for the 20th anniversary of USAJOBS. 1) What are the three big lessons learned from 20 years of building and managing USAJOBS? I think one of the greatest benefits of being an Agile program is that we are constantly learning. In

Transforming the Federal Marketplace, Two Years In

Tue, 11 Oct 2016 11:00:16 -0400

Summary: It’s been two years since we laid out the Administration’s plan to transform the Federal marketplace. Here’s a look at what we’ve accomplished, and what’s next. Over the last two years, we’ve focused on our mission to implement the President’s vision for a modern government– one that leverages private-sector best practices to achieve a

CX Day In Government: How We All Shape The Customer Journey

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 11:00:21 -0400

During National Customer Service Week, it’s a great time for organizations across industry and government to celebrate putting customers at the center of our work and to think about what we can do to improve our customers’ end-to-end experiences. When you think this big, it can be a little daunting, but the good news is

Crowdsourcing at the Law Library of Congress

Fri, 07 Oct 2016 10:00:42 -0400

The Law Library acquired a large collection from William S. Hein & Co., Inc. to make all volumes of several collections (like the Federal Register) available in open access to researchers. Preparing these files by adding metadata for easy searching takes a lot of work, so this summer we asked law students and library students from

Near… FAR… Wherever you are….

Thu, 06 Oct 2016 11:00:20 -0400

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) made history today by releasing the first ever iBook version of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR). And while a tome about the complex rules governing the federal government’s purchasing process may not sound like a bestseller, the FAR is essential reading not just for federal contracting officers and federal

The Data Briefing: The Federal Data Cabinet—Promoting Data Literacy, Cultural Change, and the Federal Data Applications Ecosystem

Wed, 05 Oct 2016 13:00:21 -0400

Last Wednesday, the White House held the first Open Data Summit to showcase the open data accomplishments of the Obama Administration. One of the highlights was the formation of a government-wide “data cabinet.” Announced by Chief Data Scientist DJ Patil, the data cabinet is essentially a community of practice comprising the Federal agency’s data professionals. As

Exploring Data Portability

Tue, 04 Oct 2016 10:00:59 -0400

Summary: We’d like to hear from you on whether and how to increase your ability to get and use your data. Many of us store our email and photos with cloud services companies or track our finances on bank websites instead of in a checkbook register. Our medical records are stored electronically at hospitals and

Ideas on How to Keep Your Citizens Informed

Mon, 03 Oct 2016 13:00:05 -0400

As localities struggle with issues such as the Zika virus and the Opioid epidemic, gathering and disseminating trustworthy information can be daunting. But one group of Federal agencies and offices have come together to create a free and easy way to incorporate public health web content, images, video, microsites, data, and infographics into other sites,

Further Enhancing the Federal Government’s Privacy Practices

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 11:30:06 -0400

Summary: The Office of Management and Budget is releasing updated guidance on the role and designation of Senior Agency Officials for Privacy. The digital economy has transformed how citizens interact with their Government. Government services related to immigration, student loans, health insurance, and veterans’ benefits are just a sample of the services now available online.

Vendors and Government Strengthen Partnership at Technology Industry Day

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 10:00:02 -0400

On September 8, 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) held a Technology Industry Day. We’re thrilled that more than 300 members of the technology industry in person and via the live stream were able to join us for this first step towards a closer partnership and more open lines of communication about how we can work together to transform federal technology.

Creating Wall-Sized Interaction at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Fri, 30 Sep 2016 01:00:59 -0400

As any experienced retailer will tell you, the customer experience begins at the store entrance. Note the friendly Walmart greeter, the approachable minimalism of an Apple Store, and the calculated whimsy of Anthropologie. Store designers understand that a customer’s decision to make a purchase is often made within seconds of entering. The same holds true

Voices of Veterans: Introducing Personas to Better Understand Our Customers

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 11:00:46 -0400

Understanding our Veterans and their unique needs and experiences is at the heart of creating a more Veteran-centered VA. By listening to their voices and the stories they share, we can design services and experiences that meet the needs of Veterans. Taking a step towards a deeper understanding of our Veterans, in the fall of

NASA: Open Gov Plan 2016 Outline

Thu, 29 Sep 2016 02:00:50 -0400

Here is the outline for our 2016 Open Government Plan. Let us know what you think.

The New Vote.gov: Leaner, Faster and Multi-Lingual

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 11:00:27 -0400

One year ago this week, we launched vote.gov (also known as vote.usa.gov). It’s a concise and simple site with a single mission: direct citizens through the voter registration process as quickly as possible. It was created by a joint team of USA.gov staffers and Presidential Innovation Fellows, all of whom work within the General Services

The Data Briefing: A New Perspective on the Digital Transformation of Government

Wed, 28 Sep 2016 02:00:23 -0400

One day, at an unnamed agency, the Outlook server crashed. The server stayed down for the rest of the afternoon. Deprived of email and meeting calendars, employees wandered around trying to remember what meetings they had to attend. Other employees went searching for people who they ordinarily would email. There was confusion that made people

Webinar Recap: Snaps and Stripes—Sharing Public Service Stories with Snapchat

Tue, 27 Sep 2016 11:00:50 -0400

Snapchat has quickly become an incredibly effective digital storytelling medium, and content creators across multiple government agencies have adopted it as an important part of their programs.

The Content Corner: Recapping Content Marketing Trends in 2016—How Have We Stacked Up?

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 14:00:24 -0400

Earlier this year, it was predicted that content marketing would become even more important due to its ability to enhance not just visibility, but also increase engagement with customers—who could, in turn, become great promoters of your content.

GSA Hosts First-Ever Technology Industry Day in Washington, D.C.

Mon, 26 Sep 2016 10:00:53 -0400

On September 8, 2016 Administrator Denise Turner Roth of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) hosted the first-ever Technology Industry Day to provide a better understanding of GSA’s path to improve the government’s outdated technology systems. Private industry and government came together to find best ways to deliver 21st century technology to federal agencies.

Gettin' Giphy With It: NARA Shares Online Library of Animated Gifs

Fri, 23 Sep 2016 13:00:58 -0400

Have you looked in vain for quality animated GIFs from a reputable source? Come on over to the new Giphy channel from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Our New Center for Enhanced Analytics

Thu, 22 Sep 2016 11:00:55 -0400

Analytics and “big data” seem to be the next frontier in a number of arenas. Data researchers can use the large, real-time data sets that are available today to facilitate scientific discovery, improve the flow of traffic, and increase energy efficiency, among many other things. Last year, the White House appointed the first federal Chief

Check Out Our New USCIS Instagram Account!

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:00:08 -0400

We are fortunate to meet amazing immigrants every day and share in their immigration journeys. Now we have a unique opportunity to share their stories with the world using Instagram. Today, we launched our Instagram account under the handle @USCIS and @USCIS_ES (Spanish version) and will share photos, graphics and videos to highlight our vital

The Data Briefing: Should U.S. Federal Employees Become Data Science Literate?

Wed, 21 Sep 2016 11:00:24 -0400

The United Kingdom’s (UK) Digital Service has researched ways to increase data science literacy among the UK public service. Data science literacy goes further than data literacy, in that civil servants will know how to apply data science concepts and methods in their everyday work. I thought it would be useful to share the UK

Progressive Web Applications, Part 1: the New Pack Mule of the Internet

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 11:00:19 -0400

A mule is the hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a horse. This new species is stronger and better equipped than the species from which it comes. Overall, mules tend to be healthier, more sound, and live longer than horses. They are favored over horses in mountainous terrain because the mule has a reputation for being more surefooted than their equine cousins.

Analytics Success Series: Health Resources & Services Administration

Tue, 20 Sep 2016 02:00:17 -0400

Health Resources and Services Administration’s Analytics Success: Using Analytics to Reduce Content and Improve User Experience Unlike out-of-town guests, you want your web visitors to stick around. So, if your site continues to see a bounce rate that stubbornly refuses to drop—it’s time to make some changes. That’s exactly what happened to the Health Resources

How Do You Redesign a ‘Dinosaur’? Redesigning an Intranet Site: the Beginning Stages

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:00:56 -0400

Many content managers in the digital world understand the irrepressible desire to improve, fix, edit, add, and move things around. Indeed, it’s our job to nurture this ongoing process to create, update, test, update again. And, repeat! But, what about those sites or pages that seem to never crawl up to the ‘high-priority’ list and

Building on 30 Years of Experience to Prepare for the Future of Biotechnology

Mon, 19 Sep 2016 01:00:45 -0400

Summary: EPA, FDA, and USDA unveil two documents as part of the Administration’s continuing effort to modernize the Federal regulatory system for biotechnology products. Today, the Federal government has taken an important step to ensure public confidence in the regulatory system for biotechnology products and to improve the transparency, predictability, coordination, and, ultimately, efficiency of that

Social Security Joins The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 12:00:53 -0400

Social Security joins you and your family in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15. We know the contributions of Hispanics can be traced to before the origins of the United States with the discovery, exploration, and naming of many places in our nation, such as state names like California,

Updated FOIA Regulation Template and Guidance Now Available

Fri, 16 Sep 2016 10:00:24 -0400

On September 7th, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) released an updated version of its Guidance for Agency Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Regulations, along with an updated FOIA Regulation Template. These resources were first issued in March 2016. OIP has updated them to take into account changes made to the FOIA by the FOIA Improvement

Analytics Success Series: USAJOBS

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 13:00:46 -0400

USAJOBS’ Analytics Success: using analytics to create accurate testing strategies. Accurate testing strategies are crucial to ensure quality products. Hi-fidelity approaches ensure QA efforts are testing in a true-to-life manner, similar to real-world users. Inaccurate, lo-fidelity testing can miss situational bugs that become showstoppers in production. USAJOBS is leveraging the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) to

No Longer an Idea of the Future, Artificial Intelligence Is Here and You Are Probably Already Using It

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 11:00:12 -0400

It might surprise some of you to know that artificial intelligence (AI) is already in use and a routine part of our daily lives, but we leverage this technology when we use our smartphones or other devices to ask Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana, Google Now, or Amazon’s Alexa a question to get the facts or data we

Analytics Success Series: Federal Trade Commission

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 15:00:39 -0400

FTC’s Analytics Success: Making mission-related tasks easier for the user to find In the summer of 2015, members of the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of Public Affairs (OPA) Web team worked with their FTC colleagues to analyze Digital Analytics Program (DAP) Google Analytics data (onsite search queries, landing pages, pageviews, etc.) for FTC.gov. We found

The Data Briefing: Harnessing the Internet of Things and Synthetic Data to Provide Better Flood Warnings and Prevent Veterans Suicides

Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:00:37 -0400

Two significant items in federal government data in the last few weeks: The Department of Commerce releases the National Water Model. The National Water Model provides a comprehensive model of river flows so local communities can better prepare for possible flooding events. What is especially amazing about the National Water Model is that it pulls

Kanban for Government

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 13:00:58 -0400

Some months ago, 18F started playing with kanban as a way to manage and improve our processes. (It turns out that “DO ALL THE THINGS!” was maybe not the best motto.) Kanban is a methodology that helps you to remove inefficiencies and reduce waste by visualizing workflow. It’s also used to balance capacity and demand

Webinar Recap: A Look At Google’s Media Tool and Platform Offerings

Tue, 13 Sep 2016 11:00:15 -0400

Suddenly, digital video is everywhere on your social timelines. As a government storyteller, you may be overwhelmed about all the tools available and all of the features each publishing platform has to offer.

DNSSEC vs. Elastic Load Balancers: the Zone Apex Problem

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 13:00:09 -0400

This is the final post in the 5-part series, The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment. Federal websites are required to implement DNSSEC, which relies on knowing exactly what server is responding to a request. In Amazon Web Services (AWS), the problem of unreliable servers is solved by

The Content Corner: Using Social Media to Promote, Enhance Preparedness for the Public We Serve

Mon, 12 Sep 2016 10:00:18 -0400

September is National Preparedness Month. FEMA’s Ready.gov is encouraging everyone to plan how they would stay safe and communicate during disasters that can affect their communities. Additionally, Ready.gov is encouraging full participation in America’s PrepareAthon! and the national day of action, National PrepareAthon! Day, which culminates National Preparedness Month on September 30.

DATA Act Prototype: Simplicity Is Key

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 11:00:54 -0400

Last week we wrote about how we diffuse knowledge through shared interests and sharing best practices on the Micro-purchase Platform. This week, we’ll focus on some of the lessons learned during the (completed) DATA Act prototype. Importantly, though that project has finished, this post is not meant to be a full retrospective

Agency Mobile Resources at the Ready Following OMB Memo

Fri, 09 Sep 2016 01:00:59 -0400

Note: This is a guest blog post by Amando E. Gavino, Jr., Director, Office of Network Services, ITS/FAS/GSA. He is responsible for a portfolio of telecommunication acquisition solutions that provide government agencies the ability to meet their diverse set of telecommunication requirements. Acquisition solutions include Networx, Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions – EIS (the future replacement for

Sharing The Story of Innovation

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 11:00:55 -0400

Our goal for a more veteran-centered and innovative VA is shared. Our approach to innovation is collaborative. Our approach to innovation is driven by listening, understanding and responding to the experiences and stories of the Veterans we serve. We were huddled on squeaky chairs in the social room of a transitional housing facility in Los

Looking Back and Looking Forward: the Future of Public Safety Communications in the Post 9/11 Era—a Video Series

Thu, 08 Sep 2016 01:00:56 -0400

The week before Patriot Day, our nation’s annual remembrance of the 9/11 attacks, first responders share their remembrances and vision for the future of public safety communications in this video series. This week, we’ll hear from: Mike Worrell, Senior Fire Advisor, FirstNet Chad Weber, Public Information Officer, Florida Wildlife Conservation, Northeast Region Mike Duyck, Fire

Let’s Encrypt Those CNAMES, Shall We?

Wed, 07 Sep 2016 11:00:56 -0400

This is post 4 in the 5-part series, The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment. This post references the previous posts frequently, so please read those before reading this one if you haven’t done so already. In addition to the DNS challenges created by offering “masked” domains such

A Domain by Any Other Name: CNAMES, Wildcard Records and Another Level of Indirection

Tue, 06 Sep 2016 13:00:05 -0400

This is post 3 in the 5-part series The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment. “All problems in computer science can be solved by another level of indirection, except of course for the problem of too many indirections.” – David Wheeler The simplest of our four requirements was

Quality, Speed, and Lower Costs: Yes, You Can Have It All

Fri, 02 Sep 2016 10:00:42 -0400

This is post 2 in the 5-part series The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment. The last major infrastructure upgrade that DigitalGov Search had was in 2010. Not only has technology evolved significantly since then, but so have business models for right-sizing costs. Moving to Amazon Web Services (AWS)

How We’re Using Data to Help Us Make Better Decisions

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 14:00:56 -0400

This week marks a special anniversary for GSA as we celebrate our Data-to-Decision (D2D) platform since its launch in the fall of 2015. D2D is GSA’s data management platform that collects, manages, and analyzes complex data to enable data-driven decision-making. Over the past year, GSA has made major strides forward in understanding how accurate and

Emma: Friendly Presence and Innovative USCIS Resource Available 24/7

Thu, 01 Sep 2016 10:00:40 -0400

We are working hard to serve you and continue to make improvements to Emma, our Spanish-speaking Interactive Virtual Assistant. Help us improve Emma’s knowledge by continuing to ask your immigration-related questions on USCIS.gov/es from any device. This blog will help you understand a little bit more about how Emma works and how you can help

Sign up for the Technology Industry Day

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:00:45 -0400

On September 8, 2016, the General Services Administration (GSA) is hosting its very first Technology Industry Day. Sign up to hear about how GSA is transforming technology in the federal government, see demos of products and solutions developed by technologists and, last but not least, provide feedback on how we can work better with industry.

Creative Usability Test Methods—or My Brief Career as a Robot Voice

Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:00:42 -0400

When you want to do a usability test, sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and get creative to get the job done. That’s just what happened to us. We’re well practiced at usability testing at USAGov—in person, remote, hallway tests, first-click tests—all of these things we manage without blinking an eye.

Trends on Tuesday: Pokemon Go-es Away Slowly

Tue, 30 Aug 2016 12:00:27 -0400

According to a recent report in Bloomberg, the wildly popular augmented reality game we reported on a few weeks ago—and the focus of a piece about government agencies using it to engage citizens—appears to have hit a ceiling and is slowly losing active fans in August.

Smithsonian Learning Lab: Designing for the Classroom

Mon, 29 Aug 2016 10:00:53 -0400

The Smithsonian’s mission statement is wonderfully simple: “The increase and diffusion of knowledge.” The “increasing” is arguably the straightforward part – the Smithsonian has amassed a collection of over 138 million objects and specimens, and the Institution’s curators and scientists obsessively add to the world’s knowledge base, publishing papers, creating exhibitions, and sharing their expertise.

NASA Pulls Together National Data to Sleuth Out Air Traffic Improvement Mysteries

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 12:00:04 -0400

For the first time ever, air traffic researchers can view and analyze archived flight data collected and merged from all air traffic facilities across the U.S., with fast update rates ranging from one second to 12 seconds for every flight’s position. Previously, researchers only had access to national flight data that was similar to internet

Rebooting the Social Media Strategy for the National Archives

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 10:00:19 -0400

In six years, you can get a lot done! If you are the International Space Station, you could have orbited the earth 35,040 times. If you are Apple, you could have released 10 new iPhones. If you are the National Archives, you have gone from zero social media accounts to over 100! It’s been six

Citizen Science is Sound Science Provided by You

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 14:00:48 -0400

Have you ever seen a cool bird in your backyard and wondered if there was some way to share what you saw with others? Better yet, have you thought about sharing your observations and having them used to help study and conserve those birds? These thoughts are an indicator that you might have the makings of a

How Creating On-The-Fly Digital Content Can Fill an Immediate Audience Need

Thu, 25 Aug 2016 11:00:32 -0400

When some U.S. athletes at this month’s Olympic Games started showing up at their events with dark red circles on their torsos, sports commentators and the media hungrily sought answers to what the marks could be. In less than a day after the spots were…spotted, the story of the mysterious circles was becoming clearer: they

The Data Briefing: Microservices and Serverless Apps — A New Direction for Federal Government Mobile Apps?

Wed, 24 Aug 2016 10:00:00 -0400

Continuing from last week’s column on DevOps and containers, I will explain two other hot trends in IT — microservices and serverless apps. For those who want official federal government guidance, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a draft special publication on microservices, application containers, and system virtual machines (PDF, 660

What is Citizen Science? A Recent Webinar Explores How the Federal Government Engages the Public via Crowdsourcing

Tue, 23 Aug 2016 13:00:33 -0400

From the National Park Service (NPS) to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the use of citizen science has become a prominent factor in the science community and a critical tool for the federal government.

What Happens When the Whole Team Joins User Interviews

Mon, 22 Aug 2016 14:00:00 -0400

The CALC team is an agile team of four — six if you count the Scrummaster and the Product Owner — building a simple means to load price data into the original CALC tool. They’re an Agile team, which means everybody pitches in on everything to some degree, and here, in their own words, is

Making Modernizations and Migrations Successful

Fri, 19 Aug 2016 12:25:31 -0400

Summary: Today, we’re launching the M3 Framework to provide agencies with leading best practices for mission-support function modernizations and migrations. The government’s internal operations have a powerful impact on service to its citizens, and this Administration has made transformation of management practices within the Federal Government a key priority. By sharing and streamlining mission support services

The Right Tools for the Job: Re-Hosting DigitalGov Search to a Dynamic Infrastructure Environment

Thu, 18 Aug 2016 10:00:29 -0400

This is the first post of a 5-part series. DigitalGov Search is a commercial-grade search engine provided as a shared-service by the United States General Services Administration. We power about 2,300 search configurations for hundreds of federal, state, and local government agencies. Using our platform, agencies can easily configure a search experience for the public that

The Data Briefing: DevOps and Containers and Why They Are Important to Transforming Federal Government IT

Wed, 17 Aug 2016 13:00:11 -0400

You may have heard about “DevOps” in the news or when meeting with IT professionals. What exactly is DevOps and what, if any, connection does it have with agile? Also, what do “containers” have to do with all of this? In this week’s column, I will introduce DevOps and a related technology: containers. Some DevOps

Trends on Tuesday: Signs of the App-ocalypse

Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:00:03 -0400

A new report from the Mobile Ecosystem Forum shows that most users delete apps because of security concerns. The report also said that 47% of survey respondents would pay extra for an app that didn’t share personal information and that the inability to find a privacy policy is one of the leading reasons for consumers losing trust

Celebrating the 18th Anniversary of the Section 508 Rehabilitation Act

Mon, 15 Aug 2016 11:00:03 -0400

August 8, 2016, marks the 18th anniversary of the amendment to the Section 508 Rehabilitation Act of 1973. To recognize the importance of IT accessibility, we wanted to highlight some agency initiatives to improve accessibility across the federal landscape.

Did We Do a Good Job? The Answer Is in Customers’ Business Outcomes

Fri, 12 Aug 2016 10:00:24 -0400

Earlier this week, I shared with my colleagues at EXIM the results of our 2016 export credit insurance customer survey. This is the third consecutive year that our largest customer segment has been asked to share their feedback with us.

Another Year, Another Leap Forward for Prize Competitions

Thu, 11 Aug 2016 14:00:12 -0400

If federal agencies need an incentive to be more open and innovative in addressing critical issues, they need look no further than news this week from the White House. On August 10, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued its Implementation of Federal Prize Authority Progress Report for fiscal year 2015, and

The Data Briefing: FINDing Great Global Development Data Visualizations Courtesy of the State Department

Wed, 10 Aug 2016 01:30:22 -0400

Federal agencies have been releasing some fascinating data visualization tools in the last year. Recently, the State Department unveiled the Beta version of FIND or the “F Interagency Network Databank.” From the description in the FAQ: “The F Interagency Network Databank (FIND) is an online tool that enables users to explore and analyze national level

Live Streamed Demos for Exponential Transparency and Information Sharing

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 10:00:36 -0400

This spring, the eRegulations Notice & Comment team began building out a new feature set for the platform — adding the ability for agencies with proposed regulations to show the public more precisely the changes being proposed and allow agencies to receive more granular, contextual, and better-organized comments.

The People’s Code

Tue, 09 Aug 2016 01:00:47 -0400

Summary: Today, we’re releasing the Federal Source Code policy to support improved access to custom software code developed by or for the Federal Government. “If we can reconceive of our government so that the interactions and the interplay between private sector, nonprofits, and government are opened up, and we use technology, data, social media in order

The Content Corner: On-The-Fly Content Strategies (Round-offs, Back Handsprings, & Double Twisting Layouts Not Required)

Mon, 08 Aug 2016 10:00:55 -0400

As effective marketers and communicators, we are constantly seeking new and improved ways to reach our audience or customer base. These days, our “online lives” intersect with every activity we are involved in, so timeliness is essential. With fresh ideas and engaging, perhaps interactive, content, we can literally make a difference in the lives of our

CSAT, NPS, and CES: 3 Easy Ways to Measure Customer Experience (CX)

Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:00:45 -0400

Have you ever wondered how to measure a customer’s experience? I’ve thought about it, specifically about how to measure the experience with services from government agencies. This is a complex topic because government services can be vastly different from each other.

That Six-Letter Word: Change

Thu, 04 Aug 2016 11:00:58 -0400

One of the biggest challenges in implementing a new technology or process is change. Change creates a multitude of feelings; for some it is apprehension and uncertainty, while for others it is excitement and acceptance. Change management is defined as “a systematic approach to dealing with change, both from the perspective of an organization and

Promoting the Use of Green IT

Wed, 03 Aug 2016 13:00:55 -0400

Summary: We’re taking action to accelerate efforts to increase the efficiency of Federal data centers, reduce costs, and improve the government’s overall IT security posture. Today, the Administration is taking action to accelerate efforts to increase the efficiency of Federal data centers, reduce costs, and improve the overall information technology (IT) security posture of the Federal

Trends on Tuesday: Latino Users Lead Mobile Use in U.S.

Tue, 02 Aug 2016 10:00:02 -0400

The Pew Research Center released a report in July that shows people of Latino descent are heavily reliant on mobile phones for their Internet access, more than other ethnicities. The report said that since 2012, the percentage of Hispanic adults who used mobile devices to access the Internet jumped from 76% to 94% in 2015. These percentages

Modernizing the FCC’s Geospatial Maps

Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:00:52 -0400

Maps and geospatial analysis have become increasingly important as they allow the FCC to display information to the public in an interactive visual format. The FCC’s maps have become useful tools for conveying data in conjunction with Commission reports and public notices. The FCC’s maps site serves as a centralized hub for data visualizations and

Build Empathy With Stakeholder Interviews, Part 2: Conversation

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 12:00:13 -0400

How to run user-interviews and synthesize and integrate the results into the teams shared understanding

What’s All The Fuss Around Customer Experience?

Fri, 29 Jul 2016 10:00:56 -0400

Have you been hearing the terms “Customer Experience” or “CX” a lot lately? Maybe you’re wondering how they relate to customer service, or maybe you want to learn more about CX and how it can help your customers. Whether you directly interact with customers, support front line employees, or manage program operations, your work has

Widgets, Mobile Apps, and SMS: Essential Agency Tools for Summer Heat Safety, Hurricane Season, and Emergency Preparedness

Thu, 28 Jul 2016 10:00:26 -0400

A review of mobile apps, tools, and websites from federal agencies created to help the public with weather and emergency preparedness– and how organizations can help share that information.

Managing Federal Information as a Strategic Resource

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 15:00:01 -0400

Summary: Today, OMB is releasing an update to Circular A-130, the Federal Government’s governing document for the management of Federal information resources. Today the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is releasing an update to the Federal Government’s governing document for the management of Federal information resources: Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource.

The Data Briefing: The Census Business Builder—Mashing Up Census Data to Help Build Businesses

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 10:00:57 -0400

The Census Bureau conducts more surveys than just the Constitutionally-mandated Decennial Census. There is also the American Community Survey, the Economic Census, the County Business Patterns series, statistics on Nonemployer businesses, and the Survey of Business Owners and Self-Employed Persons. On their own, each survey is full of useful information for researchers, local and state governments, and entrepreneurs.

Summer Health and Safety: A New Resource Brought to You by CDC and NIH

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 13:00:44 -0400

We have previously written about microsites in the federal government. A microsite is a small collection of web pages—a subset of an organization’s full website. Partners can embed microsites that present curated information on a specific topic or campaign directly within their own websites. And perhaps best of all, microsites that are API-enabled are maintained and updated

The Content Corner: Quality Over Quantity—a Case for Long-Form Content

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 15:00:38 -0400

Content can be categorized in many ways. While breaking down your website analytics, pay a bit of extra attention to the difference between your short- and long-form content; you may find some interesting discoveries. Let’s first define the two terms: Short – Content that is generally created quickly, and consumed just as fast; e.g., tweets,

DARPA: A Case Study in Open Innovation

Mon, 25 Jul 2016 12:00:25 -0400

You may not know it, but the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has changed your life. There’s the Internet, for starters. And if that isn’t enough, the agency also has played a pivotal role in shaping GPS, stealth aircraft and drone technology. In fact, ever since its creation under President Eisenhower, DARPA has

The FirstNet Network: Smart Response for Smart Cities

Fri, 22 Jul 2016 10:00:29 -0400

“Smart City” is an emerging term to describe how a community – large or small – uses connected technology and/or other data sets to influence and improve the delivery of services to the private and public sectors. By integrating data and connectivity into their daily operations, communities can automate many functions to create efficiencies and

The Data Briefing: “PreparedGo” – The Federal Emergency Management Agency Mobile App

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 10:00:54 -0400

While you are outside hunting Pokemon or helping your children hunt Pokemon, consider adding another mobile app to your smartphone or tablet. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) mobile app alerts you about severe weather and other natural disasters. The app is also a great information resource on surviving disasters and connects you to FEMA

95%: Describing the National Archives’ Holdings

Wed, 20 Jul 2016 01:00:32 -0400

The National Archives Catalog has reached a milestone: we now have 95% of our holdings completely described at the series level in our online catalog. This is a monumental achievement. Why? Because the National Archives holds over 14 billion pages of records, and we are adding hundreds of millions of pages to that total every

Unlocking the Promise of Broadband for All Americans

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 02:30:50 -0400

The Administration announces new wireless research efforts that will improve testing and research of advanced wireless technologies.

Joining Forces with BusinessUSA to Better Serve Our Nation’s Businesses

Tue, 19 Jul 2016 02:00:33 -0400

Four years ago, BusinessUSA launched with a mission to revolutionize the way government provides services to small businesses and exporters. Using technology to erase bureaucratic boundaries, BusinessUSA streamlined the way businesses find and get what they need from government. This “no wrong door” approach combined resources from over 800 websites and created a single point

Information Architecture vs Content Strategy—and Why YOU Need Both

Mon, 18 Jul 2016 02:16:19 -0400

The idea of portable content is nothing new. Content needs to be mobile ready, responsive, and readily consumed by tools such as the Internet of Things (IoT)—a proposed development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. Developers need to stop creating fixed, single-purpose content and

Where Content and Marketing Meet: An email Case Study

Fri, 15 Jul 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Content marketing is everywhere and you’re hearing more about it every day—but how do you do it well? While content marketing can take many forms (articles, infographics, videos, and more), it shares a common purpose: providing useful content to attract new customers to your product or service. At USAGov, customized email messages to our subscribers

Enhancing our Nation’s Cybersecurity

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 14:00:04 -0400

The mission of U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)’s Integrated Technology Services (ITS) is to deliver best value technology solutions to the government and the American people, and one of the most critically important capabilities that our nation currently needs is strengthened cybersecurity. We have been working with numerous other federal agencies to ensure that the

Analytics Trainings: 2016 So Far

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 10:00:44 -0400

In 2016, the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) team has ramped up our training schedule. We appreciate all the DAP users that have attended our trainings and we’re happy to provide the material. We’ve had many users ask about video of our sessions, so we wanted to provide you with some of our recorded trainings from

The Data Briefing: Mobile Apps, Responsive Web Sites, and the “Mobile Moment”

Wed, 13 Jul 2016 10:00:43 -0400

The debate between responsive websites and mobile apps took a decisive turn this week when the United Kingdom’s Digital Service (UKDS) banned the creation of mobile apps. In an interview with GovInsider, the founder of UKDS, Ben Terrett, explained that mobile apps were too expensive to build and maintain. Responsive websites were easier to build

Catch the Mall! With Pokemon and Public Services

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 15:58:53 -0400

“… I have never seen so many people of all ages walking around our civic spaces and small businesses interacting as I have this morning. Teens catching them. People catching them in line for coffee. Moms outsmarting their kids. Local youths teaching my toddler how to throw a ball. Full grown adults. Marines. Kids on

Trends on Tuesday: Adoption for Pokémon Go Mobile App Surges

Tue, 12 Jul 2016 10:00:37 -0400

Augmented Reality games have existed for years, but have mostly failed to catch a mainstream audience; Pokémon Go just changed all that this weekend. The game that launched early this month has exploded in popularity and is close to surpassing Twitter in daily active

The Content Corner: How to Leverage User-Generated Content to Resonate With Your Audience

Mon, 11 Jul 2016 13:30:29 -0400

User-Generated Content (UGC) is a buzzword as of late, popularized recently due to the ever increasing demand for new content.

Introducing the Digital Audio/Video Community of Practice

Fri, 08 Jul 2016 01:30:48 -0400

Tech giants have changed the world of broadcast forever. In a little more than a year, video on Facebook went from being a seldomly seen media type on a user’s timeline to a strategic priority for Mark Zuckerberg. The platform now serves over 8 billion video views a day and Facebook continues to roll out improvements

Connecting With the Public Safety Community Through Social Media

Thu, 07 Jul 2016 11:00:26 -0400

Technology is bringing the world closer together – from connecting people across the country instantly by live video chats to tapping into the insights of data analytics. This is the type of power that FirstNet aims to bring to the public safety community through the nationwide public safety broadband network. FirstNet is working to ensure

The Data Briefing: I, For One, Welcome Our New Chatbot Blockchain Digital Autonomous Organizations

Wed, 06 Jul 2016 11:00:56 -0400

It is at the intersections of fields where you find the most fascinating and innovative concepts. Recently, a conference on “Open Human Resources and the Cognitive Era” explored the use of chatbots and blockchain technologies in human resources. Human Resources (HR) is quietly undergoing a revolution as many HR practitioners are transforming HR by using

Trends on Tuesday: IoT Connected Devices Expected to Surpass Mobile Phones by 2018

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 14:00:25 -0400

International telecommunications network operator, Ericsson, released their Mobility Report around the future of mobile recently with a bunch of interesting data around the future of telecommunications and mobile. The surprise star of the report is not mobile phones though—although it will continue to grow, especially in emerging markets where it hasn’t reached saturation like it

Census Bureau Releases Key Statistics in Honor of Independence Day

Tue, 05 Jul 2016 10:30:31 -0400

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, setting the 13 colonies on the road to freedom as a sovereign nation. This most American of holidays [is] marked with typical festivities ranging from fireworks, parades and concerts to more casual family gatherings and barbecues across the country. In honor of our

Build Empathy With Stakeholder Interviews, Part 1: Preparation

Fri, 01 Jul 2016 10:00:26 -0400

What stakeholder interviews are, why they’re valuable, and how to prepare for them.

Twitter’s Evolution and What It Means for Your Government Account

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 11:00:08 -0400

Twitter has come a long way. In ten years of evolution, we’ve seen Twitter go from a simple text messaging service to a versatile platform, which in the words of Twitter, provides a “rich canvas for creative expression featuring photos, videos, hashtags, Vines, and more.” Now Twitter is offering additional enhancements to their service to

The Data Briefing: Innovating Processes the Lean and Agile Way

Wed, 29 Jun 2016 11:00:41 -0400

In today’s world of big data, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the rise of smarter artificial intelligence (AI) applications, processes have become even more vital.

WCMS and Custom APIs—Which One Is Right for You?

Tue, 28 Jun 2016 11:00:33 -0400

Gray Brooks of GSA gave us a great definition of APIs in the DigitalGov University (DGU) presentation, Introduction to APIs. He described APIs as “Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, are web services that allow people to more easily consume content and data in multiple ways—via mobile devices, mobile apps, innovative mash-ups, and much more.” Simply put,

NASA Space Apps Challenge: 2016 Global Winners!

Mon, 27 Jun 2016 14:00:49 -0400

We’re thrilled to announce the Space Apps 2016 Global Award Winners!! These projects well represent the best of the best innovative thinking this year. Congratulations to all the teams. We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming NASA launch in Florida.

White House: Challenges, Citizen Science Among Top Innovation Efforts of Past 8 Years

Fri, 24 Jun 2016 11:30:32 -0400

The White House this week released a report detailing the impact of 100 initiatives that have expanded U.S. capacity in science, technology and innovation over the past eight years. Evident throughout the report is the influence of Challenge.gov and CitizenScience.gov, two open innovation programs managed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). In fact, among

Using Plain Language to Bridge the Gap Between Government and Industry

Thu, 23 Jun 2016 13:30:02 -0400

Much of our work with government partners to deliver better digital services has resulted in full websites, applications, and embarking on large-scale transformation efforts. In addition to those types of projects, we also work on shorter, faster, smaller-scale projects designed to show our partners different points of view and different techniques to approach their most

The Data Briefing: NASA’s New Big Data Strategy

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 11:00:33 -0400

Few other federal agencies deal with as much data as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Big science creates big data, and NASA manages many of the biggest science projects in world history. Even in the early days of NASA’s history, NASA pioneered new ways to create and store data. So, in the world

Trends on Tuesday: Key Trends for Government from Mary Meeker’s 2016 Internet Trends

Tue, 21 Jun 2016 12:00:54 -0400

Internet strategist Mary Meeker delivered her 2016 Internet Trends report this month, and there are several key takeaways for government agencies to consider and continue tracking as our connected world continues to evolve: Mobile phone adoption and Internet growth is meeting saturation. Incremental global growth will continue (especially in India, which she called out for

How to Make Your Facebook Content ‘Pop’ with Images

Mon, 20 Jun 2016 03:02:38 -0400

Facebook is a highly visual medium. Studies show that Facebook posts featuring photos are the most noticed, liked, and shared. Posts featuring an image stand out in the news feeds of people who like your page. While a great image can cut through the clutter, you don’t need to fill your feed. Think “representative” and high-quality

Exciting Additions to Analytics.usa.gov

Fri, 17 Jun 2016 12:30:45 -0400

We’ve expanded analytics.usa.gov to include 15(!) more agency-specific dashboard pages. We now offer agency-specific analytics data pages for a total of 25 major federal agencies, and each one is accessible from the dropdown menu at the top of the site.

Data: the Key to a More Transparent, Open Government

Fri, 17 Jun 2016 12:00:53 -0400

The work of the federal government is incredibly diverse, and affects almost every aspect of American life, whether it is keeping planes in the air or ensuring that our food is safe. Every public service the government provides requires many different skill sets, but the one thing that unites them all is a consistent requirement

Modernizing Federal IT Part 5: Modernizing Software Architecture

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 14:00:31 -0400

This is the fifth in a series describing how the Social Security Administration is working towards a more modern IT infrastructure. You can find part 1 here, part 2 here, part 3 here and part 4 here. In the next three posts we will consider the problem of modernizing old legacy software. In this post we will start a

700 Strong: Challenge.gov Crosses New Milestone in Open Innovation

Wed, 15 Jun 2016 11:00:04 -0400

Challenge.gov, the official website for crowdsourcing and prize competitions across government, celebrated its five-year anniversary in October 2015. Now, not even one year later, the site has reached another milestone. On Monday, two agencies launched new challenges, bringing the total

Google Analytics Download Data Lower Than Expected? Here’s Why (And How to Fix It)

Tue, 14 Jun 2016 10:00:36 -0400

What’s the best way to track file downloads in Google Analytics? Will the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) help me track PDF/.doc/.xls downloads? Are my download numbers accurate? Why aren’t my file downloads appearing in the web analytics data? The answers to these questions aren’t abundantly clear to even seasoned web analysts. But here’s the good news:

The Great Pinterest Experiment: One Year In

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 14:00:49 -0400

Last summer, Kids.Gov revamped its presence on Pinterest in an attempt to find new ways to connect with its followers. The Marketing Team set out to learn more about our audiences and the kind of content they like. Despite being a difficult platform to navigate, we set lofty goals for ourselves and developed a timely

NIH Image Gallery Data Call Success

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 11:00:52 -0400

In early April, the National Institutes of Health put out a call for images highlighting NIH-funded scientific research. The image call was posted on the NIH image gallery website and advertised through the NIH Public Information Officers (PIO) Network. The NIH Image Gallery, which averages 6,000 views per day, features free-to-use images for the general

Collaboration and Innovation, Beyond Government Borders

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 10:00:09 -0400

How to start an innovation movement: Connect innovators with fellow innovators, and find more innovators to collaborate with.

Taking an Agile Approach to Content

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 02:00:28 -0400

So, you’ve recently joined an agile team — congratulations! Here at 18F, we work in an agile way — in other words, we base our designs on user needs, conduct usability testing, iterate quickly, and release MVPs (minimum viable products) rather than highly finalized releases. We take an agile approach to content too. While there’s

Five Things DOE Learned from Making a Podcast

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 10:00:33 -0400

The Energy Department launched Direct Current, our first podcast, on May 9. The first episode—all about rooftop solar, as well as the history of our agency—has been well-received so far by press, stakeholders, and the general public. One review

Welcome to the New DHS.gov

Thu, 09 Jun 2016 02:00:26 -0400

Today, I am happy to announce the newly optimized DHS.gov website. Over the past year, DHS has worked behind the scenes to update and modernize our flagship website, making it faster and easier to use. Some of the specific differences you’ll see are: Compatibility for both desktop computers and mobile devices (phones and tablets) Cleaner,

A Problem Without Definition Is a Challenge Without a Solution

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 10:00:16 -0400

A prize competition often starts with a problem. In order to get help to find a solution, people need to clearly understand your problem. Understanding and effectively communicating your problem isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. Problems are like spaghetti—messy and complex, says Denys Resnick, Executive Vice President of Strategic Programs at NineSigma Inc., which provides

Five Ways That Video Will Continue to Evolve on Facebook

Wed, 08 Jun 2016 02:43:06 -0400

The medium is the message. Marshall McLuhan In a little over a year, Facebook video went from simply being one of the content types that could be shared to the user timeline to a 8B video views per day powerhouse that’s also a huge priority for Mark Zuckerberg. We’ve heard about the big numbers from digital native

Trends on Tuesday: The Next Revolution Is Here—Cars Are the New Mobile Devices

Tue, 07 Jun 2016 10:00:46 -0400

Last week, Recode published an article focused on a recent report from industry consultant Chetan Sharma that found the largest number of new mobile activations in the first quarter of 2016 came from a ‘different’ kind of mobile tool—cars. There are still a lot of phone and tablet mobile activations happening—31% and 23% of all activations, respectively—but

Why Switching to HTTPS Will Make Your Analytics Better

Mon, 06 Jun 2016 11:00:14 -0400

Federal agencies are required to make all federal websites accessible through a secure, HTTPS-only connection by the end of the 2016 calendar year. What you might not have known is that the switch to HTTPS will improve your ability to track which sites are directing web traffic to yours. Recently, a federal colleague reached out

Help Search Engines Help You: How SEO-Friendly URL Structure Can Boost Your Rankings

Fri, 03 Jun 2016 11:00:41 -0400

Have you ever wished you could get inside the mind of Google? To figure out what makes its search engine tick? How great it would be if that were easy to do. Well, actually it is.

Open Data Democratizes Innovation

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 14:15:24 -0400

Americans Use Public Data to Improve the Lives of Fellow Citizens Data is one of our most important national assets. It informs our policy and our national priorities. But as we have seen time and time again, the most effective way to govern is to engage with the public directly. Thanks to the President’s Executive Order requiring

GSA Introduces New Web-Based Leasing Tool

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 12:00:21 -0400

Recently, Regional Administrator Sara Manzano-Díaz of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) introduced a web-based leasing tool, the Automated Advanced Acquisition Program (AAAP), to 60 lessors and/or brokers at the Dow Building in Philadelphia. The AAAP tool was designed to consolidate and streamline the leasing process, making for a more efficient, transparent process that also

Three Actions to Take Now to Prepare for Hurricane Season

Thu, 02 Jun 2016 10:00:04 -0400

Summary: The 2016 National Preparedness Report is an important guidepost in our work to build a stronger, more resilient America. Today we released the 2016 National Preparedness Report, an important guidepost in our work to build

The User-Centered Redesign of IdentityTheft.gov

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:30:14 -0400

I first came across the redesigned IdentityTheft.gov on Reddit, of all places. Someone had posted a link to the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) newly redesigned site and wrote: I hope this never happens to any of you as the entire thing can be really stressful. The identitytheft.gov website is a true breath of fresh air…You

Grow Your Content Base with New Contributions to the HHS Syndication Storefront

Wed, 01 Jun 2016 10:00:39 -0400

We have written about syndication and its successes before. The content offerings of the HHS Syndication Storefront have recently grown. The National Institute of Heart Lung and Blood Diseases (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the latest to add content into the system.

Our CX Recipe for Success: Complete with Ingredient List and Substitutions!

Tue, 31 May 2016 12:15:34 -0400

If you were to spend any time with me in the kitchen, you would often find me searching out substitutions for ingredients that I don’t have on hand or have to drive 100 miles to find. I don’t want to abandon the recipe, so I substitute instead. I find that in the world of internal

A Look at Podcasting at CSOSA

Fri, 27 May 2016 11:45:25 -0400

Podcasting is growing significantly. Per Pew, the percentage of Americans who have listened to a podcast in the past month has almost doubled since 2008, from 9% to 17% by January of 2015.

7 Years of Open Data

Thu, 26 May 2016 11:25:13 -0400

In its seventh year as home to the U.S. Government’s open data, Data.gov continues to serve millions of people worldwide, from researchers and civic hackers, to businesses and citizens. These users have created apps, launched new products and services, and have improved transparency and openness, making the U.S. Government more accountable and responsive to the

The Data Briefing: Better Crowdsourced Federal Government Projects Through Cognitive Computing

Wed, 25 May 2016 10:00:26 -0400

Cognitive computing has been receiving a good deal of attention lately as more companies have been building intelligent agents. Ever since IBM Watson’s 2011 appearance on Jeopardy, cognitive computing has spread into healthcare, investing and even veterinary medicine. However, it is only recently that cognitive computing has spread into government applications. As the name implies,

Giving Consumers Greater Access to FCC Complaint Data

Tue, 24 May 2016 11:10:17 -0400

Greater transparency is one of the goals of our Consumer Help Center, which for over a year now has been the FCC’s primary online destination for learning about consumer telecommunications issues, filing informal consumer complaints and finding out what other consumers are concerned about.

Trends on Tuesday: What Kind of Apps Will Users Return To?

Tue, 24 May 2016 10:00:32 -0400

Flurry Analytics, a mobile application analytics company owned by Yahoo!, released a new report about app retention. Unless your app usage is around “gambling”—with cards (game apps), with your money (finance apps), with whether or not to bring an umbrella (weather apps), or with your health (fitness apps)—user retention and re-engagement is often a steep wall

The Content Corner: Is Scheduling Social Media Posts Truly Social?

Mon, 23 May 2016 11:10:49 -0400

Good communicators are always…well…evaluating the way they communicate. As we think of the “customer experience,” it is key to constantly consider your methods for engaging with your audience. Just as the platforms themselves continue to change to keep their audience, continuing to refine our ways of sending messages will assure that you don’t get left

Kids.Gov Reenvisioned

Mon, 23 May 2016 10:00:16 -0400

At USAGov, we always put our customers first. In the wake of our rebranding efforts, our desire to create a positive user experience across the organization has pushed us to turn a scrutinous eye toward Kids.gov; a site focused on providing information and resources to parents, teachers, and kids.

Improving Internal Communications: Best Practices

Fri, 20 May 2016 10:00:55 -0400

Customers are not the only group with whom we need to effectively communicate as we work to improve our quality of service. Effective communication between employees and leadership is critical to improving the customer experience. Front line employees interact with the public on a regular basis, and if employees do not have the information they

Making a Statement: When It Comes to Hackathons, a Compelling Challenge Statement Is Key to Success

Thu, 19 May 2016 10:00:51 -0400

As the civic hacking movement continues to grow in the United States, agencies are starting to adopt hackathons to engage citizens in the challenging work of improving government services and solving real-world challenges using open data. Whether you are planning your own hackathon, or planning in a multi-government agency “mass collaboration” such as the National

The Data Briefing: Introducing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s New Open Data Portal

Wed, 18 May 2016 11:10:59 -0400

My first column when I came back from last year’s summer sabbatical was on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) PatentsView project.

How Can Civic Hacking Help Micro-businesses?

Wed, 18 May 2016 10:00:47 -0400

National Day of Civic Hacking on June 4th, D.C. Edition The fourth installation of the National Day of Civic Hacking aims to be another stellar event, bringing together civic-minded innovators in cities across the nation under one big tent. Just as in years past, it will be powered by the passion of citizens to improve

Open Police Data Re-identification Risks

Tue, 17 May 2016 10:00:43 -0400

Last week I spoke at a White House event, “Opportunities & Challenges: Open Police Data and Ensuring the Safety and Security of Victims of Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault.” This event brought together representatives from government agencies, police departments, and advocacy groups to discuss the potential safety and privacy impact of open police data

Customer Experience Performance Metrics: Two Sides to Every Story

Mon, 16 May 2016 10:00:06 -0400

Performance metrics, targets and public reporting are not new in government; however, customer-oriented metrics have been underutilized and under-reported publicly for a long time. Today, as the principles of customer experience as a management discipline gain momentum across the federal government, there is an opportunity to use data to tell more of the story where

FDA’s “The Real Cost”: A Tumblr Success Story

Fri, 13 May 2016 10:00:25 -0400

FDA’s “The Real Cost” campaign aims to be edgy, just like its teen audience. Last month, the campaign won the 2016 Shorty Award for the Best Overall Tumblr Presence. “The Real Cost” educates youth ages 12 to 17 about the harmful effects of tobacco use.

Using Pirate Metrics to Analyze Your Mobile Application’s Audience

Thu, 12 May 2016 10:00:28 -0400

There are over 200 native applications in the federal government with various download numbers. Are the ones with the most downloads the most successful?

The Data Briefing: What Makes a Great Federal Government App?

Wed, 11 May 2016 11:00:51 -0400

There were many apps released by the federal government over the last 5-6 years on a wide range of topics and services. So, what are the outstanding federal government apps for 2016?

Accessible Workplace Technology: Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Tue, 10 May 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Last week, I had a brush with a bona fide music legend — the great Stevie Wonder. Was I starstruck? Of course. I’ve long admired his musical accomplishments and advocacy for people with disabilities. His appearance at the Grammy Awards in February highlighted once again the need to improve accessible technology, particularly in the workplace.

Help Customer Experience Drive Change at Your Agency

Tue, 10 May 2016 04:28:03 -0400

With the recent launch of the Core Federal Services Council—which seeks to improve the customer experience for core federal programs by ensuring use of customer feedback data and identifying strategies—building on the Feedback USA pilot, the Federal Front Door and other customer experience initiatives, 2016 may in fact be the Year of the Customer. But,

The Content Corner: Using Content as a Tool for Improving Citizen Services

Mon, 09 May 2016 10:06:08 -0400

It is very refreshing to see the large contingent of government communicators who are always seeking to do their job better, with a well-founded desire to provide those they serve with an enhanced experience. Based on a few examples, such as the many listserv emails that are sent across agencies, DigitalGov’s constant content stream and

Storytelling in a Digital World

Fri, 06 May 2016 10:00:58 -0400

The art of storytelling has been around since the dawn of mankind. Storytelling remains relevant today, and a recent effort by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows how agencies can use storytelling to showcase great projects while also teaching employees new communication strategies. Over the past year, Chris Reed, an environmental protection specialist in EPA’s

How to Create Portable Content with Structured Content Models

Thu, 05 May 2016 11:28:07 -0400

Structuring your content for portability across media platforms gives your agency the ability to not only place your message on other properties, but gives you the assurance that your information will always be up-to-date across multiple platforms. This ability is never more important than during an emergency, whether it is a natural disaster or a

Delivering the Next Generation of Digital Government

Wed, 04 May 2016 11:10:23 -0400

Today we take another step forward helping government develop the technology that the public and taxpayers deserve. I’m pleased to announce the creation of GSA’s third service, the Technology Transformation Service; the launchpad to set us up for the next big expedition for the federal government in technology.

The Data Briefing: Engaging Citizens through CitizenScience.Gov

Wed, 04 May 2016 10:00:01 -0400

Last month, I worked to create a “Citizen Science Passport” for the federal agencies participating in the USA Science and Engineering Festival. Seven federal agencies offered some form of crowdsourcing or citizen science activity at their booths such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s exhibit on food safety or Environmental Protection Agency’s build-your-own air monitoring

An Introduction to Open Data and APIs

Tue, 03 May 2016 10:00:32 -0400

The federal workplace is abuzz these days with talk about open data and how agencies can leverage that data through APIs. According to the federal Open Data Policy, data should be managed as an information asset, and making it discoverable and usable (in other words, open).

Redesigning We the People

Mon, 02 May 2016 11:32:09 -0400

Summary: Improving the way you engage with the White House through our online petitions platform In July 2015, we announced a big change in the way we would answer petitions on We the People. We committed to responding to you within a 60-day timeframe, whenever possible. We assembled a team of people dedicated to getting your policy questions and

The Challenge of Partnerships: ‘The Good, Bad and Ugly’ of Prize Collaborations

Fri, 29 Apr 2016 01:13:06 -0400

Well-executed partnerships can create better solutions and place them on a bigger platform. Poorly executed ones, on the other hand, can send federal agencies into a bureaucratic tailspin. To partner or not to partner: That is the question. “If you are going to do one, don’t do it because it seems like a good idea,”

Agile Transformation at Census

Thu, 28 Apr 2016 11:30:33 -0400

The agile transformation at the Census Bureau started several years ago after GAO recommended Census implement a standard Systems Development Lifecycle (SDLC).

The Data Briefing: Tales from the Dark Side of Data

Wed, 27 Apr 2016 10:00:50 -0400

There are many scary tales in the world of knowledge management and data management. Tales of missing data that was lost through the administrative cracks, such as the story of the missing Apollo 11 moonwalk tapes that most likely were erased by accident. Or the 36-year search for the original Wright Brothers’ patent, which was

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone Ownership Reaching Saturation, Fueling Media Consumption

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 11:25:35 -0400

ComScore released a report with a lot of great data about how mobile digital media usage continues to explode in 2016. It has 70 pages of charts and information to digest. Here are seven key mobile trends and takeaways: Smartphones are exponentially driving digital media usage. Digital media has tripled since 2013 and digital media

The Content Corner: GIF? Meme? Embeds? Oh, My!

Mon, 25 Apr 2016 11:48:11 -0400

You probably have heard this before, or may even hear it all the time, “Content is King.” What that means is, that in today’s fast moving digital communications age, with social media as the driver—organizations (agencies) must have a content plan to stay relevant.

Recap: How to Overcome Cultural Resistance to Agile in Government

Fri, 22 Apr 2016 10:00:11 -0400

Armed with the knowledge that ‘most studies suggest that losses are twice as powerful, psychologically, as gains,’ federal change agents can better prepare for possible cultural resistance as they begin to implement agile practices at their agencies. There are a variety of resistant-to-change personas (change is painful for most of us, but we dislike it

Microsites, They’re Bigger Than You Think

Thu, 21 Apr 2016 10:00:16 -0400

Lately, we have been hearing a lot about microsites—CDC’s Zika Virus microsite provides up-to-date information on the virus—but the big question is: What are they? A microsite is a single or small collections of pages that are meant to encourage user interaction while conveying information. A microsite has the power to educate consumers regarding a

The Data Briefing: Chatbots and the Rise of Conversational Commerce and Citizen Experience

Wed, 20 Apr 2016 11:00:59 -0400

Ten months ago, I wrote about the rise of the post-app world in which mobile personal assistants would do the work of five to 10 apps combined. These mobile personal assistants, now known as chatbots, would work through conversational interfaces (voice and instant messaging, for example). The idea is to build more natural interfaces for people

The Teams, They Are a Changin’

Tue, 19 Apr 2016 10:00:06 -0400

Business people and developers must work together daily throughout the project.—Agile Manifesto My team has experienced a lot of change in the past few weeks. We were a team of seven, and now we’ve been reduced to two. We’re off-boarding two developers, a content specialist, and the product owner, and we’re onboarding a new content

The Content Corner: Branches—Stick to the Vine

Mon, 18 Apr 2016 11:00:03 -0400

A branch that does not stick to its source of nutrition will wither away and die. Just ask anyone who has received a bouquet of beautiful flowers about how long they really last. In the same way, as communicators we must stay connected to our audience, or we risk the chance of fading away into

How Gamification Can Break Down Bureaucracy and Address Real World Problems

Fri, 15 Apr 2016 10:00:06 -0400

The world’s toughest challenges require out-of-the-box thinking. But how can agencies facilitate intentional, structured collaboration that leads to this thinking? Gamification. To address issues ranging from maritime piracy to Naval energy use to 3D printing, the Navy uses gamification via MMOWGLI, the Massive Multiplayer Online Wargame Leveraging the Internet. MMOWGLI is an online gaming platform that

GSA Unveils New Hub for Federal Citizen Science & Crowdsourcing

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 11:10:36 -0400

Do you have a scientific issue to address? Wish you had dozens, hundreds, even thousands more people helping you out? There’s help out there, and now that help is easier than ever to find.

The USAGov Bilingual Style Guide Is Now Online!

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 10:00:12 -0400

About a year and a half ago, the Federal Citizen Information Center—today called USAGov—embarked on a very ambitious task: integrating our content operations. We blurred lines that defined silos and adopted a bilingual content approach to offer a more consistent experience, regardless of language preference or point of access to our information. See more about

Law Library of Congress Implements Solution for Link and Reference Rot

Wed, 13 Apr 2016 10:00:12 -0400

Last fall, the Law Library of Congress implemented an external archiving solution for the problem of link and reference rot in its legal research reports. “Link rot” and “reference rot” (a.k.a. “content drift”) are the terms used to describe, respectively, the problem of non-working Web addresses and Web addresses that work but link to modified

Worth a Thousand Words? Announcing Ready-to-Go Interactive Graphics with BLS News Releases

Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:00:16 -0400

Last spring I wrote about how we’ve been using more and better charts and maps to help you understand our statistics. Today I’m excited to tell you about a new set of graphical tools to make our news releases more illuminating at the moment of their posting.

The Content Corner: Will You Read This Entire Post?

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 11:00:29 -0400

Deep down we’ve always known that people only read a small portion of any content shared online. In many ways that can’t be fixed but there are ways to help people read more or at least scan better. There was a book I loved as a child that featured the Sesame Street character Grover, titled

How Agile’s Being Done in Government

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 11:30:44 -0400

The concepts of agile may not be new, but there is a renewed push across government to embrace this customer-feedback driven methodology, in everything from software development to project management. A government community has even sprung up to help feds learn from one another what it takes to incorporate agile into more efficient and effective

Transcreation: Why Do We Need It?

Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:00:14 -0400

Transcreation is a relatively new term that blends the words translation and creation. In a nutshell, transcreation involves taking a concept in one language and completely recreating it in another language. A successfully transcreated message (either written or visual) evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does

UX Exponential: State Department Turning Bad User Experiences into Good

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 11:10:12 -0400

How many times a day do you have a bad user experience? Did you have one: Riding the metro to work this morning this morning? Waiting for your email to open? Watching a way-too-long training video? Trying to find your way around a new-to-you building? How many times have you thought, “there has to be

How to Merge Two Facebook Pages

Thu, 07 Apr 2016 10:00:26 -0400

In the next couple of years as new social media platforms emerge and organizations open more accounts, when do you make the decision to shut an account down? When resources are limited, we must analyze the effectiveness of our social media programs and put our time and effort into the accounts that best serve our

The Data Briefing: Building an Open Government Data Ecosystem in the Federal Government

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 13:30:10 -0400

It has been over seven years since President Obama signed the executive order that launched the federal open data movement. Much progress has been made, and there is still more to do. Along with the United States, over 100 nations have started programs to provide open access to government data. From large metropolitan governments to

Remixing Content: Shining Sunlight on the SunShot Initiative’s Solar Energy R&D Project Map

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 10:00:45 -0400

With more than 400 projects in their portfolio, it can be difficult for the Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to adequately convey the scope of the office’s work. The team can list their projects, organize them by program area, and write blog posts about them, but none of that has the same impact as seeing

Additional Data Options With DAP

Tue, 05 Apr 2016 10:00:38 -0400

Agencies can participate in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) by implementing the DAP script block. It’s a simple line of of code that enables you to take advantage DAP.

DigitalGov Podcast: Behind the Scenes of the Social and Behavioral Science Team

Mon, 04 Apr 2016 10:00:15 -0400

The Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) uses theories, research, and methods from the social and behavioral sciences to address and solve challenges faced by the public.

Your Trek to Vesta & Mars Starts Now

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:02:23 -0400

The NASA Open Innovation team is pleased to announce the availability of the APIs that power Mars Trek and Vesta Trek on api.nasa.gov. The APIs for Mars provide data from the Mars Express, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions with 21 different data products such as MOLA Altimetery Hillshade, Viking and THEMIS.

Why We Launched A Snapchat Account and How We’ll Measure Success

Fri, 01 Apr 2016 11:00:14 -0400

Yesterday, we shared our Snapchat account with the public. After weeks of testing the tool to iron out kinks and determine how we’d make content accessible, we were excited to go public when the official government-friendly terms of service were signed. So now you may be asking, why

Tag Management: A Digital Analyst’s Best Friend

Thu, 31 Mar 2016 10:00:14 -0400

Tag managers can assist in collecting valuable data about visits to your website. Here at CFPB, we use Google Tag Manager (GTM), which is a free tool that works in tandem with Google Analytics to record and send data on how users interact with your website on an aggregate level, including which pages they view, where they

The Data Briefing: An Interview with USAJOBS on New Changes to Their Data Services

Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:00:36 -0400

The Office of Personnel Management released a new look and functionality to USAJOBS in February. I recently contacted Michelle Earley, the USAJOBS Program Manager, to ask about the changes to USAJOBS and the data it provides. 1. What are

Trends on Tuesday: Google Will Rank ‘Mobile-Friendly’ Sites Even Higher Beginning in May

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 11:55:41 -0400

Last year Google began changing their search ranking algorithm to direct mobile users to mobile-friendly sites, and they recently announced that beginning in May they will be implementing an update to focus even more exclusively on boosting mobile-friendly sites.

USAGov’s Step-by-Step Guide to Making Snapchat Stories As Accessible As Possible

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 01:30:57 -0400

One of the biggest things we take into account whenever we consider launching on a new social platform is how we can make the information we share through that tool as accessible as possible. In its current form, Snapchat isn’t a highly accessible platform. This isn’t a problem that’s unique to Snapchat. Many emerging technologies

The Content Corner: Code is a Tool, Content is the Solution

Mon, 28 Mar 2016 10:00:50 -0400

It seems of late that the focus on coding and technology within the federal space has become out of balance with that of good, solid content. As I believe I have said before with regard to user experience, great technology with poor content is still worthless. Amazing code that delivers poorly written or designed content

MCC Builds on Lessons Learned in Launch of Second Open Data Challenge

Fri, 25 Mar 2016 10:00:16 -0400

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)’s first open data challenge taught MCC some very valuable lessons in making its public data truly usable by the public. The challenges ask masters and PhD students to find creative ways to use MCC’s publicly-available evaluation data and provide new insights into its evaluation results. As the second challenge launches,

DOT Seeking Data for New National Transit Map

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 11:13:25 -0400

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has invited transit agencies to share their schedule data to feed an upcoming National Transit Map. The new initiative won’t provide trip planning, but will make it possible for researchers, policymakers, and private citizens to identify and address gaps in access to public transportation. These gaps will be identified through

Buying Power: New Labs Will Foster Innovation in Government Acquisition

Thu, 24 Mar 2016 10:00:31 -0400

The slow, tedious federal acquisition process has long been the butt of jokes in the private sector. If the government had wanted to buy the original Nintendo, one might say, it would have all the paperwork in place by the time the rest of the world had moved on to the XBox. But that culture

The Data Briefing: Three Significant Events in Federal Open Data This Past Week

Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:00:52 -0400

Three recent stories demonstrate how opening up federal government data and using agile methods to create federal government software can spur innovation while saving tax money and helping the American public.

The Postal Service Just Broke Analytics.usa.gov

Tue, 22 Mar 2016 12:52:55 -0400

Ok, so it didn’t really break it. But you might notice that the amount of “people on government websites now” on analytics.usa.gov is a lot higher than it used to be.

The Content Corner: Social Media Metrics and the Challenge of Effective Measurement

Mon, 21 Mar 2016 11:18:21 -0400

I’ve recently been required to focus more attention on social media from a federal agency standpoint and this has directly led to a greater consideration of content. One of my first steps was to begin sharing various forms of content and gauge the success of each type. In today’s post, I’ll share what I have

Creating a Culture of Engagement – Webinar Recap

Fri, 18 Mar 2016 11:00:57 -0400

Employee engagement, evidenced by displays of dedication, persistence, effort and overall attachment to organization and mission, is a key factor in business success, but it can be a struggle for government organizations. Organizational leaders seeking to cultivate a culture of engagement need tangible examples of how to successfully move the needle in a positive direction.

FirstNet Launches Tumblr, Seeking Stories of Public Safety Broadband Use

Thu, 17 Mar 2016 11:00:33 -0400

FirstNet is a relatively new “startup” federal government agency with the mission of building, operating and maintaining a broadband network for the millions of first responders in the 56 states, territories and Washington D.C. Given the nature of our mission, we are always looking for new avenues to connect with our nation’s courageous law enforcement,

My Data: Empowering All Americans with Personal Data Access

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 11:10:02 -0400

Summary: Consumers empowered with their own data are in the driver’s seat to make informed choices. In the 21st century economy, Americans rely on online services to access personal bank accounts, pay bills, and shop online, so why don’t we have similar interactions with Federal government through easy-to-use, online tools? The answer is we can—and increasingly

The Data Briefing: New Opportunities for American Cities and Communities Thanks to Open Data

Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:00:18 -0400

Open data and APIs* have not only transformed the federal government; open data and APIs are also transforming tribal, state and local governments. Like federal agencies, some tribal, state and local governments are ahead of other governments in open data innovations. This situation reminds me of my earlier work with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs

Trends on Tuesday: As Mobile and Desktop Email Open Rates Converge, Responsive Sites Are Crucial

Tue, 15 Mar 2016 10:00:13 -0400

A new report about email usage reinforced the importance of always building responsive websites. Yesmail’s quarterly report showed that mobile and desktop email click-to-open rates are converging to almost the same level for the first time ever. As people become more mobile-first and mobile-only users of the Internet, users opening emails on their desktop devices

The Content Corner: Feeding the Beast with Agile Content Development

Mon, 14 Mar 2016 10:59:54 -0400

I feel as though I have ignored the beast in the room lately, and since I began my tenure on The Content Corner introducing that concept, I felt I needed to wrestle with it one last time before I depart. Previously, I discussed the concept of pair writing. Today I want to investigate how another software

Seeing States the Right Way: How to Weigh Data by Population

Fri, 11 Mar 2016 10:00:58 -0400

One large issue my team has run into when analyzing and reporting data across different states is knowing whether sessions within an area are higher due to more interest, or a larger population. Time after time, we see the states with the largest populations show up with the largest amount of traffic, like the graph

Check Your Refund Status AND Pay Your Taxes With IRS2Go

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 11:27:57 -0400

IRS2Go, offered for Amazon, Android and iOS, is one of the oldest and arguably most popular government apps.

Leveraging American Ingenuity through Reusable and Open Source Software

Thu, 10 Mar 2016 01:29:38 -0400

Summary: Today, we’re releasing for public comment a draft policy to support improved access to custom software code developed for the Federal Government. America has long been a nation of innovators. American scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs invented the microchip, created the Internet, invented the smartphone, started the revolution in biotechnology, and sent astronauts to the

The Data Briefing: Mobile Websites or Mobile Apps or Both?

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 10:46:15 -0400

The increasing sophistication of mobile devices has created many opportunities for developers. This opportunity has created one of the most contentious debates in the mobile development community: mobile apps versus mobile websites?

Quizzes: The Secret Weapon of the World’s Best Content Creators

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 11:00:44 -0400

Online quizzes have rapidly risen to the front of the social media revolution. “In 2014, 8 out of 10 of the most shared articles on the Web were quizzes,” states Owen Fuller of content company Movement Ventures. Content creators leverage quizzes to successfully drive customer engagement and increase customer website conversions (to take action such

Using Code to Spur Innovation

Tue, 08 Mar 2016 04:07:41 -0400

This week, President Obama will travel to SxSW (South by Southwest) to talk about how we can use technology to tackle tough challenges. This underscores how important data—government data, in particular—is to improving and fueling our democracy forward. 2015 saw many open data milestones by agencies, including: New advancements in HHS’s syndication storefront New features

The Content Corner: How Google Judges Your Content

Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:09:58 -0400

Every week my main goal is to usually provide new ways to help you feed the content beast. However, today I am going to remind you of why feeding the beast is important, especially when it comes to your search engine rankings and helping users find your content. I’ve discussed key search engine optimization (SEO)

Picture This: 3 Ways to Zoom In On Cross-Agency Collaboration

Fri, 04 Mar 2016 10:00:09 -0400

Cross-agency collaboration in the federal government has become a prevalent topic, more widely spoken and written about in the recent past than ever before, thanks, in part, to a bigger-than-ever focus on customer experience as a way of thinking within government. Rising customer expectations, advances in technology, and recommendations from government oversight organizations continue to

How People Learn to Navigate Government Services

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 14:43:04 -0400

This is part three of a series detailing the findings of a team of researchers from 18F and the General Services Administration who studied broad trends in people’s perceptions of and interactions with the government. You can find the introduction to the series on our website and a complete pdf of the research findings on

New FTC Website for Identity Theft Victims Offers Personal Recovery Plans

Thu, 03 Mar 2016 10:00:13 -0400

Identity theft is a big problem and it takes time and effort to deal with the issues that it causes. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), has a new tool that makes it easier for identity theft victims to recover from identity theft by providing a personal recovery plan. No matter what the person’s specific identity

The Data Briefing: Serving Citizen Developers Inside and Outside of the Federal Government

Wed, 02 Mar 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Citizen developers are people who do not work in information technology (IT) but have built IT applications. Back in the mid-80s, business people would smuggle in personal computers to run their spreadsheets and word processing applications (anyone remember VisiCalc and Bank Street Writer?) instead of having to rely on data processing departments. Today, citizen developers

Informing the Future of the Federal Front Door

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 11:10:06 -0400

In our last post, we introduced the Federal Front Door project and briefly described a six-week discovery phase, in which we set out to better understand how the general public feels about and interacts with the federal government, so that we can design and build products that improve people’s experience across government agencies. We think

Trends on Tuesday: Facebook and Google Products Dominate App Usage

Tue, 01 Mar 2016 10:00:13 -0400

Comscore released new data this month about trends in the smartphone space. The data showed that the Android platform grew in market percentage (when combining all Android manufacturers).

The Content Corner: Facebook Expands Access to Instant Articles

Mon, 29 Feb 2016 10:21:01 -0400

One of my biggest content concerns is digital sharecropping. The recent announcement from Facebook that they will soon open their Instant Articles publishing capability to everyone was reason enough for me to revisit the topic.

What do Mac & Cheese and Power of Attorneys Have in Common?

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 10:47:25 -0400

They ranked among our top three most popular emails in 2015. At USAGov, we know that email is often our #1 driver of traffic to our content, and nine out of 10 times it’s our go-to outreach tool for disseminating timely information. But doing email sends consistently and effectively isn’t always clear cut, especially when

Bringing Agile Inside

Thu, 25 Feb 2016 13:00:58 -0400

We hear a lot about agile software development being used in work with customers and end users. User stories are developed, coders and programmers turn them into prototypes, then testing is done to make sure the features work and do what is expected. But, agile is more than a way to develop software; it’s a

Touring Top Colleges with the Peace Corps

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 13:00:50 -0400

I wanted to share our first dabble with data storytelling, a visualization supporting the Peace Corps Top Colleges initiative led by our awesome press team. Our goal was to enhance and expand the experience of the Top Colleges campaign and use of the data beyond the usual suspects like infographics, and other assets to show

The Data Briefing: The Challenge of Opening up Federal Government Algorithms

Wed, 24 Feb 2016 10:00:39 -0400

Algorithms are becoming more important as the amount of data grows, and the complexity of government and business processes grows. Put simply, an algorithm is just a set of steps for solving a problem. If you shop online, use an online social network or a mobile app to plan your route, then you are using

The Benefits of Being Push-y: Reaching Your Audience Through Push Notifications

Tue, 23 Feb 2016 13:00:27 -0400

Need to get in touch with your audience? Give them a little push. Push notifications allow agencies to connect with their audiences for immediate communication. The Office of Personnel Management’s OPM Alert app provides a real time look at the current operating status for federal offices in the Washington, DC, area and uses push technology

The Content Corner: Government as API

Mon, 22 Feb 2016 11:10:39 -0400

Here at DigitalGov, we generally focus on federal governmental digital efforts within the U.S. It is where we live and operate, so it makes sense, but many governments across the world struggle with the same issues and leverage technology as a common solution. When I came across an article where Australia announced its “government as

Designing User-Friendly, Educational and Engaging Mobile Gaming Apps

Fri, 19 Feb 2016 12:20:20 -0400

How do you reach audiences with important health information and leave users asking for more? Is it enough to create responsive websites written in plain language or to design apps with health tips optimized for handheld devices? While those ideas are a step in the right direction, we do not live in a world where,

Analytics.usa.gov: Now with Agency-Specific Dashboards

Thu, 18 Feb 2016 11:10:51 -0400

We’ve added agency-specific dashboards to analytics.usa.gov!

Challenges & Prizes Webinar Series Concludes, but Training Still Available

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 11:10:20 -0400

It began with a history lesson and ended with an eye to the future. In between, the Expert Training Series: How to Design & Operate Prizes to Maximize Success covered nearly every aspect of what it takes to run successful incentivized competitions. Challenge.gov and DigitalGov University partnered with XPRIZE Foundation to bring together expert speakers

The Data Briefing: Demand-Driven Open Data at Health and Human Services

Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:00:13 -0400

For many agencies, what data to make open is left up to the agency’s judgment. This has worked well as agencies do a good job in understanding the public’s needs for specific datasets. Even so, as developers and citizens begin using the open datasets, there is increasing demand for specific agency datasets. The issue is

Trends on Tuesday: Robot Messaging Goes Mainstream

Tue, 16 Feb 2016 10:00:10 -0400

John Connor can’t save you. Robots are here to take over the world. Two interesting new consumer mobile and digital content experiences were launched in the past week, signaling some of the first mainstream brands embracing this new paradigm of interactive, bot-driven content experiences: Quartz’s News App and The New York Times Election Slack Bot. Both

Putting Your Main Message First

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 10:00:31 -0400

Want to learn how to clearly communicate your message? Watch the new “Put Your Main Message First” video from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Created by USCIS’ Office of Communications, the video teaches you about the importance of organizing your information so that your audience understands your key messages. “It’s common in government writing

Microsites Keep Your Audience Updated on Outbreaks

Thu, 11 Feb 2016 10:00:55 -0400

You can now help your audience stay up-to-date on the Zika virus outbreak—and others—through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s microsite, which is an easily embeddable collection of virus information for your agency’s website.

Paying Incentives for Federal User Research

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:00:28 -0400

Paying incentives to test participants is standard practice in research and usability testing. While some people may be willing to participate for free, many aren’t.

What is Content?

Wed, 10 Feb 2016 04:06:01 -0400

In this age of content marketing that has led publications to call certain ads “paid content,” those of us in government need to broaden our ideas about what “content” is. Many of us get it, but some agencies may also be missing opportunities because they don’t even grasp that content is a broad and fluid

Preliminary Results from USAGov’s Voter Registration Partnership with Facebook

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 10:00:37 -0400

The first phase of our partnership with Facebook included Facebook “megaphones” being rolled out in a handful of states with rapidly approaching voter registration deadlines. Facebook’s megaphone is a featured box that is displayed at the top of all user’s News Feeds. (You may recall seeing these after certain disasters giving users the option to

The Content Corner: Location-Aware Content

Mon, 08 Feb 2016 11:00:00 -0400

While January was about looking ahead, February is focused on content and many of the new possibilities and challenges that will face us as content creators over the next year and beyond. At the intersection of these two themes lies the genesis of my topic today: location-aware content. More than a Map One of the

4 Tips for Analyzing Mobile Traffic with DAP

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:00:17 -0400

It’s not a secret that mobile Internet viewership is booming, but according to a ComScore report released last June, 49% of the audiences for the top 100 digital properties are now mobile-only. Additionally, during the third quarter last year, Gartner reported PC shipments fell 7.7% while IDC Research reported a 10.8% decline. The switch to

Does Content Syndication Work?

Thu, 04 Feb 2016 10:00:04 -0400

You may have heard some chatter about syndication but thought to yourself—sounds good but does it really work? The answer is—Absolutely!! Here is your Proof NIH News in Health is a monthly newsletter that has recently been syndicated. Since syndication, the newsletter’s content can be found on multiple websites. These websites include state and local

The Data Briefing: Mapping the Big Data Ecosystem of U.S. Agriculture

Wed, 03 Feb 2016 10:19:49 -0400

The Congressional Research Service recently released a report (PDF, 688 kb, 17 pages, January 2016) describing the big data ecosystem for U.S. agriculture. The purpose of the report was to understand the federal government’s role in emerging big data sources and technologies involved in U.S. agriculture. As the report author, Megan Stubbs, points out, there is

The Day After: Real Impacts Begin When a Challenge Ends

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:00:52 -0400

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh won the Orteig Prize for becoming the first pilot to fly nonstop from New York to Paris. Few know that Lindbergh won $25,000 for the flight, but everybody knows about the revolution that followed. That transatlantic flight opened people’s minds to what was possible in air travel. Investment in the aviation

Trends on Tuesday: Retaining Your Mobile Audience Is Critical (and Difficult!) From Day 1

Tue, 02 Feb 2016 10:00:16 -0400

How perfecting your day-1 experience for users is critical for retention.

The Content Corner: Four Ways to Help Your Content Stand Out

Mon, 01 Feb 2016 10:00:28 -0400

When discussing trends for 2016, I made some mention of the content overload that started in 2015 but will certainly increase in 2016. Contently recently found that organizations created 73% more content in 2015 than in 2014. I see no reason why that number will decline in 2016, especially as content becomes the beast of

Moving from Open Data to Open Knowledge: Announcing the Commerce Data Usability Project

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 11:32:00 -0400

Opening up government to better serve the American people has been a key priority of this Administration from day one. On his first full day in office, President Obama signed the Memorandum on Transparency and Open Government, ushering in a new era of open and accountable government. Since then, the Administration has continued to take

Case Study: OCSIT’s Email Customer Survey Process

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 10:00:34 -0400

To help us gauge the effectiveness of the programs we offer to other government agencies, we launched our first Government Customer Experience Index (GCXi) survey in 2013.

How FEMA Delivers Anytime, Anywhere Information During Disasters

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 10:00:42 -0400

No one wants to feel helpless in an emergency situation. To provide tips and assistance anytime, anywhere, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) stepped up their mobile game. FEMA developed an SMS service and an app to engage with users while they’re on the go. The app is available on Android, Apple and Blackberry.

The Data Briefing: Improving the Federal Government Through Mobile Apps

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 10:00:08 -0400

Federal agencies are doing well in fulfilling the 2012 Digital Government Strategy by providing numerous mobile apps for American citizens.

Making Your Agency Apps Secure

Thu, 21 Jan 2016 13:21:09 -0400

Security and privacy are part of the six Mobile User Experience Guidelines developed by the MobileGov Community of Practice.

A New Team Strives to Coordinate Citizen Science, Crowdsourcing Across Government

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 10:00:29 -0400

A government can accomplish nothing without the ingenuity of its people. This is why the federal government is committed to using online tools to make its problem-solving more open and collaborative. A growing number of agencies are testing the applications of crowdsourcing and citizen science to accomplish more, and in many cases, do things faster

Trends on Tuesday: Will Phablets Dominate the Mobile Market in 2017?

Tue, 19 Jan 2016 10:17:15 -0400

Phablets, once mocked for their large size, may be the next big form factor dominating mobile devices, if new data from the holiday season is any indication. Flurry Mobile, part of Yahoo’s mobile analytics division, published two reports about phablet devices at the beginning of the new year, showing their continued growth and that people use

State of Federal Blogging 2016

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 10:00:10 -0400

How government agencies blog has come a long way in the past decade. As we welcome 2016, here is a look at how the White House, NASA and the Department of the Interior run their blogs and share content. White House: Blog Less, Empower More When you go to WhiteHouse.gov, their blog is featured prominently

Tips for Hallway Testing from NIH

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 11:10:14 -0400

Over the course of the last year, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) has sought to increase its use of usability testing to improve the user experience on our Web resources. To do this, we conducted hallway usability testing at the NIH Clinical Center on NLM’s site search feature. Our goal is to update the

Why People Contribute to Federal Tech Projects (And How You Can Provide a Good Experience)

Thu, 14 Jan 2016 10:00:56 -0400

Author’s note: Anyone can contribute to the development of the Open Opportunities platform via the project’s GitHub repository. The Open Opportunities program itself is only open to federal employees. Open, agile software development projects can improve government initiatives. As discussed in last week’s article on agile projects in government, the Open Opportunities platform has benefited

The Data Briefing: 2016 Trends That Could Affect Federal Government Data

Wed, 13 Jan 2016 13:00:51 -0400

Many IT pundits predict 2016 will be a major tipping point in data and related technologies. Here are just a few predictions: 1) The Internet of Things—The number of devices that can connect to the Internet increases, especially in consumer electronics. Also, the number of sensors will dramatically increase providing more real-time data on weather,

A 2016 Look Ahead: What’s on the Horizon for Digital Government?

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 16:58:52 -0400

With January, and the tearing off of the old calendar, comes the annual taking stock of where we’ve been in the last year and where we can go in the year ahead. So for this month’s editorial theme, we’re taking a closer look at what we think 2016 will bring for digital government—from mobile and

Trends on Tuesday: 10 Mobile, Government and Tech Trends for 2016

Tue, 12 Jan 2016 11:00:37 -0400

As we move into 2016, here are 10 trends I foresee flourishing around mobile, technology and government: The mobile-majority tipping point in government. Many agencies are already past this point, but as a whole, government websites are still desktop-majority, with 66% of people accessing federal websites via desktop and 34% on mobile. In 2016, the double-digit mobile

The Content Corner: Content Trends for 2016

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 14:00:53 -0400

The beginning of a new year is generally a time where people on a personal and professional level look ahead and prognosticate. When it comes to almost any digital media, the one thing we can be certain of is that the pace will quicken, the offerings will expand, and something totally unexpected will jump out

Tapping ‘Teen Power’ — Challenging Youth with Prize Competitions

Mon, 11 Jan 2016 10:30:05 -0400

Sometimes in crowdsourcing, you want to take your problem straight to a specific crowd. And sometimes that crowd is still in school. Challenge.gov has seen many federal agencies launch prize competitions to educate and engage high school students. These include a NASA challenge that asked students to develop devices that could protect astronauts from radiation during space flight.

#SomosSocial: Bilingual Twitter Chats—How to Do Them Effectively

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 10:00:00 -0400

There are 11.7 million + reasons to be on Twitter—the approximate number of Hispanics in the U.S. who are using the platform. And out of those 11.7 million, 43% tweet in English and in Spanish. Hispanics over index their counterparts when it comes to digital technologies and services, but how do you reach them and

What Are Your Customers Searching For?

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 01:00:28 -0400

What are your agency’s website visitors looking for? Can they find it easily? How do you know? Search analytics provide valuable data that can positively affect an agency’s Web strategy. This topic was the focus of a recent webinar, Show Me the Data: Leveraging Analytics in DigitalGov Search. Dawn Pointer McCleskey, acting program manager for

Tips for Adapting analytics.usa.gov from Tennessee, Boulder, and Philadelphia

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 13:19:21 -0400

When we launched analytics.usa.gov with the Digital Analytics Program, the U.S. Digital Service, and the White House last March, we purposefully made it very easy to adapt and wrote language on the website to let people know they could use the code without restriction: This open source project is in the public domain, which means

Content Models: As Simple as Pizza Pie!

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 13:07:04 -0400

Open and structured content models assist in the dissemination of information to various devices and media types. In the age of smartphones, tablets, social media tools, syndication and websites, the need for modular content is growing. How can you make your content adaptive to all of these mediums? Open and structured content models can help you create

The Data Briefing: Using Federal Open Data to Understand How Government Performs

Wed, 06 Jan 2016 10:54:27 -0400

Some highlights from the recent fall conference of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management: Localities that receive disaster mitigation funds also have more disaster declarations. Longer, more detailed proposed regulations receive fewer challenges to implementing the regulation. Agencies that are better at quantifying their results are safer from budget cuts. The findings above

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile-Only U.S. Audiences Grow While Broadband Usage Drops

Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:02:30 -0400

The Pew Research Center released an interesting report about home Internet usage that revealed broadband usage plateaued in 2013 and, in fact, dropped 3% in 2015. Later in the report, Pew states the growth in mobile-only audiences compensated for the drop in home broadband usage, so the overall number of people with Internet access hasn’t changed

Digging Into the Data of Our Customer Survey

Tue, 05 Jan 2016 09:00:06 -0400

As a follow-up to the recent post about our annual customer satisfaction survey, we wanted to dig into the data and share some of the overall results to give you some more insights into how we’re using your feedback to improve our programs and services.

A Sense of Purpose: Strong Communities Can Overcome Big Challenges

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 13:00:44 -0400

Cook-offs, bike rides, parades and dance parties—these are not the traditional public hearing-style events for which government agencies are known. But these events helped to fuel the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Rebuild by Design Challenge (PDF, 484 KB, 1 page, January 2016), boosting the collective morale among a complex, multidisciplinary network of engaged

How Agile Development Can Benefit Federal Projects

Mon, 04 Jan 2016 11:00:56 -0400

Agile methods help agencies deliver projects and products more efficiently and effectively. The benefits aren’t limited to deliverables: Going agile can break down the silos that exist between and within agencies. And collaboration doesn’t need to end at the federal level—agile projects done in the open provide a way for the public to contribute to

DigitalGov's 2015 Year in Review

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 11:00:26 -0400

As we look ahead to 2016, we wanted to take a minute to look at our most popular content in 2015 and reflect on our second year. This was a big year for DigitalGov as we saw our session traffic nearly double and our weekly and daily email subscribers increase by 15%.

How ABMC Got Started with Mobile App Development

Thu, 31 Dec 2015 10:00:12 -0400

The MobileGov Community of Practice put together six Mobile User Experience Guidelines to help keep mobile users in love with their apps. DigitalGov University hosted a webinar in which the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) highlighted two of these guidelines.

The Data Briefing: Design for Developer Experience (DX) and Data Prosumer Experience (DPX)

Wed, 30 Dec 2015 11:00:01 -0400

Recently, DigitalGov devoted an entire month to exploring how good user experience (UX) helps government design better digital products and services. UX is the art and science of understanding how people will use a website or mobile app to solve a problem or meet a need. UX is a combination of neuroscience, communication theory, information

CX Community—Year One

Wed, 30 Dec 2015 10:00:47 -0400

Customer experience, or CX, is everywhere these days. If you’re wondering how customer experience differs from customer service, customer service usually involves a single interaction, such as a phone call to your cable company, while the customer experience encompasses the entire relationship.

Trends on Tuesday: Providing Anytime, Anywhere Government Through Mobile App Competitions

Tue, 29 Dec 2015 10:30:40 -0400

Agencies have used an open data competition approach in their quest to provide anytime, anywhere government. For example, in 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducted the Apps for the Environment challenge and has a hub for apps created using EPA data. Here’s an update on challenges hosted by other agencies: The National Institute of Standards

OCSIT’s 2015 Customer Survey—What We Learned

Mon, 28 Dec 2015 10:00:13 -0400

Three years ago, GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) set out to design a system to consistently measure customer satisfaction across our office. We were inspired by the Digital Government Strategy, which tasks agencies to adopt a customer-centric approach to service delivery.

Good Content Needs Plain Language

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 13:48:55 -0400

If good content is essential to good user experience, as Tyrus Manuel proposes in his November 23, 2015, DigitalGov post, then plain language is also part of good user experience. Plain language helps the public do what they need to do—find forms, apply for benefits, look up information and more—when they use federal websites and other

The Data Briefing: Air and Space Museum Launches New Mobile App into the Frontier of STEM Education

Wed, 23 Dec 2015 10:00:58 -0400

The Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum just released a new educational mobile app, Mobile Missions. From the website: “Find out if you are cut out for a career in aerospace with our free mobile app, Mobile Missions. Take our quiz to discover the best aerospace career for you. Explore objects from our collection related to

After the Survey: Turning Customer Feedback into Action

Tue, 22 Dec 2015 10:00:42 -0400

Doing business with any U.S. government agency can be a daunting task. For example, in the case of customers new to EXIM Bank, there are application forms to complete, rules to understand, processes to navigate and conditions that have to be met in order to work with our agency.

With Collaboration Comes Great Things

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 11:10:42 -0400

We are pleased to announce the beginnings of a new Syndication.Net/Sharepoint module for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Syndication Storefront. The collaborative effort between HHS and National Institutes of Health’s (NIH), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) teams will eventually enable .NET content management system users to publish

The Content Corner: Can You Leverage Cornerstone Content?

Mon, 21 Dec 2015 10:00:02 -0400

If you have a website, then you most likely have cornerstone content—though you may not think of it in that way or even considered it. Just as in architecture, a cornerstone is a basic and essential part of any online presence. Cornerstone content is also important to any new visitors to your agency site, even if you

Twitter Town Hall Tips from the VA

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 10:00:05 -0400

I work for the Department of Veterans Affairs in a national benefits office that oversees Veterans life Insurance programs. Our office has held a couple of successful Twitter Town Halls. They get a little smoother each time because we make a point of adjusting our style based on our lessons learned. After answering a question

Once Upon a FOIA Request: How You Can Open Public Records

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 03:14:27 -0400

Like many of you, we watched with great interest this week when a citizen submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) asking them to release to the public Wu-Tang Clan’s album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin. While official sources explain that the desired outcome is not possible

How FSA Revamped Their Online Presence with Mobile Moments in Mind

Thu, 17 Dec 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Let the mic drop! Mobile moments are created with the expectation that an app can stun the crowd. Do not let your audience down; they may never come back. Federal Student Aid (FSA), in an effort to provide better customer service, decided to build a mobile-responsive website. Kaegy Pabulos, a Borrower Experience Specialist and project

Challenges, Crowdsourcing, Citizen Science: What’s the Dif?

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 11:10:18 -0400

There’s more than one way to harness the wisdom of the crowd. In honor of December’s monthly theme, we’re diving into and defining the various ways that federal agencies use public contributions to meet real needs and fulfill important objectives. Crowdsourcing Two’s company, three’s a crowd—and getting input from many is crowdsourcing. A White House

The Data Briefing: Does the Federal Government Have an Obligation to Educate Open Data Users?

Wed, 16 Dec 2015 10:00:07 -0400

Pop quiz on statistics and data science (answers at the end of the article): 1) I have some data on accidents at railroad crossings. One variable indicates the compass direction a railroad crossing faces (North, Northwest, Northeast, and so on). This variable is a/an: Ordinal Categorical Directional Interval 2) I have some ordinal data that

Challenge App-titude: A Successful Newcomer Offers a Few Tips

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 13:18:52 -0400

The Reference Data Challenge, launched this summer, was a call for innovative approaches to a long-standing role of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to make “critically evaluated reference data available to scientists, engineers and the general public.” This challenge—our first-ever app contest and second prize competition as an agency—had the dual aims

Trends on Tuesday: Holiday Shopping Sales Show a Move Towards Mobile-First

Tue, 15 Dec 2015 11:00:22 -0400

U.S. shoppers are increasingly using their mobile devices to make purchases during the busiest shopping days: Black Friday and Thanksgiving weekend. According to Custora, online Black Friday sales rose more than 16% compared to last year, and smartphone use rose to more than 36% (up from 30% last year), with iPhones accounting for the lion’s share of

Government Customer Service Update—Webinar Recap

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 13:00:28 -0400

When the public comes to the federal government for information and services, they should receive an optimal customer experience. The Customer Service CAP goal spells out specific strategies to help us achieve this.

The Content Corner: Is Pair Writing Right for You?

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 10:00:35 -0400

Fresh from last week’s article about workflows and their importance in the content creation process, I stumbled upon a new twist in content production known as pair writing. Many of you familiar with agile methodologies or software programming in general should know the term pair programming. Pair writing hopes to take some of the same

Getting Serious About Good Writing—EIA’s Write Right Curriculum

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:10:22 -0400

Let’s see–you want to improve the skills of your agency’s writers. Here’s a to-do list: Enlist a high-level champion, ideally your agency head, to make statements saying writing skills are critical—check. Create a Writing Style Guide—check. Hold classes to introduce the Style Guide—check. Expand internal editing resources—check. But what’s next? If you really want to

All In: Partnering Across Sectors Can Boost Competition Results

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:00:14 -0400

We’ve heard the phrase a million times: Nobody does it alone. Still, it rings true no matter what you’re trying to accomplish. When it comes to crowdsourcing competitions, government agencies are making breakthroughs in a variety of fields by partnering with companies, nonprofit organizations and others beyond the federal framework. The White House announced more

Sixty Years of Tradition: Tracking Santa with NORAD

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 11:46:12 -0400

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds;… …wondering when Santa was coming? “Let’s check!” they all

Best Practices for Remote User Experience Research

Thu, 10 Dec 2015 10:00:25 -0400

Once simply an idea, remote data gathering is now a very important reality in UCD (user-centered design) work. However, there are some challenges, particularly when your agency serves the entire nation and all of the groups in it. Identifying and finding solutions for these issues will help you best use this important tool.

The Data Briefing: Help #HackSuicide This Weekend

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 10:00:18 -0400

A month ago, I wrote about the White House’s call for data scientists and app developers to come together to help combat suicide. On December 12, 2015, there will be five hackathons around the U.S. to #HackSuicide. All the hackathons are free and open to the public. Even if you are not a data scientist,

Connecting with the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team

Wed, 09 Dec 2015 01:40:55 -0400

The new Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST) aims to make government programs more effective and efficient. Amira Choueiki from the SBST joined us to explain what the SBST does, and to discuss some of the projects they’ve worked on.

Challenges & Crowdsourcing: A Quick Overview and Look Ahead

Tue, 08 Dec 2015 11:43:44 -0400

This month we’re highlighting articles about challenge competitions and crowdsourcing across the federal government. Federal agencies can gain a wealth of ideas, services, solutions and products by asking a large, diverse crowd to contribute their talents and skills. Simply put, crowdsourcing means engaging the crowd. Often referred to as a form of open collaboration or

Trends on Tuesday: Adobe Moves Beyond Flash

Tue, 08 Dec 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Half a decade since Steve Jobs declared war on Adobe Flash and refused to support it on Apple’s mobile and tablet devices, Flash is finally losing its crown as one of the stand-alone products of Adobe. In the announcement, Adobe said, “Flash has played a leading role in bringing new capabilities to the Web. From

The EPA’s New Environmental Digital Services Marketplace

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 13:29:31 -0400

Over the past year, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has undertaken a broad initiative to transform the way it delivers digital services. We’ve been working hand-in-hand with the EPA to make this transformation a success by supporting such programs as eManifest. Working with 18F

CX Data in Action Series: Case Study #1

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 11:10:18 -0400

It’s not new that agencies are inundated with data, but what data should you collect to improve your agency’s programs and enhance the customer experience? The Department of Labor’s Employee Benefit Security Administration’s (EBSA) has been perfecting their process to collect actionable data for the past 14 years.

The Content Corner: Work Smarter with Workflows

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 10:00:55 -0400

I noticed recently that I have spent a decent amount of time discussing or referencing content workflow, but I haven’t spent much time on how to actually create or use workflows. Developing content workflows can be a fairly painless process that can make your regular content creation a much smoother and efficient process. Content workflows

How to Manage Multimedia Assets: What Peace Corps Is Doing to Grow Its Photo and Video Archives

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 10:00:46 -0400

When Alex Snyder started working at Peace Corps a few years ago, he had an opportunity to explore a new platform for housing their digital assets. As a professional photographer himself, he saw the value in focusing on visual elements and making those more accessible. He focused on making the library about photos, video and

Fascinating Geysers on the NPS Yellowstone Geysers App

Thu, 03 Dec 2015 13:00:56 -0400

Geological phenomena such as steaming mud craters, bubbling mud pools, hot springs and geysers are some of the exhilarating features of a geo-thermal wonderland. Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park falls into this category. If you are planning a visit to

The Data Briefing: The Open Government Data Revolution Is Just Getting Started

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 11:00:18 -0400

Some of you may remember when President Reagan opened America’s Global Positioning System (GPS) data. President Reagan gave all countries access to the GPS data in response to the Soviet Union shooting down Korean Airlines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983. I do not believe that the U.S. realized how much opening up GPS data

Analytics.usa.gov: New Features and More Data

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 13:00:53 -0400

As of writing this post, 25,225 of the 124,878 total visitors on federal government websites participating in the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) are NOT located in the United States. And as a result of

Trends on Tuesday: Facebook, TV and How to Reach Millennials and Hispanics

Tue, 01 Dec 2015 11:00:55 -0400

How do you capture millennial and Hispanic eyes? Through their hands. (More specifically: their mobile devices, and the social apps within!). AdAge recently analyzed a study from Nielsen’s Homescan panel which found that in a typical month, 12.2% of millennials can only be reached through TV (looking at the top 10 networks only) versus 14.2%

The Content Corner: The Balance Between SEO and the User

Mon, 30 Nov 2015 10:00:16 -0400

I always think of SEO like the dentist—no one really likes it, but you need to do it. Yet, despite my lack of excitement for the topic, this will be at a minimum my second post (here’s the first) about the relationship between creating good content and SEO practices. Today I want to dive a little

OPM Wants to Hear from You by December 9

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 13:00:16 -0400

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is looking for agency subject matter experts (SMEs) to participate in an occupational study of the Public Affairs Series 1035. OPM is accepting SME submissions until Wednesday, December 9th. The study will review the “current classification and qualification standards for public affairs work” and allow OPM to make any revisions

Government Product Managers Play a Key Role in UX

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 11:00:19 -0400

Government product managers sit at the intersection of three circles—business, design and technology. We play a key role in user experience (UX), because we are tasked with understanding users to build a product that is desirable and viable. This product could be a paper or online form, a website or a mobile app. Product management

The Data Briefing: How Neuroscience and Communication Theory Inform Good User Experience Design

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:00:51 -0400

UX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, DigitalGov is focusing on UX design.

Trends on Tuesday: What Mobile Devices Do People Use to Access Federal Sites?

Tue, 24 Nov 2015 10:00:40 -0400

Mobile users of government websites are growing in double digit percentages and will likely soon become the majority. For some recent internal project research, I dove into some of the federal government-wide analytics looking at mobile usage and found a few interesting tidbits to share: It’s an OS battle of the As. Apple devices slightly

Wherever You Go, There We Are: the Geolocation API

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 13:00:37 -0400

No matter how you go mobile, you can meet your user’s needs. Recommendations based on location are plentiful, particularly on native apps. But don’t fret, agencies with mobile websites: you can also get in the location customization game. Geolocation is a W3C scripting API that can be used with JavaScript in Web browsers. In the

The Content Corner: Good UX Needs Good Content

Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:00:13 -0400

As DigitalGov focuses on user experience this month it is good to remember one harsh truth: You cannot have a good user experience with bad content. It is important to keep a “content first” strategy in place during any website redesign or new site development. It is so easy for the various disciplines involved in

UX vs. CX: What’s the Dif? Part 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 11:10:26 -0400

In honor of World Usability Day, which happened on November 12, we’d like to demystify two extremely important and oft-confusing acronyms—CX and UX. Customer Experience (CX) and User Experience (UX), while related, focus on different aspects of service delivery.

Roadmap for Creating a Writing Style Guide: One Step at a Time

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 10:00:37 -0400

So, you’re tired of seeing little (or big!) errors on your agency’s website, and you flinch at the random writing styles. You feel like your agency’s content is good, but there are still too many inconsistencies. What you need is an agency Writing Style Guide. A good guide can set styles that improve your agency’s

New Playbook Details What It’s Like to Work with 18F Delivery

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 01:00:26 -0400

If you or your agency have thought about working with 18F but are unsure of how we work with our partners, we have a new set of guidelines to help you out. The 18F Delivery Partner Playbook is specifically targeted at federal offices interested in working with 18F to build digital services. The playbook is

Is There a Generic Equivalent to My Brand Name Drug? Find out with FDA OB Express

Thu, 19 Nov 2015 01:00:14 -0400

The FDA has released a free native app for the public called Orange Book Express, or OB Express, as a mobile version of its Approved Drug Products with Therapeutic Equivalence Evaluations publication that is primarily used by pharmacists.

The Data Briefing: Innovating Health Data at the HHS IDEA Lab

Wed, 18 Nov 2015 10:00:07 -0400

By the time this is published, the United States, along with 160 other countries, will be celebrating Global Entrepreneurship Week 2015. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) IDEA Lab is an outstanding example of a federal agency using open data to foster economic growth through empowering federal employees with innovative ideas and opening health data to the private sector.

GSA.gov Refreshed with Eye Toward Mobile Users

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 14:59:57 -0400

GSA unveiled a refreshed GSA.gov website yesterday with a more crisp design layout, improved usability, and features geared more toward mobile users. Increasingly, website traffic is coming from mobile users. With this in mind, GSA unveiled a newly refreshed GSA.gov website on Nov. 16. “Our ultimate goal for the refresh

How to Use Remote Data Strategically in UX

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 13:00:55 -0400

One of the challenges UX practitioners can face is how to communicate much of the data that’s out there. The key word is “communicate.” Since many of us are used to qualitative findings, making the jump to “hard data” can be a challenge. There are tools out there that make this easier, but we still

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone and Tablet Adoption Grows While Other Digital Devices Slump

Tue, 17 Nov 2015 10:00:49 -0400

Pew released a recent report tracking trends in digital device ownership and found smartphones and tablets have continued to grow in recent years, while other devices have stalled.

Interested in Using the New Poll Feature on Twitter? Here’s What You Need to Know!

Mon, 16 Nov 2015 11:10:58 -0400

Twitter polls allow you to tweet out simple A or B style opinion polls. These polls can spark some great engagement, but you’ll want to keep a few things in mind before getting started: To stay within the social media

The Content Corner: User Research for Complex Systems

Mon, 16 Nov 2015 10:21:56 -0400

My office is preparing to embark on a complete redesign of a 10-year-old system that averages 20,000 users a month. The success and adoption of the new system design and the product as a whole will be heavily determined by how well our team translates users’ needs. Providing a good user experience will also play

Engage the Community with Visual Greatness

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 10:00:28 -0400

The power of using social media to find and create images can be overwhelming. What image do I post? How can I get more followers when I don’t have animals or pretty pictures to share? All good questions. The fact is, no matter what your agency does you can find a visual way to tell

Post Office Whenever and Wherever—USPS Mobile® App

Thu, 12 Nov 2015 11:10:05 -0400

Technology has become integral to our lives, and now many of these familiar postal services are available at our fingertips on our mobile devices.

Trends on Tuesday: 5 Tips for Designing Touch Interactions

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 10:00:14 -0400

Josh Clark, one of the pioneers of touch Web design, and author of Tapworthy and Designing for Touch, published an excellent article on A List Apart analyzing How We Hold Our Gadgets that has a wealth of data and graphics about this interesting and emerging design challenge. Below are 5 notable lessons from the post: 1. Portrait (vertical) orientation dominates

Creating Connection with Instagram

Tue, 10 Nov 2015 01:00:23 -0400

I’ve been thinking a lot about Instagram lately. It’s pretty big, especially among the younger populations (AKA. Millennials). Actually, from what I can tell, it’s pretty big with lots of different age groups, genders, and ethnicities; and it’s growing every day. Full disclosure: I use Instagram in my personal

How UX Effects Change in Government—One Test, One Customer Survey at a Time

Mon, 09 Nov 2015 12:23:18 -0400

Over the past few years, many agencies have learned how to do user experience (UX) with few resources. And while that’s still a problem at many agencies, many UX initiatives have been gaining momentum and attracting new stakeholders.

The Content Corner: Structured Content and the Power of Syndication

Mon, 09 Nov 2015 09:52:53 -0400

A recent DigitalGov webinar on syndicated content and the recent achievements of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention helped open my eyes even wider to the possibilities of open and structured content. By offering critical health information via syndication, CDC and other Department of Health and Human Services agencies are helping resource-strapped local agencies share

USCIS Twitter Office Hours

Fri, 06 Nov 2015 10:00:33 -0400

On September 1, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) hosted our first Twitter Office Hours, a Twitter chat for USCIS customers. The purpose of this pilot event was to offer our customers a different way to engage with us. We aimed to leverage Twitter to answer questions on our agency’s programs and policies and to

#SomosSocial: 5 Keys for Government to Reach Hispanics Through Social Media

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 14:09:46 -0400

Hispanics are one of fastest growing demographics in the U.S. But like any demographic, there are important nuances to consider when connecting with this audience. Insight into your audience’s motivations, behavior and preferences is key for anyone trying to engage with the public. We know every day that more and more Hispanics are on social

Making Federal Employment Accessible Through DOD’s CAP App

Thu, 05 Nov 2015 10:00:43 -0400

The Department of Defense CAP app allows U.S. government employees to use their mobile devices to look up information about services and resources.

The Data Briefing: Is That Drug Safe? – The FDA’s RR-Drug R/Shiny App

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 10:11:23 -0400

I (virtually) attended the Third Annual Safety Datapalooza last Thursday and was greatly impressed by the projects and initiatives for public safety. This was a great event, and I am glad that live streaming was provided for those who could not attend in person but have a great interest in using government data for disaster

NIH Image Gallery Now on Flickr

Wed, 04 Nov 2015 10:00:58 -0400

Looking for health or science related images? The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently launched the NIH Image Gallery on Flickr. The Image Gallery offers a wide variety of scientific, biomedical and disease related imagery as well as photos of NIH

Trends on Tuesday: Forecasting the Internet of Things

Tue, 03 Nov 2015 10:00:36 -0400

An industry group tracking the growth and production of the “Internet of Things,” a term given to Internet-connected devices and accessories, is predicting that growth will slow over the next 6 months, but then surge 3 times as fast, over the following year. The research was organized by the IoT M2M Council, which is made

Modernizing Federal Cybersecurity

Mon, 02 Nov 2015 13:00:34 -0400

Summary: Today, the Administration directed a series of actions to continue strengthening Federal cybersecurity & modernizing the government’s technology infrastructure. Strengthening the cybersecurity of Federal networks, systems, and data is one of the most important challenges we face as a Nation. Every day, public and private sector leaders—my team included—are directing significant resources to address

The Content Corner: The Joys of the Content Template

Mon, 02 Nov 2015 10:13:29 -0400

Many of us depend a great deal on subject matter experts (SMEs) to generate content that will eventually end up on our site. These are men and women that have critical knowledge to share with our audiences, and it is our job to make it match our various editorial and content guidelines. Using a simple

DigitalGov Summit Recap: Innovation Through Customer Experience

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 11:10:21 -0400

A panel discussion at the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit delved into customer experience (CX) work at three agencies with diverse missions.

Welcome to BetaFEC: Campaign Finance for Everyone

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 10:00:38 -0400

As the 2016 presidential election heats up, here at 18F we’ve been working with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to make campaign finance data more accessible to the public. Today, we launched betaFEC, the first piece in a complete redesign of the FEC’s online

New Website. New Farmers.

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 02:55:47 -0400

USDA has been looking for ways to improve content delivery to our customers and making their first interaction with USDA and government a positive one. In 2014, USDA launched New Farmers, a website dedicated to helping new and beginning farmers and ranchers find the resources

DigitalGov Podcast: Bridging Content and Discovery Through DigitalGov Search

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 01:12:28 -0400

Recently, search analyst Dawn McCleskey sat down with us to discuss the work of DigitalGov Search.

Skin & Bones Come Alive with Smithsonian App

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 11:12:04 -0400

The night air is cool and crisp, the autumn leaves are falling, your costume is ready, jack-o-lanterns carved, lights dimmed, candy in the basket—what else do you need to make “All Hallows’ Eve trick or treat” complete? Some eerie music, a spine

Empowering the Voice of Citizens at Core of GSA Open Government

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:19:09 -0400

We are proud to announce our commitment to the third U.S. National Action Plan for Open Government, released this week at the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Mexico City, Mexico,

GSA Open Government Builds Solutions and Gives Voice to Citizens

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 10:16:01 -0400

Our work at the General Services Administration encompass many of the pillars of Open Government, from giving a greater voice to citizens to through Public Participation innovations like Challenge.gov to making the

New White House Innovation Strategy Promotes Increase in Challenges and Prizes

Thu, 29 Oct 2015 01:00:05 -0400

The White House released an updated Strategy for American Innovation last week, calling again on government to tap the American public’s brain trust

The Data Briefing: Create an App for Employees with Disabilities

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 10:00:42 -0400

Have you worked with an employee with a disability? Are you an employee with a disability? Then, you know the unique challenges of the average workplace that able-bodied colleagues may never experience. Workplace challenges could be overcome with accommodations such as larger computer monitor displays, wheelchair-accessible office furniture or a voice reader. In some cases,

Training Series Offers Marketing Tips for Prizes & Challenges

Wed, 28 Oct 2015 01:00:06 -0400

Marketing and public education is an essential part of any successful prize competition. The good news for federal agencies working with tight budgets is that both can be accomplished without breaking the bank. “We have found other ways than spending a lot of money,” said Denice Shaw, senior advisor to the Chief Innovation Officer at the

Trends on Tuesday: Users Spend Most of Their Time in Social Apps

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 10:00:58 -0400

ComScore released a new 2015 U.S. Mobile App report tracking native mobile app usage among adults over 18 years old, and it reinforced a lot of the trends we’ve been reporting on DigitalGov.

Texting is Another Way to Make Mobile Moments

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 14:34:12 -0400

There are several things federal agencies need to think about in the mobile space. Is my website responsive, so that consumers can view it on any device (desktop/laptop, tablet, smartphone)? Do I have mobile apps that fill citizen needs? But does texting have a place in the U.S. government, as we strive to serve citizens

#NIHDigital Summit: Optimizing Digital to Reach Patients, Scientists, Clinicians and the Public

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 13:00:14 -0400

On October 19th, NIH brought together nearly 1,500 digital and health experts in person and via webcast. The event featured two keynote speakers and panels that showcased the unique perspectives of patients and caregivers, health

The Content Corner: Twitter, Apple News and the Importance of Our Websites

Mon, 26 Oct 2015 11:00:19 -0400

First, McDonald’s started serving breakfast all day. Now, Twitter announced it is dropping its 140 character limit for tweets. Black is white, up is down. Or is it really that big a deal? Is Twitter just keeping itself relevant in the battle for your content? LinkedIn and Facebook were first with their strong push for organizations to

Is Your Site Mobile-Friendly?

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:00:12 -0400

What is mobile-friendly? Mobile-friendly simply means your visitors can use phones and tablets to visit your website and have a user-friendly experience. Many of us get toward the end of mobile site development and really do not know if what we created is “mobile-friendly.” We think we have followed all of the mobile best practices

Technical Writing Need Not Be Abstruse—Use Plain Language for Maximum Impact

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 10:00:55 -0400

Author writes: Additionally, the method utilized a myriad of factors for the purpose of incentivizing production to hit record-high levels of magnitude in the equivalent time period. Author thinks: My work sounds serious, impressive and interesting. Reader thinks: Huh? Technical writers are great—some of my favorite colleagues are technical writers. But technical writers often need

Know Your Molluscs with the Terrestrial Mollusc Key

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 13:00:46 -0400

The Terrestrial Mollusc Key mobile app from the Department of Agriculture is specifically designed to assist in the identification of adult terrestrial slugs and snails of agricultural importance.

GSA Announces First-Ever Challenge.gov Mentorship Program

Thu, 22 Oct 2015 11:00:54 -0400

It may seem like issuing an open challenge to the American public is a novel form of federal procurement, but it has quickly become an effective way of generating fresh solutions to enduring problems. In every community, there are those who use their knowledge and experience to guide their neighbors down new paths. The federal

Modernizing Federal Information Policy

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:51:33 -0400

Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing for the first time in fifteen years revisions to the Federal Government’s governing document establishing policies for the management of Federal information resources: Circular A-130, Managing Information as a Strategic Resource.

Gov Analytics Breakdown #2: Mobile Is Bigger than Ever

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 13:22:30 -0400

A review of the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) data confirms what many are already saying: Content is being viewed on mobile devices more than ever before, and the percentage of sessions via mobile devices is growing.

The Data Briefing: Highlights from 300 Federal Mobile Moments

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 11:00:10 -0400

DigitalGov’s theme this month is mobile moments, which explores the impact of mobile applications in the federal government.

The White House, Back To The Future Day, and the Road to Innovation

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 09:47:15 -0400

The White House is marking Back to the Future Day with a series of conversations with innovators across the country. Follow along here.

Trends on Tuesday: Focus on Mobile Performance to Provide Better Mobile Moments

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:32:21 -0400

The New York Times recently published a report evaluating the cost of mobile ads on news websites and found that on many of the major sites, the ads were taking as much bandwidth and time as the content (if not more, in some cases). This comes after the recent hubub over Apple starting to allow

National Customer Service Week Is Over, but Our Work Is Not!

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 10:00:56 -0400

Get your customer personas right, and you will improve the customer experience (CX) for the rest of your audience. That’s advice Rick Parrish from Forrester Research gave in response to an audience question during the September 29 DigitalGov University webinar on the state of CX in the federal government. Your key customers are those that are most important to the organization, and often most

5 Factors to Building a Successful Government-wide Digital Analytics Program

Tue, 20 Oct 2015 03:15:07 -0400

Launched just three years ago, the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) continues to drive the 2012 Digital Government Strategy’s mission to improve the citizen experience by streamlining the collection and analysis of digital analytics data on a federal government-wide scale. The DAP officially launched on October 15, 2012 with a release of its first version of

The Content Corner: Helping Your Content Contributors

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 10:04:17 -0400

Recently, I shared some suggestions and personal lessons learned for agencies either shopping for a new CMS or preparing to revamp their content strategy and workflow. Let’s take things one step further and focus on arguably the most important parts of your CMS: the content creator or user. Arguments can be made that content is the most

Open Source Micro-Purchasing: An Experiment in Federal Acquisition

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 13:36:47 -0400

18F is an open-source team. We currently have hundreds of publicly available repositories, with dozens under active development. We’ve had numerous contributions from colleagues within government, and contributions from members of the public. But in the next few weeks, we are going to run an experiment: we want to contract for contributions. And we want

Why Your User Experience Must Include Design for Accessibility

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:00:52 -0400

Too often, usability and accessibility are confused with each other by our clients (stakeholders). They shouldn’t be, because while they are related, they are very different. So, how do you bring these two concepts together? They should really be working side-by-side throughout the ENTIRE process. This might seem like a no-brainer but it can be

Gov Analytics Breakdown #1 – Browsers: Chrome Takes the Cake

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 15:25:39 -0400

We wanted to take a look at overall browser usage now that DAP has a few years of data, and the changes tell an interesting story. Here’s a breakdown of the percent of total sessions of the top five browsers during the last three years.

Learn about the Fight Against Transnational Crime with INTERPOL Washington

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 10:00:13 -0400

INTERPOL Washington—What is it? It’s a movie. It’s the latest spy novel…No, it’s a mobile app from INTERPOL Washington, a component of the U.S. Department of Justice. INTERPOL Washington, the United States National Central Bureau, serves as the designated representative to the International Criminal Police Organization

Income Scams Are Subject of New FTC Fotonovela

Wed, 14 Oct 2015 10:00:28 -0400

The FTC’s second Spanish-language fotonovela is about scams that promise you can make money selling high-end products or brand-name merchandise. If the pitch sounds familiar, that’s because the story is based on facts from a recent [Federal Trade Commission] FTC lawsuit against a

Challenge.gov Honors Federal Agencies, Staff for Raising the Bar on Public Sector Prize Competitions

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 14:26:44 -0400

The biggest advocates for the use of challenges in the public sector gathered at the General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters, October 8, to acknowledge the remarkable rise of a community that has grown steadily in number and influence over the past five years. More than 300 federal employees representing agencies spanning government attended in person

Trends on Tuesday: Is Crowdsourcing the Future of Mobile Design and Development?

Tue, 13 Oct 2015 14:18:42 -0400

NASA recently announced the winners of a smartwatch app interface competition. A Canadian duo won the design competition, and NASA’s plan is to build the app with 2016 funding to have it available for astronauts to use when they are aboard the International Space Station. This is the first government smartwatch app development we’ve talked about

How Agencies Can Support Employee Professional Development

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 10:00:09 -0400

Providing professional development for over 100,000 employees is no easy task. To build on the existing skills of their workforce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has piloted AgOpportunity, a program that matches USDA employees with projects that need their skills and interest. The idea for AgOpportunity came from the Partnership for Public Service’s Excellence

White House Kicks Off Challenge.gov Anniversary with Wealth of New Prize Competitions

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 04:14:38 -0400

In a call to action issued Oct. 7, the White House announced several new programs challenging citizens to help federal agencies solve problems in areas ranging from space exploration to education. Hosted in conjunction with Georgetown University, the Case Foundation and the Joyce Foundation, the event

National Cancer Institute’s Smokefree Tools

Thu, 08 Oct 2015 02:03:57 -0400

The National Cancer Institute has developed a triple threat to help users stop smoking for good with an app, responsively-designed website, and SMS program to help lead the way to a healthier life.

Is Your Agency Winning Its Mobile Moments?

Wed, 07 Oct 2015 16:16:43 -0400

Someone has a problem they are trying to solve. They pull out their mobile device and find a solution. They move onto something else. That’s a mobile moment. Organizations are living and dying by their mobile moments, and a few government agencies are winning theirs. We’ve written before how the Transportation Security Administration is winning

The Data Briefing: White House Asks Data Scientists and App Developers to Help Suicide Prevention Efforts

Wed, 07 Oct 2015 10:09:18 -0400

This article describes some of the data sources that could be leveraged for building data analysis and apps to aid in the suicide prevention effort.

The People and Teams That Power High-Impact Incentive Prizes

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 11:10:55 -0400

Federal agencies have used prize competitions and challenges to drive competition and spark innovation for nearly a decade. In September 2010, as part of President Obama’s Strategy for American Innovation [PDF], the Administration launched Challenge.gov, an online platform that enables federal agencies to engage civic

Trends on Tuesday: The Rise of Apps, The Decline of TV

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 10:00:24 -0400

Move over, 60 inch widescreens—for the first time ever, U.S. consumers are spending more time in mobile apps than on TV. An article from Flurry Insights, the blog for Yahoo’s mobile analytics service, covered the recent viewing trends. Apps are now the top media channel in the United States: on average, people spend 198 minutes on

The Content Corner: Content Management System Considerations

Mon, 05 Oct 2015 11:24:31 -0400

These days you couldn’t be faulted for thinking your content management system (CMS) choices are limited to two open source systems and maybe an enterprise-level offering that no one uses anymore. And while it’s true that for the public sector the popular open source options are extremely attractive from a cost standpoint, if nothing else,

Optimizing Social at Peace Corps: Not a Zero-Sum Game

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 10:00:12 -0400

At the Peace Corps, we continually try to find new ways to test, measure and optimize our marketing and communications initiatives. Recently, we embarked on a project to design a framework to test and optimize content on the social media platforms we use to engage our stakeholders. This process required us to reboot our expectations in terms of

Bringing Water Protection into the Modern Age

Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:55:10 -0400

Information technology is everywhere. How we communicate, and how we share with one another has gone digital, saving paper, time, money, and making it easier to get information faster and more reliably. Forty-three years ago, when the Clean Water Act was enacted, things moved a little slower. But the significance and impact of this important

The Data Briefing: Connecting the (Data) Dots—NASA’s NYSpaceTag App

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 11:30:04 -0400

OpenNASA has recently completed another redesign of their site. With over 31,000 data sets, 194 code repositories and 36 APIs, OpenNASA probably has the largest collection of open data of any of the federal agencies. An especially helpful feature is a set of icons devoted to five types

How OSTP Crowdsourced A Crowdsourcing Toolkit

Wed, 30 Sep 2015 10:18:38 -0400

To promote crowdsourcing, one effective tool is, well, crowdsourcing. Today, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Federal Community of Practice for Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science (CCS) unveiled the Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Toolkit. The toolkit contains information, resources, and best practices federal agencies can use to harness the power

Trends on Tuesday: How Much Does It Cost to Go Mobile?

Tue, 29 Sep 2015 01:00:08 -0400

A penny saved is a penny earned. But spending your pennies on mobile development is necessary to meet 21st century needs.

NASA + Lunar Eclipse = A Super(moon) Match Made in Metrics Heaven

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 03:20:04 -0400

NASA’s reach over the last 24 hours eclipsed that of the regulars typically seen in government digital metrics.

The Content Corner: Defining Your Core

Mon, 28 Sep 2015 01:30:53 -0400

Through the course of this blog, I have frequently mentioned the need to feed the content beast and have discussed tactics such as the content pillar and various other aspects of developing a solid content strategy. Recent research from the Content Marketing Institute found the average business-to-business (B2B) company uses 13 content marketing tactics or

Negotiating a Mobile Terms of Service Agreement

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:00:38 -0400

In our personal lives, most of us barely pay attention to Terms of Service (TOS) agreements. But in our professional lives, as federal employees, mindlessly clicking through a TOS is not an option. The DigitalGov article Getting to Yes: Working with Vendors to Secure Terms of Service and Federal Friendly Pricing explored the legal dilemmas

Setting Up a Performance Measurement Team

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 11:00:41 -0400

As part of an organizational shift to functional teams at GSA’s Federal Citizen Information Center (FCIC), we created a Performance Measurement Team that consolidates data analysis for our websites, contact center channels, and marketing channels. Instead of looking at metrics within the bubble of each program, we’re beginning to leverage insights across programs. These are

Track Time and Wages with Labor’s Timesheet App

Thu, 24 Sep 2015 10:00:37 -0400

The U.S. Department of Labor has created a free mobile app for employees to independently capture and track the hours they work and determine the wages they are owed.

USA.Gov Launches vote.USA.gov to Help Citizens Register and Connect with States

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 11:00:21 -0400

One of the most important rights of American citizens is the right to vote. It is the foundation of our democracy, and in many ways, the basis of our government. This is why the team at USA.gov is excited to announce the launch

The Data Briefing: Surrounded by Fields of Federal Data—U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s PatentsView

Wed, 23 Sep 2015 10:00:11 -0400

Hello, everyone. My summer sabbatical was short but educational, and I am glad to be back in the federal government. I am also excited to again take up the weekly API article that is now expanded to include all things federal government data. Much has happened in the open data realm, and there is much

Trends on Tuesday: Content is King for Mobile Apps

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 11:00:51 -0400

Yahoo’s mobile analytics service, Flurry, released a new and provocative report about mobile apps versus mobile browser usage, in which they found audiences are spending almost an hour more with their mobile phones than last year.

Understanding Your Customer

Tue, 22 Sep 2015 10:00:26 -0400

How well do you know your customers? There’s a new guide out from the Excellence In Government (EIG) Fellows Program to help you do just that. Led by the Partnership for Public Service, EIG is a federal government initiative to train future leaders. This year, three hundred federal employees took the EIG journey to learn

The Content Corner: Harness the Power of User-Generated Content

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 13:00:36 -0400

As of 2015, Millennials spent 30% of their time consuming user-generated content (UGC), and 54% of that group find UGC more trustworthy than content generated by a specific brand. This covers everything from user-generated reviews on Yelp! to short-form videos. Another benefit of UGC is that it helps crowdsource the burden of feeding the content

How a Two-Day Sprint Moved an Agency Twenty Years Forward

Mon, 21 Sep 2015 10:00:49 -0400

At 18F Consulting, we experiment with ways to empower agencies to build cost-efficient, excellent digital solutions. Recently we partnered with the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) to run a two day “Design/Dev Agile Sprint.” Background: Investigators in Wage and Hour Division The Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is responsible for

Under the Hood: Building a New College Scorecard with Students

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 11:00:10 -0400

How the U.S. Digital Service worked with students, families, schools, developers, and teams across the federal government to rebuild the new College Scorecard tool.

Success Spotlight: Challenge Takes Students, Biomedicine to Next Level

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 10:00:44 -0400

Leaders in the biomedical field will applaud a team of student researchers October 9 for developing a potentially lifesaving device in response to a competition published on Challenge.gov in March. The accolades come a day after the website, a no-cost platform for federal agencies to publish

Mission Possible: Experts Plot the Steps for Running Successful Prize Competitions

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 01:00:24 -0400

Long before the final prize is awarded, a successful challenge starts with a master plan. That’s the point experts drove home during Operational Best Practices and Lessons Learned, the third webinar in Challenge.gov’s ongoing series on running successful prize competitions. Sandeep Patel, open innovation manager for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Idea Lab,

Using Customer Feedback to Improve HealthCare.gov

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 11:10:00 -0400

We recently polled the Customer Experience Community of Practice (CX-COP) to discover what kinds of training people needed most to improve customer experience at their agency.

Better Air, Better Student Performance: Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools from EPA

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 10:00:00 -0400

Our children spend a lot of time at school. Multiple studies have shown a direct correlation between the learning environment and student behavior. Poorly maintained school facilities with run-down buildings, broken windows, etc., lead to disorderly conduct in students, affect their ability to concentrate and learn, affect teachers, pose health risks, and reduce overall community satisfaction.

Speed Matters: Optimizing Your Website For Maximum Performance

Wed, 16 Sep 2015 10:00:13 -0400

During a recent DigitalGov University webinar, Jeremy Vanderlan, Technical Deputy for AIDS.gov, explained how even fractions of a second can have a negative impact on a user’s impression of your website.

Trends on Tuesday: The Mobile Internet is Dead. Long Live the Mobile Internet.

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:20:00 -0400

Benedict Evans, a leading mobile analyst with the Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, published a provocative post last week about the death of the mobile Internet. He details the history of the mobile Web and posits that the mobile Internet is the Internet now. The desktop version of the Internet audience is smaller

Are Videos in Spanish the Way To Go?

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 13:15:06 -0400

The answer may surprise you. It takes time, resources and actual money. Why prepare a video for something that can be written about and released in

The Content Corner: Should You Stop Writing and Start Podcasting?

Mon, 14 Sep 2015 10:00:35 -0400

Several months or so ago, I raised the question of whether you and your agency should be podcasting. Incidentally, my post coincided with the launch of DigitalGov’s new podcast series.

How Will You Celebrate Customer Service Week?

Fri, 11 Sep 2015 11:00:45 -0400

In 1992, Congress passed Public Law No: 102-481, which proclaimed the first full week in October as National Customer Service Week.

Not Just a Website: Challenge.gov Enables Agencies to Innovate with Incentives

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 02:57:15 -0400

Next month, Challenge.gov turns five. A technical platform, a listing of federal prize competitions, and consultation and support services for running impactful challenges all meld into the program, which brings the best ideas and talent together to solve mission-centric problems. To mark the milestone, the General Services Administration (GSA) will host a special event on

Day 100: The Great Federal Mobile Product Hunt

Thu, 10 Sep 2015 01:09:17 -0400

A long time ago in a federal agency building far, far away on F Street… the Great Federal Mobile Product Hunt launched at the DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit in Washington, DC.

Caution: Your Web Analytics Might Not Be Human

Wed, 09 Sep 2015 10:00:14 -0400

A Digital Analytics Program (DAP) user recently contacted me with an observation/problem: The data he had from his website’s independent Web-analytics account was much, much higher than the data he was receiving in the DAP user interface. Theoretically, both tools (in this case, two separate Google Analytics accounts), were trying to measure the same thing,

Monthly Theme: Learning to Ride the Metrics Wave

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 12:00:26 -0400

We are awash in data. Data in our personal lives gives us information on everything from our nightly sleeping patterns to how many of our friends shared our latest quip on social media. So too in our professional world, where we can see the most popular devices people use to navigate our websites and are told

Trends on Tuesday: Prepare for ‘Mobilegeddon’ II—Interstitial App Ads

Tue, 08 Sep 2015 10:00:28 -0400

Google has announced a second wave of Mobilegeddon search penalties for websites using mobile app install interstitials.

How the CIO Council Made Our Open Data Prioritization Tool Kit More Open

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:00:18 -0400

The Open Data Prioritization Toolkit is categorized into phases of understanding, evaluating, and opening datasets.

FAQs Done Right

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 10:00:35 -0400

In the circle of Web content life, FAQ sections are an endangered species. We’ve previously discussed the relevance of FAQs: Should FAQs go extinct, or are they a useful tool in your content ecosystem? Kathryn Catania, Chief of the Plain Language and Content Division at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, encourages agencies to take

“Congress Creates the Bill of Rights” from National Archives

Thu, 03 Sep 2015 10:00:14 -0400

Whether it’s the 800-year-old legacy of the Magna Carta, the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution or the more recent Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, all of these documents are powerful

DigitalGov Summit Recap: No Longer the Team of No

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:00:51 -0400

During a panel discussion at the second annual DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit, a group of self-proclaimed naysayers came together to dispel myths and share advice to help everyone work together.

HTTPS and Other Ranking Factors: What Impacts the SEO of Government Websites?

Wed, 02 Sep 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Following the recent OMB memo that all publicly available federal websites and Web services must implement HTTPS by December 31, 2016, Web content managers across government are considering the SEO (search engine optimization) implications of the transition, among other details.

Announcing the Agile BPA Awards: A Conversation About the Process

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 11:10:59 -0400

In January, 18F Consulting announced a new kind of process for vendors to compete for software acquisition contracts. The Agile Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) process would be open to existing vendors on Schedule 70, and require vendors to submit a working prototype based on a public dataset—and then show their work in a publicly available

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Messaging and Social App Research Released

Tue, 01 Sep 2015 10:00:08 -0400

On DigitalGov, we frequently talk about some of the most popular app experiences, and research almost always shows that mobile messaging and social apps are the most frequently used.

Mobile Content: Less is More

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 13:00:57 -0400

With 14 test cycles under our belt, the Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program has heard one recurring theme from our testers—”there’s too much information!” While both desktop monitor and smartphone screen sizes are growing, there is still no comparison. At our desks, many of us are using a 24 inch (or even bigger) monitor. How big is your

Search, Buscar, Поиск, جستجو, Cari: Creating a Good, Multilingual Search Experience

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 11:10:46 -0400

In 2015, DigitalGov Search dramatically expanded support for languages on our search results page, expanding from just English and Spanish to support 68 different languages.

The Content Corner: Optimize Your Content

Mon, 31 Aug 2015 10:00:08 -0400

For the past several weeks, I have been writing about fairly cerebral and more technical aspects of content generation and language in general. This week, I felt it was time to get back to a more basic content concept: content optimization. Frequently when content optimization is discussed it is heavily focused on search engine optimization

DigitalGov Summit Recap: Building Privacy & Identity Management in the Open

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:00:32 -0400

How can government protect citizens while delivering the services they demand in the modern age? This was a theme of the panel discussion on privacy and identity management at the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit.

Rebuild Healthy Homes from HUD

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 11:10:19 -0400

We all know it is virtually impossible to prevent natural phenomena such as hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis etc., and we cannot easily avoid these inevitable geological and climatic incidences, as they are typically unpredictable and occur swiftly.

HUD’s Switchboard Puts Customer Experience and Customer Service Together

Thu, 27 Aug 2015 10:00:16 -0400

Customer experience is about making sure needs are met. It’s certainly not a new concept for business; every bookstore has a customer service section. Government agencies are slightly different though. Often people are driven to public services by need or regulation, not choice. Government traditionally didn’t need to court positive attention. The increasing prominence of

Analytics Pitfall: Avoid this Common Implementation Mistake

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 11:10:05 -0400

In large agencies, lots of Web teams touch digital analytics in one way or another, and we have had the pleasure of working with teams both within and outside our agency. For us, hearing from a diverse set of perspectives has been a great learning experience. However, over the course of many meetings, we have

DigitalGov Summit Recap: The Need for Change Agents, plus the Internet of Everything, from A to Z

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 10:00:11 -0400

The Internet of Things is already here. How will we prepare for the Internet of Everything?

Trends on Tuesday: Web Standards Advocate Advises Adaptive Web Design for Government Sites

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 11:10:50 -0400

This August, Aaron Gustafson, Web Standards Advocate at Microsoft, industry thought leader and speaker, and an author who wrote a leading book on adaptive web design, spoke to the government tech community at the U.S. General Services Administration

DigitalGov Podcast: The Secrets Behind CIA Social Media

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 10:00:43 -0400

The Central Intelligence Agency launched their Twitter account with the second most retweeted inaugural post in the platform’s history.

The Content Corner: Modular Design and Structured Content

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 14:07:31 -0400

Several months ago I discussed the concept of a world without Web pages and the importance of structured content and thinking about content, not pages. This week, I’m taking that discussion further by discussing the importance of modularity in Web design and how that complements our efforts to create more structured and reusable data. Break

National Customer Service Week: Coming Soon!

Mon, 24 Aug 2015 10:00:40 -0400

Help us celebrate the Everyday Heroes in our agencies during Customer Service Week, October 5-9, 2015. In 1992, Congress passed Public Law No: 102-481, which proclaimed the first full week in October as National Customer Service Week. The Principles and Practices Subgroup of the Customer Service Cross Agency Priority (CAP) Goal has started work on

Agile Strategy Implementation

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 11:17:27 -0400

The Challenge Much like GSA experienced three years ago, the Management Information Systems Office (MISO) organization at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had a vision, a short deadline, and the need to change and change fast. MISO is responsible for developing, maintaining, and managing a variety of enterprise business systems across the CDC.

Three New Mobile Apps Honor Fallen Veterans Overseas

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:00:12 -0400

The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) released three new mobile apps this summer to honor fallen veterans in overseas cemeteries in Belgium, France, and Italy.

Facts on the Federal-Compatible Terms of Service Agreement for Yelp

Thu, 20 Aug 2015 02:59:39 -0400

We’ve been excited to see the outpouring of interest this week in response to Yelp’s decision to amend their terms of service for official government use, a clear message that citizens want more ways to ensure their voices are heard by the public programs that serve them. Yelp is just one of dozens of platforms

FSA: Using a Data-Driven Marketing Campaign to Inform Your Audience

Wed, 19 Aug 2015 10:00:04 -0400

For millions of Americans, federal student loans have made it possible to get a college education. For many, moving forward after college can become an overwhelming challenge. In 2014, the Department of Education had 41 million borrowers and a loan

Trends on Tuesday: The Rise in “Mobile Addicts”

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 11:10:23 -0400

Yahoo’s mobile analytics division, Flurry, released an interesting report, in July, comparing mobile usage among three distinct types of users around the world based on how frequently they launch mobile applications each day: Regular Users, Super Users and Mobile Addicts. According to Flurry, of

Services Mean Success for Federal Challenges

Tue, 18 Aug 2015 10:00:15 -0400

Challenge.gov offers a number of services to help agencies create successful competitions. One challenge that recently wrapped up made use of the full range of these services to come up with some creative, useful apps that have nationwide implications. Presidential

The Content Corner: Using Natural Language Processing to Improve Rulemaking

Mon, 17 Aug 2015 13:10:53 -0400

For the past several weeks, I have been inflicting you with my recent dive down the rabbit hole of natural language generation and the larger discipline of natural language algorithms. Most of the focus has been on the power of natural language generation and how it can help you rapidly produce content on a wide

Secure Central Hosting for the Digital Analytics Program

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 13:00:48 -0400

The U.S. government’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP) collects Web traffic and analytics data from across the federal government.

What Is Mobile Device Compatibility Testing?

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 11:10:12 -0400

In most instances, your hardware and software are developed independently but are expected to function properly together. For example, when a Web application is developed in HTML, it is expected to function properly on an Apple computer using Safari as well as a Windows computer using Internet Explorer. This sounds simple, but there are thousands

Federal Student Aid Customer Experience Journey: A Recap

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:00:11 -0400

Customer Experience (CX) deserves a voice at an agency’s senior levels. Putting CX

NIST Hosts Reference Data Challenge to Create Mobile Apps

Thu, 13 Aug 2015 10:00:09 -0400

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) wants YOU to help them build native apps. NIST launched the Reference Data Challenge to improve the way the agency shares scientific reference data. They want third party developers from around the country to build native apps that aggregate and improve the usability of free NIST datasets and resources.

Challenge Module 2: It’s All About the Teams—The Importance of Operational Incentives in Prizes

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 11:10:17 -0400

A strong incentive is the lifeblood of solving any challenge. That’s the message experts offered August 4 as part of a Challenge.gov webinar series on running successful federal competitions. Sam Ortega, manager

Journey Mapping the Customer Experience: A USA.gov Case Study

Wed, 12 Aug 2015 10:00:21 -0400

Journey maps are a visual representation of a customer’s end to end journey with your product or service. They are a powerful tool for exploring key interactions and experiences with your organization, programs, and/or services. Journey maps describe a customer’s entire journey, even the parts that occur before and after contact with your organization. They

Trends on Tuesday: The Impact of ‘Mobilegeddon’ on Non Mobile-Friendly Sites

Tue, 11 Aug 2015 10:00:11 -0400

Adobe released its quarterly Adobe Digital Index report this month, which showed websites that aren’t mobile optimized are seeing more than double-digit drops in traffic from Google’s organic search referrals. This is after the leading search engine announced it would start penalizing websites, after April 21st, that weren’t optimized for mobile—also called “Mobilegeddon.” Microsoft’s Bing search engine also

The Content Corner: Can Automated Content Creation Help Your Agency?

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 11:00:23 -0400

Nearly half of companies recently surveyed said that automating content creation would save their content marketing teams the most time. We’ve already covered Natural Language Generation (NLG) algorithms and how they have made some forms of automated content generation a reality already, such as for sports recaps or financial data reporting. Let’s take a deeper

Data Delivers: Challenge Culminates in National Demo Day Event Slated for Thursday

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 04:56:44 -0400

VISIT EVENT PAGE REGISTER NOW The U.S. Census Bureau this week will showcase some of the most innovative data-driven apps soon to spark change in cities from coast to coast during its first-ever National Demo Day. On Thursday, Aug. 13, from 2 to 3 p.m. EST, five teams that participated

Communicart Tool Will Streamline Purchase Card Process

Mon, 10 Aug 2015 01:00:23 -0400

We’ve all been there. You walk into a meeting, set your things on the table, and sit down on the chair only to hit the floor instead. In a corporate office you might buy a new chair and get reimbursed, or maybe your company has a process for requesting new furniture. Regardless, that chair needs

Five-Star Customer Experience in Public Service with Yelp

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 13:16:06 -0400

Adding customer satisfaction ratings and reviews to public services just got easier now that Yelp offers a terms of service for official government use. Yelp, a Web and mobile-based user review platform, hosts insights from “real people

DigitalGov Summit Recap: Leveraging Open Analytics

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 11:10:54 -0400

While government agencies may not have big budgets for data analysis, we do have tons of data—survey data, usability data, campaign data—that should be leveraged to drive decisions.

An Innovation Framework That Delivers: The SunShot Catalyst Program

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 10:00:00 -0400

Behind every great innovation is a team. And behind successful innovation teams are efficient tools, processes, and most importantly, people. The Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative funds projects that make solar energy more affordable and accessible for Americans. As part of the initiative, the SunShot Catalyst open innovation program seeks to rapidly deliver solar solutions

USDA Puts Hunger on Vacation This Summer

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 13:00:44 -0400

The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service is helping to put hunger on vacation this summer with their Summer Meal Site Finder, a Web and mobile tool that will provide the location of summer meal sites to ensure low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals while school is out. Having this

Analytics Restoration: Improving on a Classic

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 11:24:50 -0400

Sometimes it is important to take a fresh look at a classic. As we digital analysts can attest, the array of software now available to our respective analytics programs has grown tremendously over the past few years. Even as we play catch-up to our private sector leaders, many digital analytics programs across the federal government

Need Actionable Analytics Reports? Here’s Help

Thu, 06 Aug 2015 10:00:33 -0400

The Digital Analytics Program (DAP) provides a wealth of standard Web analytics reports within its current Web analytics tool (Google Analytics Premium). Yet, navigating through big data with a standard report can be a challenge and definitely takes a few clicks. To quickly get to the insights of your agency websites’ traffic, building your own

Monthly Theme: At Your Service

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 10:16:31 -0400

In this digital age, we know customers expect their government interactions to be on the same level as their interactions with the private sector. Agencies are always striving to improve the quality of their services to meet their customers’ needs. So too in our office, where we use the feedback, you, our agency customers, provide

Taking a Data-Driven Approach to Digital Marketing at the Peace Corps

Wed, 05 Aug 2015 10:00:47 -0400

What exactly does being “data-driven” mean for digital marketing and communications practitioners in the federal government? It is easy to be awed by the new shiny platforms and services that promise to change how things are done in government. Fundamentally, though, it is thinking about analytics not just from a descriptive mindset but one of

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Web Audiences Abandon Sites with Interstitial Ads

Tue, 04 Aug 2015 11:18:12 -0400

David Morell, a software engineer with Google, posted an interesting case study from the tech giant, sharing data about how users interacted with interstitials (ie webpages displayed before or after an expected content page) on their website. Their analysis showed that 69% of users completely abandoned the page and their original intent after being shown an interstitial. Interstitials take many

The Content Corner: Rise of the Machines

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 11:10:42 -0400

In the span of two days, I received as many emails from respectable content marketing blogs worrying about the dangers of machines taking the jobs of bloggers and other content creators. The man vs. machine dynamic has existed since the dawn of the industrial age, but is it finally reaching the point where a technology

18F’s Style Guide for Open Source Project Documentation

Mon, 03 Aug 2015 10:00:04 -0400

We routinely publish our best practices in the 18F Guides, and today we’re happy to launch a new one: the 18F Open Source Style Guide. The Open Source Style Guide is a comprehensive handbook for writing clear, accessible, and user-friendly documentation so that

Help Us Add Resources to the Updated Mobile User Experience Guidelines!

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 13:10:20 -0400

Government agencies need to make sure their mobile websites and native apps don’t become one of the estimated billions of applications that end up in the app graveyard. The need for digital products to work better is not new in the federal government. Resources like the Digital Playbook and Public Participation Playbook have had impact

An Overview of Digital Communities

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 11:10:49 -0400

Digital communities of practice come in many stripes. DigitalGov communities span eight (and counting) focus areas and have thousands of members, but strong collaborations exist in all corners of government. In honor of this month’s communities theme, we are offering a list of communities that foster connections and strengthen the digital capabilities of federal agencies.

New Kid in Town: The Customer Experience Community

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 10:00:20 -0400

Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goals prioritize activities that all agencies must tackle each year. An important CAP Goal for 2015 addresses customer service and compels federal agencies to improve the quality of service the public receives from the federal government.

USGS is Asking If You Felt It: Latest Earthquakes

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 11:43:35 -0400

Having experienced everything from little tremors to violent shaking, I know what it is like to live in an earthquake zone. Hiding below a large table or under the sturdy doorframe, and at times with the

Community Rock Star Round Up

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 10:00:21 -0400

Around this month’s Communities Theme, the DigitalGov team thought we’d round up your community rock stars. These are people in your communities who’ve gone above and beyond, who’ve contributed content, organized events, participated in developing toolkits and more.

Picking Up the “Slack” for Team Communication

Thu, 30 Jul 2015 01:01:50 -0400

You have a question about a project. You ping a coworker, who texts another colleague, who emails a listserv and receives 3 responses. And the problem is: where will your supervisor find the answer next month, when someone else asks the same question? Corralling

Challenge Module 1: Prize History, Prize Theory and What Makes a Good Prize

Wed, 29 Jul 2015 10:00:52 -0400

Two powerhouses in the Challenge and Prize community came together at GSA for the first in a seven-part learning series recently. Chris Frangione, Vice President of Prize Development for the XPrize and Alexis Bonnell, Innovation Evangelist at USAID offered insights

Solve Federal IT Problems Through Cross-Collaboration

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 11:10:28 -0400

39 participants. 17 agencies. 6 months. Earlier this year, the CIO Council launched the IT Solutions Challenge, an initiative to engage GS 9-13 level rising stars in the IT and IT acquisition community. Participants identify shared challenges, those challenges where you might say to yourself, “if only we could [x], life would be so much

Trends on Tuesday: People Over 55 Soon to Be Mobile-Majority Users

Tue, 28 Jul 2015 10:00:12 -0400

In July, comScore released a research paper, The Global Mobile Report: How Multi-Platform Audiences & Engagement Compare in the U.S., Canada, UK and Beyond, covering a lot of areas from smartphone penetration to Android vs. Apple preferences.

The Content Corner: Supporting Your Content

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 10:18:44 -0400

This column revolves mostly around content creation and strategy, but an overlooked part of the content lifecycle is helping people find your content. Your content is made to be seen and without planning for promotion, it may never be found. The methods available to you may vary (wildly) at your agency, so remember your mileage may

Free the Data: FEMA’s New Data Visualization Tool

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 11:00:54 -0400

FEMA collects data from disasters. We look at various hazards over time, and a question we get a lot when we’re trying to talk about what can happen is what has happened previously? Providing

CIO Council Releases IT Policy Library

Fri, 24 Jul 2015 10:00:34 -0400

The CIO Council recently published an IT Policy Library database in order to provide agency innovators with a searchable, comprehensive collection of IT reporting and action requirements for federal agencies.

Explore Space with Smithsonian’s Chandra X-Ray App

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 11:57:23 -0400

We continue our celebration of American history and legacy this July 2015 with the New Horizons spacecraft’s dramatic flight past the icy dwarf planet Pluto and its moons—momentous in space exploration. Just think about it—New Horizons, a NASA space probe traveled over 3 billion miles to

PDFs: A Digital Content Detour

Thu, 23 Jul 2015 10:25:03 -0400

The Portable Document Format, or “PDF” file, is one of the staple productions of many communications professionals. It’s compact, prints exactly as formatted, and allows for clean, multiplatform distribution. However, it’s the old “U.S. Route” on the Digital Interstate. Let’s take an average user of a U.S. government website: a 45 year old PC user

DigitalGov Summit Recap: How “We, the Techies” Can Effect Change

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 11:00:27 -0400

Who do you need to bring to the table to make a better world? In May, Megan Smith, Chief Technology Officer of the United States, delivered the keynote address at the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit. She encouraged attendees to find ways of unlocking potential through collaborations from both within and outside of government. “We

How the Nationals’ Customer Experience Principles Can Be a Home Run for Agencies

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 10:00:32 -0400

In June, the new Customer Experience Community of Practice (CX-COP) hosted Jonathan Stahl, Executive Director of Ballpark Operations and Guest Experience of the Washington Nationals, to share best practices on how to deliver a great customer experience.

An Introduction to HTTPS, by 18F and DigitalGov University

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 11:10:31 -0400

18F uses HTTPS for everything we make, and the U.S. government is in the process of transitioning to HTTPS everywhere. As part of this effort, we’ve recently partnered with DigitalGov University to produce a two-video series introducing the why’s and how’s of HTTPS. In an Introduction to HTTPS for beginners, we cover what happens when

Trends on Tuesday: GOV.UK Weighs in on Mobile User Habits

Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:00:57 -0400

England’s Government Digital Service (similar to our own U.S. Digital Services and 18F) did a study of how content on their websites is consumed on mobile and non-mobile devices and learned several key points for a future-focused and

The Content Corner: Determining Your User’s Needs

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:20:36 -0400

I recently wrapped up a series of user interviews as part of a review of our judiciary-wide intranet in order to provide better digital services to our customers (and yes, our internal users are our customers, not just the general public).

Accelerating the Use of Prizes to Address Tough Challenges

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 01:46:00 -0400

Later this year, the Federal government will celebrate the fifth anniversary of Challenge.gov, a one-stop shop that has prompted tens of thousands of individuals, including engaged citizens and entrepreneurs, to participate in more than 400 public-sector prize competitions with more

DigitalGov Podcast: Leaders Come and Go, But Your Customers Will Remain

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 13:00:20 -0400

To provide great customer service, bring your agency’s customers to the table. This is one of many insights recently offered by Stephanie Thum, Vice President of Customer Experience at the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

Is It Time to Try Medium? New Federal-Friendly Terms of Service

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 11:10:08 -0400

What is Medium? Good question. Is it a publishing platform, a social network, a distribution channel, a 21st century version of the op-ed page, or something else? With a continuously evolving feature-set, Medium defies simple classification. Perhaps it is best to think about Medium in terms of what you can accomplish with it. With a

State’s ShareAmerica Takes a Very Social Approach

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 10:00:59 -0400

Social media is front and center at Share.America.gov, a U.S. Department of State site managed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, that describes itself as a “platform for sharing compelling stories and images that spark discussion and debate on important topics like democracy, freedom of expression, innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and the role of civil society.”

Dwarf Planet, Giant Numbers: NASA’s Mission to Pluto Goes Global

Thu, 16 Jul 2015 14:49:49 -0400

Even on a slow day, NASA is a pretty cool place to work, but the cool factor gets cranked way up when the whole world joins in the adventure. That’s what happened this week when the New Horizons spacecraft arrived at Pluto after decade-long, three-billion-mile journey through the solar system.

Safe Travels with TravWell

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 11:02:14 -0400

Ahhh … Summer is here at last! It’s time for relaxing vacation! Whether you want to scale the peaks of Mount Everest, scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef, ride a camel in the deserts of Mongolia, or shop in Paris—it is time for a travel app.

What’s in a Name? “Communities” in the Public and Private Sectors

Wed, 15 Jul 2015 10:00:21 -0400

Many of you are part of a government community. We lead a few of them here, and new ones are forming all the time. In fact, as I was writing this article, I stumbled upon a community for government Drupal users. A co-worker recently asked me for research on communities because she is trying to

Challenge.gov Program Launches New Training Opportunities

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 13:52:31 -0400

Seven new training modules aim to help Federal Challenge and Prize Community members learn more about using prize competitions to solve problems.

Analytics Prove People Care About Space (and Pluto!)

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 11:48:43 -0400

Despite the fact that Pluto has been downgraded to a “dwarf planet”, the analytics of federal government websites prove there are still a lot of people who want to get an up-close look. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, a project over nine years in the making, flew by Pluto this morning at approximately 7:49 a.m. The

Trends on Tuesday: Adults Use Mobile Devices Most of the Time

Tue, 14 Jul 2015 10:00:29 -0400

Millennial Media released a new research report, Connected Consumers: Gaining Insights Across Screens, examining U.S. digital audiences from January 2014 until January 2015 with some interesting information that reinforces trends we’ve covered before.

The Content Corner: Create Better Mobile Content

Mon, 13 Jul 2015 11:00:23 -0400

All content needs to be developed with a mobile-first strategy, from headline choice to paragraph length. Although we are all now living in a post-mobilegeddon world, many of us are still implementing a mobile strategy. This strategy should consider several factors, including viewport size, cellular versus WiFi considerations, and load times. It should also include a

Help Us Strengthen Open Government

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 11:27:41 -0400

Since the United States joined the Open Government Partnership in 2011, U.S. agencies have been working alongside civil society to develop and implement commitments to increase transparency, improve participation, and curb corruption. From opening up Federal spending data to make it easier to see how taxpayer dollars are spent, to the We the People online

Introducing the Federal Election Commission’s First API

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:59:02 -0400

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) empowers citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions about their democracy. Since opening its doors in the ‘70s, the FEC has evolved to better serve the public with that information. As the

DAY 50: The Great Federal Mobile Product Hunt!

Thu, 09 Jul 2015 10:55:19 -0400

An update on the Great Federal Mobile Product Hunt.

2015 Customer Service Trends: a Mid-Year Update

Wed, 08 Jul 2015 10:00:36 -0400

Earlier this year, we published 15 Government Customer Service Trends for 2015. We’re halfway through the year now—how are these trends holding up? 1. Centralized Customer Offices A few agencies have created centralized customer offices, while others question the need for a single organization that focuses on the customer. As the public’s overall satisfaction with

Won’t You Help Your Neighbor? Communities Theme Month on DigitalGov

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 13:30:06 -0400

It’s a beautiful day in the DigitalGov neighborhood, and we want you to be our neighbor: no red sweater required. The strength of digital government depends on robust collaboration across agencies, offices, and disciplines. The virtual federal neighborhood collaborates through numerous communities of practice, each of which promotes the open exchange of ideas and resources.

Trends on Tuesday: Trends in CMS

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 11:57:30 -0400

A Content Management System (CMS) allows people to easily publish, maintain and update information online. Choosing a CMS (or deciding whether you need one at all) is one that many agencies have faced. It’s not an easy choice because there are many solutions available to content managers. As government agencies, the majority of content we deliver is

The Content Corner: Creating Good Content is Hard

Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:00:55 -0400

Throughout my five-plus months so far on this blog, I have focused a great deal on creating content, the various methods to improve your content, and what exactly content is. One thing that I may not have emphasized enough is the quality of the actual writing itself and how no content strategy on the planet

Celebrating American History with Federal Apps

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:00:51 -0400

Summer is here, which means it is time for the biggest holiday of the summer—Fourth of July! Independence Day is a happy time of year: BBQs, picnics, pools, sunshine and fireworks. Of course, the foundation of our celebration is American history, and there are plenty of excellent federal apps focused on this area. The American

Content Syndication of NIH Grants Information Now Available

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 10:47:58 -0400

Now you can pull the latest NIH grant content directly into your site.

Safety and Transparency Through Data

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:10:24 -0400

You have the right to a safe workplace—and so do the employees at your favorite café, the local hospital and the construction company renovating homes in your neighborhood. But how can you tell if the businesses you patronize

Planning with a Purpose: 3 Reasons Why Agencies Created Native Apps

Wed, 01 Jul 2015 10:10:18 -0400

Mobile. It’s here, and it’s here to stay! Agencies in all areas of government meet real world needs through mobile products. Creating effective mobile products requires planning, however. Agencies who have created native apps outlined three areas they considered in the mobile development process: strategy, business requirements and measuring value. Strategy Before creating a mobile

Trends on Tuesday: Native App Push Notifications Drive Repeat Use

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 10:00:59 -0400

Analytics company, Localytics, released a new report about mobile app retention rates from the past 4 years that agencies should heed when considering their needs for building native mobile apps, compared to mobile-friendly

Celebrating Parks, Creating Connections: NPS Prepares for 2016 Centennial

Tue, 30 Jun 2015 02:06:40 -0400

Planning your next national park adventure (from the comfort of your couch) is easier than ever with a new website, Find Your Park.com. Launched on April 2nd, the mobile-friendly FindYourPark.com was designed and launched by the National Park Foundation (NPF), the

DigitalGov Podcast: DAP Delivers Data for 4,000 Websites

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 11:10:56 -0400

You cannot improve your digital outreach without data. Since 2012, the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) has provided agencies the critical information and metrics that they need to make their public-facing websites better.

The Content Corner: Telling Your Story

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 10:00:19 -0400

Storytelling plays an important role in helping to establish the human connection that is often lost in today’s digital deluge of information, shares and tweets. A large amount of the content we consume today is derivative, second-hand, and generally passes through us like a breeze. But by using a method of sharing content that is as

Creating a Social Media Report That Matters

Mon, 29 Jun 2015 01:00:19 -0400

As with any communications effort, the social media bottom line comes down to impact. Can you prove that the time, money and effort put into social media helped achieve your agency’s goals? In a world obsessed with big data, it’s tempting to track every detail simply because you can. With more data comes more confusion

As the World Churns: Earthquake Detection via Twitter

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 10:00:36 -0400

When one thinks of social media, usually it is thought of as a tool to keep in touch with friends and family. Behind all the social networking lies vast amounts of data that can be used in a multitude of ways. This data is an opportunity for government agencies to improve the services they provide

Using Apps for Mental Healthcare

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 13:00:22 -0400

Technology has opened new pathways for delivering health care, including mental health services. The National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), part of the Department of Defense, offers multiple apps that address health care for service members in a variety of ways. At a talk with

Engaging Audiences Through Quora

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 11:00:57 -0400

There’s no doubt that traditional social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have transformed how we communicate with stakeholders. Quora is another tool for agencies seeking to engage highly-educated thought leaders and influencers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, scientists, engineers and journalists worldwide. The brainchild of two former Facebook employees with the backing of Wikipedia’s founder, Quora aims to

The API Briefing: Government APIs in a Post-Apps World

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 13:45:41 -0400

Take out your smartphone and count the number of apps that you have. How many of these apps do you use daily? What about the apps you use weekly? Do you have any apps that you installed but used only once? Any apps that you have never used? What kind of apps do you have?

Betting on email: How We’re Reaching Hispanics via Their Inbox

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 11:30:58 -0400

Driving visitors to a destination means reaching your users where they are at. In 2005, as part of the greater USA.gov marketing strategy, GobiernoUSA.gov launched an email program. These communications initially took the form of short blurbs that directed people to important site content and promoted other government information hosted by various federal agencies. From

Trends on Tuesday: Global Efforts Underway to Update Mobile Accessibility Guidelines

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 10:00:29 -0400

Federal agencies do not get a free pass on accessibility for mobile—as we stated earlier this month, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to ALL information and communication technology (ICT). Luckily, there are a number of organizations working on guidelines and practices to help the private and public sectors create accessible mobile websites and

The Content Corner: Writing Better Headlines

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:00:49 -0400

The clarity of a headline or title plays a critical role in whether your content is ever seen and read by your customers. As the battle for eyeballs continues to escalate, digital media providers seem to be resorting more and more to “clickbait” titles and headlines. However, as with all forms of overused marketing, consumers

Real Internationalization Isn’t Just Geographic: It’s Linguistic

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 11:00:33 -0400

Twenty years ago, the chances of watching an NBA game with commentary in a language other than English were small. Today, the NBA transmits games in 47 languages to 215 countries across the world. This is a perfect example of how organizations have evolved over time to meet the demands of their audiences. Evidence like

NOAA’s CrowdMag App: Citizen Science on the Go

Thu, 18 Jun 2015 10:00:40 -0400

The rise in mobile device usage has created a rise in expectations: the public wants new and innovative interactions with all organizations, including government. Incorporating social media in mobile websites and native apps is one way federal agencies have increased public interaction. Six agencies have leveraged native app functionality for crowdsourcing purposes. The National Oceanic

The API Briefing: the Challenge of Government’s Dark Data

Wed, 17 Jun 2015 10:00:23 -0400

By now, you are familiar with “big data” or datasets that are so large that they cannot be analyzed by conventional analytical methods. You may have heard of “long data” which is data that has a temporal context. I work with long data when I analyze hiring patterns over time in workforce data. There is

Trends on Tuesday: Native App Lessons from the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program

Tue, 16 Jun 2015 10:00:55 -0400

The more you test, the more you know. We recently highlighted lessons learned from the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program, discussed the mobile emulator dilemma that many agencies face, and today we’re back with a few insights on native app testing. The Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program yields a rich set of participant feedback that helps individual app

The Content Corner: Creating Engaging Content with Data

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 11:10:42 -0400

Over the last several years, continuing advances in computer processing power and storage have brought about the growth of what some call big data. Mobile and wearable devices now also generate large amounts of data via our

HTTPS For All

Mon, 15 Jun 2015 10:00:32 -0400

With the release of a new dashboard to measure best Web practices in the federal government and the establishment of a government-wide HTTPS Only Standard, the time to make the switch to HTTPS has arrived. Agencies have until December 31, 2016, to make the switch. The move to HTTPS is not only happening in government;

DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit: Reflections from Our Livestream Host, and Full Recording Now Available!

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 13:30:22 -0400

The second annual DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit was held at GSA headquarters in Washington, DC on May 21, 2015.

How Governance Supports Your Agency’s Digital Government Strategy

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 10:00:33 -0400

What is governance, and how can you make good governance usable in your agency? The federal government developed the Digital Government Strategy to deliver better Web services to the American people.

When Catastrophe Strikes, Provide Support: SAMHSA’s Disaster Response App

Thu, 11 Jun 2015 10:00:53 -0400

Disasters can strike at anytime, and responders now have another tool in their repertoire to aid survivors. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed the Behavioral Health Disaster Response Mobile App to assist mental health responders with pre-deployment and on-the ground information and resources. SAMHSA has

How Agencies “Pin” Down Their Audiences

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 02:35:50 -0400

While Facebook and Twitter are the most popular social media platforms (according to some rankings), your agency can and should evaluate the benefits of platforms like Pinterest, which have seen major growth in users and activity. In the last six months of 2014, Pinterest increased its membership by 57%, while Facebook and Twitter only grew by

The Emulator Dilemma: Can Mobile Device Testing Be Completed Without Mobile Devices?

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 11:10:14 -0400

Government agencies have created a variety of apps to meet the needs of the public. As you join in on the mobile-first trend and begin developing your shiny new mobile application, you will need to test it.

Trends on Tuesday: 7 Key Takeaways From Mary Meeker's 2015 Internet Trends Report

Tue, 09 Jun 2015 10:00:25 -0400

Silicon Valley analyst Mary Meeker’s annual 2015 Internet Trends report has been released and is an exhaustive analysis of the world’s digital evolution (often mobile-first driven) and how it is affecting business, culture, and information.

#SocialGov Round Up 2015

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 11:30:55 -0400

The SocialGov Community is coming up on three years of hard work and pushing the boundaries on using social tools across the federal government. I’d like to start this round up by taking a look at the event we hosted last year, State of the #SocialGov 2014: 2 Years of Smashing Silos + Elevating Citizen

The Content Corner: Creating a Content Style Guide

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 10:00:02 -0400

One of the more commonly overlooked pieces of any effective content strategy is a content style guide.

Monthly Theme: Building, Evaluating, and Improving Government Services Through Social Media

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 14:56:52 -0400

While examples of government social media content may initially seem like mere fun, the potential of applied social data to build, evaluate and improve diverse citizen services is only increasing.

Using Section 508 Guidance to Improve the Accessibility of Government Services

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:10:22 -0400

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to use accessible information and communication technology (ICT), whether procured, developed, or maintained.

Visualizing BLS Data to Improve Understanding

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 10:00:28 -0400

If a picture is worth a thousand words, what’s the value of a striking, cool chart or map of some BLS data? At the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), we’re always thinking of better ways to help our users understand the information we produce.

New Coast Guard App Streamlines Boating Safety to Maximize Summer Fun

Thu, 04 Jun 2015 10:00:34 -0400

Just in time for the summer season, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a brand new app to give smartphone users easy, on-demand access to critical boating safety information and resources.

Taking the Pulse of the Federal Government's Web Presence

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 13:10:57 -0400

The U.S. federal government is launching a new project to monitor how it’s doing at best practices on the Web.

The API Briefing: Make It an API – the Census Bureau’s Census of Governments

Wed, 03 Jun 2015 11:55:34 -0400

Serendipity can be a wonderful tool for discovery. I was looking through the Census Bureau site for some business census data when I came upon the 2012 Census of Governments.

Trends on Tuesday: Thinking about Your Agency's “Glanceable” Moment Strategy

Tue, 02 Jun 2015 10:00:49 -0400

Mobile device penetration is growing. Yhe new wave of digital screens on watches and wearables is requiring organizations to consider how to build smaller, faster and simpler interfaces to prepare for glanceable moments.

Finding the Best Mobile Moment Is the First Stepping Stone to Anytime, Anywhere Government

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 11:10:30 -0400

Mobile-friendliness is a must for government. But mobilizing the whole digital enchilada takes time due to various challenges, as experiences from the Department of Education and National Park Service have illustrated.

The Content Corner: Humanizing Structured Content

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Over the past several years, DigitalGov has been extremely focused on structured content, content models, and their role in future-ready content (and rightly so).

A Conversation with OMB on Customer Service

Fri, 29 May 2015 11:10:49 -0400

We recently sat down with Lisa Danzig, who’s leading work at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on the FY15 Cross Agency Priority (CAP) goal on Customer Service (CS). The CS CAP goal aims to help agencies deliver world-class customer service to citizens that’s on par with leading private

Getting to Know Your Users: Tips and Tricks from Veterans Affairs

Fri, 29 May 2015 10:00:22 -0400

Design research isn’t rocket science. But for many of us in the federal government, it can seem daunting and unfamiliar. We’re here to to help demystify the process of design research for those of you ready to wade into the waters. We’ve both done our fair share of design researching at the Department of Veterans

Three of the Greatest Books for Customer Experience (That Aren’t about Customer Experience)

Thu, 28 May 2015 11:10:38 -0400

Dennis Snow and Jeanne Bliss have always been the customer experience (CX) authorities in my mind. Dennis’s Lessons from the Mouse and Jeanne’s Chief Customer Officer were two of the first books I read that described what the practice of customer experience looked like in the halls of Fortune 500 companies like Lands End and Microsoft,

ICE Wields Smartphones in Fight Against Child Exploitation

Thu, 28 May 2015 10:00:48 -0400

Armed with a smartphone instead of a badge, ordinary Americans are helping law enforcement officers capture child predators. After exhausting all investigative leads, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents turn to the public for help to

StudentAid.gov: Using Data to Empower Borrowers

Wed, 27 May 2015 13:10:12 -0400

It’s been a while, but in previous posts, I described what we’ve learned from operating StudentAid.gov, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid website created to educate students and borrowers about the federal student aid programs and process and help them make informed decisions about financing college and career school. We first

The National Day of Civic Hacking 2015: Harnessing the Power of the People

Wed, 27 May 2015 11:10:42 -0400

The National Day of Civic Hacking was born when some of the nation’s leaders in civic engagement decided to rally around a common goal on one weekend. -Nicholas Skytland, NASA The National Day of Civic Hacking is a national community engagement event that will

The API Briefing: NASA Builds API.NASA.gov to Launch More APIs to Developers

Wed, 27 May 2015 10:00:44 -0400

NASA has been busy since we last visited their collection of APIs back in August 2014. NASA has just launched API.NASA.gov where developers can learn to use existing NASA

Trends on Tuesday: 186.3 Million People Own Smartphones in the U.S.

Tue, 26 May 2015 13:20:19 -0400

In April, comScore released new mobile data, and it pointed to the continuing growth of smartphones as the dominant mobile platform, especially in the United States, with almost a 77% smartphone penetration. Android and Apple continue to dominate the operating system market share with 52.8% and 41.7%, respectively. The report said that “186.3 million people in the U.S.

5 Crucial Steps for Conducting an Effective Customer Interview

Tue, 26 May 2015 11:10:18 -0400

When focusing on customer experience, we all know that we need to truly understand our customer if we expect to provide them with an enjoyable experience. In an effort to do so, organizations often jump right to a survey to identify their customers’ needs and wants.

Addressing Social Issues Through Challenge Competitions

Fri, 22 May 2015 10:00:20 -0400

Innovation challenges leverage public creativity to address important problems. They can also be a tool for reaching and educating the next generation of leaders about social issues. The Office of Policy Development and Research (PD&R) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently wrapped up the second year of the Innovation in

DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit 2015: Open Innovation and Collaboration

Thu, 21 May 2015 15:27:26 -0400

At the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit, U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith challenged all techies in government to help solve problems and be part of decision-making at the highest levels of government in her opening remarks.

Start Sleuthing with the Great Federal Mobile Product Hunt

Thu, 21 May 2015 08:30:34 -0400

Mobile-friendliness is a must for government. We know there are a number of agencies who have mobile-friendly digital products that we don’t know about, and they deserve their day in the sun. We need your help to find them.

Creating Story-Based, Narrative Content to Share Your Agency’s Mission

Wed, 20 May 2015 11:10:09 -0400

As human beings, we love stories. We like regaling our friends with tales from a recent road trip. We listen intently as grandma recounts that special moment she first met grandpa. Stories are how we relate to people. Stories help us form memories. Stories carry on tradition and culture from one generation to the next.

The API Briefing: Five Federal APIs for Building a Government Jobs Finder Mobile App

Wed, 20 May 2015 10:00:43 -0400

The spring semesters are winding down at the universities where I teach. Many students are looking for summer internships or their first job after graduation. Of course, I talk about the opportunities in government through the Pathways program, the Presidential Management Fellows, or the various agency-specific internship programs. I’ve demonstrated USAJOBS in my classes, but

Top 5 Ways to Increase Email Survey Responses

Wed, 20 May 2015 01:30:06 -0400

Surveys are a great way to gain valuable insight into your customers’ true interests and needs. With the abundant number of survey tools available, it’s almost too easy to quickly put together a survey and send it out to your target audience.

Trends on Tuesday: More Google Searches Now Take Place on Mobile Devices than Desktops

Tue, 19 May 2015 10:00:03 -0400

The drum beat of the continuing and quick cultural shift to mobile device dominance continues to grow—Google announced that more searches take place on mobile devices than desktops in 10 countries, including the U.S. and Japan. These searches are often driven

The Content Corner: Connecting With Customers at Labor

Mon, 18 May 2015 10:00:35 -0400

Here at DigitalGov, customer service is a focal theme during the month of May, and by some type of cosmic chance, I was invited to share my insights on content strategy and content creation at a Customer Service Community of Practice event at the Department of Labor. The event focused on topics I commonly discuss here

DigitalGov Summit: Live From the Comfort of Your Desk

Mon, 18 May 2015 02:59:13 -0400

The DigitalGov platform helps federal agencies meet 21st century digital expectations, and we’ve planned our second DigitalGov Summit with this mission and your needs in mind.

Government Services Through a Life Events Approach

Fri, 15 May 2015 13:30:54 -0400

The federal government is increasingly focused on designing and delivering citizen-centered services with enhanced experiences that deliver value to customers. These ideals are established in the Presidential Management Agenda Customer Service Cross-Agency Priority Goal, the Digital Government Strategy, and various open government activities. Designing services to be responsive to be life events that drive public

How a Twitter Chat about Healthy Aging Reached More than 4 Million People

Fri, 15 May 2015 10:00:34 -0400

There are multiple health-related Twitter chats every day of the week. There are chats focused on specific conditions, on the healthcare system, on treatments, on products and on practices. If your agency or organization is interested in leading a conversation in this

Our Customer is Your Customer: Working Together to Improve Search on .Gov Websites

Thu, 14 May 2015 11:10:59 -0400

We know search engines aren’t Magic 8 Balls, but that’s still how we expect them to behave. We want them to answer our complex and burning questions based on just a few words. And we’ve felt that frustration when the top search results don’t serve our needs, and the results page itself makes us work.

From Startup to Veteran CEO: New BusinessUSA App Has You Covered

Thu, 14 May 2015 10:00:42 -0400

BusinessUSA is a centralized, one-stop platform to make it easy for businesses to access services to help them grow and hire. And with the release of a brand new smartphone app for Android and iOS devices, BusinessUSA is fully functional no matter whether you visit by desktop, tablet

Three Ways to Evolve Your Agency’s Customer Mindset

Wed, 13 May 2015 13:00:46 -0400

Customer experience (CX) improvement projects come in many forms, but evolving an agency’s entire mindset to be customer-focused requires far more in the way of commitment, time, staff and organizational patience. As the senior CX lead for a U.S. government agency and an advisory committee member to the President’s Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) goal on customer

Sites Shares Its Path to Improve the Customer Experience

Tue, 12 May 2015 13:00:25 -0400

As the product manager of Sites, my job is to make sure that our service delivers what we offer: provide an easy, fast and cost‐effective solution for federal agencies that want to create a secure government website to reach the public. With 40 websites that are currently live or in active development, our program is

Trends on Tuesday: Consumer Purchases and Usage of Tablets Shrink, as Phablets Grow

Tue, 12 May 2015 10:00:21 -0400

Consumers are buying less tablets and more phablets, especially in the U.S. Three recent research reports released in the past week from IDC, Flurry and Kantar each point to a shift in consumer purchasing habits over the past quarter, showing that consumers

Customer Experience Roundup 2015

Mon, 11 May 2015 14:01:57 -0400

Customer experience touches all of the work we do. From Web to mobile to contact centers and social media, we need to not only be aware of our customers’ experiences but also respond quickly and make changes that will enhance their experiences.

The Content Corner: Ranking Six Common Content Types

Mon, 11 May 2015 10:00:27 -0400

In last week’s column, I went back to a frequent theme of mine and discussed another method for helping to feed the content beast, which was learning when to say no to a new and potentially resource devouring digital channel or platform. However, we also need to take a look at six of the most

Customer Experience and User Experience Professionals – A Match Made in Heaven!

Fri, 08 May 2015 09:50:44 -0400

Recently, Forrester Research analyst Leah Buley wrote a blog post and report that reminded me of our “what’s the diff?” article on customer experience vs. user experience. In them, she describes the difference between customer experience professionals (CX) and user experience professionals (UX).

Increasing Engagement and Website Visits with Twitter Cards

Thu, 07 May 2015 16:12:30 -0400

May is #WorldTradeMonth and each year the U.S. Trade and Development Agency celebrates the month by highlighting the partnerships it has with 39 state and local organizations that promote U.S. exports in their home states through an initiative called #MakingGlobalLocal. What that means is that those 39 organizations with social media accounts, especially Twitter, will

Monthly Theme: Customer Service in the Federal Digital Space

Thu, 07 May 2015 14:42:42 -0400

“The customer is king.” “The customer is always right.” Regardless of your feelings on these age-old customer service adages, the fact remains: we’re all serving someone. No matter what corner of the federal digital space you occupy, you are connecting with people, and the outcome of those connections matters. To recognize the importance of these

Spoiler Alert: USDA’s FoodKeeper App Helps Americans Avoid Wasting Good Food

Thu, 07 May 2015 10:00:13 -0400

Spoiler Alert: Every year, billions of pounds of good food go to waste in the U.S. because Americans are not sure if the food is spoiled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that retailers and consumers waste 36 pounds of food per

The API Briefing: Be Prepared with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Mobile App

Wed, 06 May 2015 11:00:44 -0400

Before coming to DC in late 2008, I lived in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville is in the Ohio Valley Region, which meteorologists euphemistically call “weather-rich.” With spring came the beautiful flowers and the Kentucky Derby. Spring also brought flooding, tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, and windstorms. This is why I had several emergency weather radios that also doubled

Trends on Tuesday: U.S. Mobile-Only Internet Users Now Outnumber Desktop-Only Users

Tue, 05 May 2015 11:00:36 -0400

Just a week after the ‘Mobilegeddon’ shift in Google search engine rankings to favor mobile-friendly sites, comScore released a research report citing that the U.S. had reached a new inflection point—there are now more mobile-only Internet users than desktop-only. What’s even

USA.gov in Beta: Tell Us What You Think

Mon, 04 May 2015 14:30:34 -0400

Thirteen years in digital is an eon, and on the eve of its 13th birthday, we at USA.gov found ourselves reckoning with a mid-life crisis. In the thirteen years since Firstgov.gov was launched (and ten years for FirstGov en Español), the sheer volume and sophistication

The Content Corner: Learning to Say No

Mon, 04 May 2015 11:30:37 -0400

There is a quote that goes something like, “Just because we can do a thing, it does not follow that we must do a thing.” I attribute it to the President of the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, partially because I am a geek, and secondly, the internet provided

Helpful Resources to Make Your Content Mobile-Friendly

Mon, 04 May 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Smartphones make up 75% of the mobile market—which makes mobile-friendliness a must for government agencies. With the recent update to Google’s search algorithm, or what some are calling Mobilegeddon, the case for building a mobile-friendly site becomes even stronger. For many government organizations, responsive Web design (RWD) has been the answer to their mobile question.

Progress with Open Opportunities: Notes from the Field

Fri, 01 May 2015 11:10:51 -0400

As a task creator with an ambitious agenda and limited resources, I’ve got a great deal of incentive to make the most use that I can of Open Opportunities. And indeed, Open Opportunities participants have made a concrete and positive difference in the operations of our office, the Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office, part of

Creating a Veterans-Centered Experience Through ExploreVA

Fri, 01 May 2015 10:00:29 -0400

Good customer service includes user-centered design. For one digital team at the Department of Veterans Affairs, creating a veterans-centered experience started with one word: explore. The ExploreVA website provides a single location for veterans and their families to research the benefits that they may be entitled to receive. Benefits include health care, education, employment, and

How Much Will My Agency’s Contact Center Cost?

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 11:10:52 -0400

The federal government has caught the customer experience bug. We want our customers to complete their tasks with minimal effort using a streamlined process. If they need personal help, we want it to be quick, polite, and provide the best answer. But that personal help frequently requires a team of highly skilled, dedicated people—a contact

Mobile-Friendly Park Websites on NPS.gov

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 10:00:20 -0400

Park websites on NPS.gov from A (Acadia) to Z (Zion) are now mobile-friendly. Visitors using phones and tablets to visit national park websites now have a user-friendly experience to enhance their virtual visits. Previously, visitors using mobile devices saw a smaller version of the website scaled to

DigitalGov’s Inaugural Podcast: How IVR Supports Contact Centers

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:35:34 -0400

DigitalGov University has added podcasts to our suite of offerings on DigitalGov, featuring interviews and discussions with leaders in the DigitalGov community. For the first edition, we talked to Diane Devera, “Voice of the IVR” for the USA.gov Contact Center.

The API Briefing: Top Five Findings for API Developers from Pew Research Center

Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:00:19 -0400

The Pew Research Center just released a report on how Americans view open government data. The following findings were based on a November to December 2014 survey of 3,212 adults. Two-thirds of Americans use the Internet or an app to connect with the government. According to Pew, 37% use the Internet to connect with the

Lessons Learned from 4 Decades in Federal Contact Centers

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 11:10:38 -0400

For more than 40 years, Warren Snaider has been working at the General Services Administration providing government information to the public. A Senior Federal Information Specialist, Snaider has witnessed government contact centers evolve as technology has changed the way people communicate and access information. Snaider first joined the Federal Information Center in Sacramento in 1972.

Trends on Tuesday: Federal App Development Trends

Tue, 28 Apr 2015 10:00:27 -0400

Mobile apps meet real world needs. App development is not a homogenous process, however. Apple and Android devices are overwhelmingly dominant in device ownership and app development. So, we examined the Federal Mobile Apps Directory for iOS and Android offerings. We noticed a predominance

Are FAQs Still Relevant?

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 13:10:19 -0400

Users have questions. Your content and website navigation can help them find answers, or potentially cause frustration. One tool for answering questions is up for debate: are FAQ sections still relevant in 2015, or are they a relic of bygone days? Nielsen Norman Group recently published two articles arguing for the continued use and usefulness

Cross-Agency Collaboration Is the Key to Reaching Millions

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 12:02:24 -0400

This story begins with a post about reverse mortgages, but don’t worry: we won’t go into the world of complex home loans. Rather, this is a story about how one federal agency is partnering with another to amplify its content and reach millions of people online—and why more agencies should do the same. Many federal

The Content Corner: The Content Wars

Mon, 27 Apr 2015 10:56:28 -0400

One of the most interesting trends forming at the start of 2015 is the rise of new digital publishers. Online entities from Facebook to GE are continuing their strong forays into the world of content production. This shift, especially among social media platforms such as Facebook, Linked In and Snapchat, could significantly alter the digital

Sharing the Essentials of Animated Gifs for Public Services

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:33:00 -0400

Animated gifs are increasingly found throughout the digital experience of today’s users.

Meeting Customer Needs Through Social Media

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 12:03:35 -0400

Social media tools can amplify your agency’s message, but they are also a meeting space for two-way conversations. They can be a key tool to resolve user issues and deliver excellent customer service. This is true for agencies in every corner of the government space. In honor of our monthly contact center theme, we reached

Competitions Launch Start-ups and Engage Entrepreneurs

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 11:30:50 -0400

When people hear about challenge competitions, they most often ask about the results. What worked and why did it work? Two great examples are featured on the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy site, which include the “needle in the haystack” solvers for a space mass competition and eleven

Checking in on the DoD Mobile Apps Gallery

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 10:07:30 -0400

We’re switching our style up this week in salute to our military friends across the Department of Defense. Faithful readers of DigitalGov know that each Thursday we profile an awesome app from the

Announcing Speakers and Agenda for the 2015 Summit

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 11:31:36 -0400

We are busting at the seams with excitement because the DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit is less than a month away! Today we are announcing the working agenda and confirmed speakers.

The API Briefing: Making a Difference One Microtask at a Time

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:00:44 -0400

I recently found an app that provides a great service through crowdsourcing. Be My Eyes connects visually-impaired people with volunteers. Using the smartphone’s camera, the volunteers can perform tasks such as reading an expiration date or helping someone navigate unfamiliar surroundings. This is not a federal app, but I wanted to highlight it to demonstrate how

Trends on Tuesday: The Total Market Approach

Tue, 21 Apr 2015 10:00:13 -0400

Your audience is not homogenous. No matter the agency, target audiences are not only diverse, they are diverse on a multitude of factors. Recently, evolving trends in multicultural marketing have gained attention as organizations adjust their marketing and outreach strategies to meet 21st century realities.

The Content Corner: Finding Your Voice

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 10:00:55 -0400

No, this is not another post about podcasting but about a different voice entirely. It is the words you use, the conversation that you are having with your users.

The Ex-Im Bank Annual Conference: A Valuable Tool in the Government CX Toolbox

Mon, 20 Apr 2015 01:53:13 -0400

It can be easy to forget that customer experience (CX) improvement efforts within the government sphere aren’t limited to surveys, journey maps, analytics, big data, apps, and technology. Watching Export-Import Bank’s Annual Conference come together, I’m reminded of the fundamental role that interpersonal communication plays in improving customer experience, from the front line of our

Focus Groups: Are They Right for You?

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 11:10:32 -0400

The short answer is: it depends on your goals. If you Google “focus group,” you will have a host of positive and negative feedback, but the truth is that it depends on what your needs are. What Is a Focus Group? Focus groups are an inexpensive way

What Labor Department Data Do You Want?

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:00:12 -0400

Four years ago, we released our Labor Department-wide API—that is, an Application Programming Interface—with the hope that anyone who wants to build an

Using a Hypothesis-Driven Approach in Analyzing (and Making Sense) of Your Website Traffic Data

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 14:14:11 -0400

At the Digital Analytics Program (DAP), some of the most frequently asked questions we get are “how can I get access to the DAP data?” and “what do I do with all this data?” We all know that data is knowledge, and knowledge is power, but once we have access to it and realize that

NCI: Reaching the Public via SMS to Change Behaviors

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 11:10:21 -0400

SMS messages are an excellent way to reach audiences. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) saw SMS messages as an opportunity to reach the public for the implementation of their Mobile Health Behavioral Intervention Programs. NCI has 15 SMS based programs, including HealthyYouTxt, a program designed to help users live a healthier lifestyle, and SmokeFreeTxt, a

NASA APIs: Opening Data Assets

Thu, 16 Apr 2015 10:00:49 -0400

Data is one of the most important assets at NASA. We have data on comets, measurements of Mars, and real-time imagery of Earth. But what good is data if you can’t access it? Not good at all! We’re in the process of building a site (at api.nasa.gov) to catalog NASA APIs that structure access to

Mobilegeddon: Government Edition

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:15:42 -0400

Much is being said and written about the coming Mobilegeddon/Mopocalypse on April 21st—the day Google’s ranking algorithm will begin boosting results for mobile-friendly sites and penalizing mobile-unfriendly sites. While some agency websites are mobile-friendly, a great many are not. We will do well to pay attention—almost 25% of traffic on government websites is coming from

The API Briefing: How Essential Is Government Data to the American Economy?

Wed, 15 Apr 2015 12:54:44 -0400

I grew up when home computers were first being introduced to the general public. I bought my first computer, a Commodore 64, after spending a summer of mowing lawns and saving up my birthday and Christmas money. It was not until I entered college that I became an infopreneur. Infopreneurs are entrepreneurs who used computers

Updated: Live Blogging the Analytics Dashboard on #TaxDay

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 15:00:08 -0400

2 a.m. EDT, April 16 Looks like the traffic peak for #TaxDay was around 3:00 pm when 194,301 people were on government sites. We’re now less than one-quarter of that traffic, and the more regular patterns of top sites are reasserting themselves. We’re talking about YOU, NASA astronomy picture of the day and that wonderful

Trends on Tuesday: 10 Tips for Mobile Live Streaming

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:10:55 -0400

Mobile video is starting to hit its second wave for both consumption and creation, and government agencies can prepare now to ride this new channel for mobile and social engagement. Fueled by mobile bandwidth and cellular stability steadily increasing and consumers’ comfort

Social Sharing Buttons: Location, Location, Location

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 10:00:19 -0400

DigitalGov has seen posts from members of the community who land on opposite sides regarding social sharing buttons. There are those who find social sharing buttons useful (When Sharing Buttons

The Content Corner: Structured Content Challenges and Lessons Learned

Mon, 13 Apr 2015 10:00:17 -0400

In May 2014, Sarah Crane discussed the importance of structured content, APIs and the development of a “Create Once, Publish Everywhere” (COPE) strategy at USA.gov via a three part video series. After my recent post about a world without Web pages, Sarah and I connected and we discussed the challenges she has experienced during the

Usability Testing with People Who Have Vision Impairment

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 11:10:21 -0400

It’s a forgone conclusion that usability studies are effective in identifying weak points within a website, but what about testing people who are visually impaired? How hard is it to accommodate them? There are some additional challenges that you may encounter when conducting testing with people with disabilities; however, these challenges should not be considered

Government Contact Center Round Up

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 10:00:08 -0400

The Government Contact Center Council (G3C) has been working with DigitalGov University to host events for the contact center community across the federal government.

New USGS App Helps Save the Piping Plovers!

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 10:00:25 -0400

iPlover is a new app from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for data collection about habitats on coastal beaches and the environment surrounding them. That sounds like a really difficult and important task, but luckily for us, the app is designed for trained and vetted professionals. It is an example of another federal crowdsourcing app, but for experts. The

Multiple Languages, Single Platforms: the World Digital Library

Thu, 09 Apr 2015 02:29:14 -0400

Multilingual does not always mean multiple accounts or websites. Increasingly, multilingual content is delivered in an integrated way, with two (or more!) languages delivered on the same website, app, or social media platform. The World Digital Library (WDL) is one example of how multiple languages can be incorporated on single platforms. The WDL is a

Attend the DigitalGov Summit – Virtually, or Host an Expo Table

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 11:06:05 -0400

Sign up now to watch the DigitalGov Summit from the comfort of your desk! We have just opened up registration to attend virtually.

Monthly Theme: How Federal Contact Centers Deliver Great Customer Service

Wed, 08 Apr 2015 09:35:49 -0400

At the end of last year, DigitalGov posted an article predicting that 2016 would be the year of the customer. Stephanie Thum, Vice President of Customer Experience at Export-Import Bank, looked at the great strides made in federal customer service in 2014 and called it the year of “planting seeds.” She then pointed to 2015

Why Your Social Traffic Looks Low in Analytics Tools

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 13:00:23 -0400

Part of my job as an analyst on the Digital Analytics Program (DAP) team is to help agency users try to make sense of digital analytics data by using web analytics tools. I

Trends on Tuesday: 40% of Smartphone Users Look up Government Information

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 10:00:52 -0400

The Pew Research Center released a deep research dive into U.S. Smartphone Use in 2015 that provided three big ideas and data points for government agencies to consider when planning their digital strategies.

Using Personas to Better Understand Customers: USA.gov Case Study

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 11:49:07 -0400

Personas are fictional characters that describe an organization’s customer behaviors, emotions, attributes, motivations, and goals. They are an important tool to share customer insights and understanding across an organization. Personas also serve as a check to make sure your organization’s actions meet the needs of the majority of customers, including visitors to your website, contact

The Content Corner: Should You Be Podcasting?

Mon, 06 Apr 2015 10:00:34 -0400

Along a somewhat personal journey (that you have chosen to join) to better define the term content, I’ve stumbled upon the puzzle of podcasts.

Sharing Social Media Strategies: The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace Program Office

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:00:10 -0400

Creating a tweet, posting a photo, or updating a status may take mere seconds. However, a well-thought-out social media strategy is needed for long-term success. In fact, the recently released U.S. Public Participation Playbook mentions strategy in its very first play: clearly define and communicate your objectives. Knowing what you hope to accomplish and how

CareerOneStop’s Newest Online Resources: Targeted to User Needs

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:17:09 -0400

When the Employment and Training Administration’s CareerOneStop team embarked on a redesign of the site’s online career, training, and job resources, they didn’t dive right into the technical work. Instead, they embraced a user-centered approach that focused on the user experience (UX). Focusing on UX means taking a step back

The API Briefing: How Do I Use This API? Good Documentation Practices from Department of Labor

Wed, 01 Apr 2015 14:43:54 -0400

When I first started coding using BASIC on the Commodore 64, I rarely documented my programs. Neither did many of my fellow programmers which led to numerous hours trying to figure out just exactly how a program worked. Documentation became more vital as programs became more feature rich and complex. In the API world, there

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone Market Growth Makes Mobile-Friendly a Must

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:00:43 -0400

ComScore reported last week that smartphones now make up a whopping 75% of the mobile market. That’s up from 65% just one year ago. This means three-quarters of Americans over the age of 13 now have smartphones, and they are accessing government services with them more and more. This is an undeniable fact because earlier this

Gather Your Agency’s Public Data with Let Me Get That Data for You

Tue, 31 Mar 2015 10:38:06 -0400

In case you missed it, U.S. Open Data recently launched a tool called: Let Me Get That Data For You (LMGTDY). The name is a play on the very funny Let Me Google That For You website. How LMGTDFY works Let Me Get That Data For You searches any website for

The Content Corner: Making Those Connections

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 10:00:27 -0400

A (possibly infamous) blog post from last Friday and the discussion or debate that followed reminded me of several important points that we all may lose sight of during our hectic schedules.

On the Spot: Must-Have IFTTT Recipes for Government

Mon, 30 Mar 2015 03:48:29 -0400

Ever since we announced IFTTT was available for federal use, dozens of ideas have been shared for how program managers can use the tool to increase their productivity. I asked some API enthusiasts in the SocialGov community which of their

Empowerment, Innovation, and Improved Health Outcomes: the Blue Button Initiative

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 10:00:40 -0400

Finding and getting access to our own health information can be a complex process. And most of us don’t really think about having our health information readily accessible until we really need it – like in the event of an emergency, or when switching doctors or traveling. Combing through stacks of paperwork and contacting providers

Booking a Discount Bus Ticket? Check Carrier Safety Records with QCMobile

Thu, 26 Mar 2015 11:56:54 -0400

The new app from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration called “QCMobile” empowers U.S. motorists to make safety their highest priority on the roadways this spring. This is a continued theme in DOT’s mobile strategy, as they have also recently released the SaferRide app. QCMobile (QC stands

The API Briefing: Free Federal Energy and Economic Information Delivered Straight to Your Spreadsheet

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 11:10:59 -0400

Back in November 2014, I wrote about the Federal Reserve of St. Louis’ FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data) API. A user can access 238,000 economic trends through FRED® through a website and mobile apps. What is unique about FRED® is that a user can pull economic data directly into an Excel spreadsheet. Now, the FRED®

HTTP vs HTTPS: Is it Time For a Change?

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Data. Security. Privacy. These are the cornerstones of many discussions concerning technology. The security of citizen information when interacting with the federal government will be increasingly important as we progress into the future. A few agencies have begun to use Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) in lieu of the standard HTTP. For these agencies,

Trends on Tuesday: Big Data Equals Big Challenges

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 13:59:04 -0400

According to an article from Readwrite, the amount of money going to big data projects is steadily increasing despite widespread failure to achieve many results. For big data-related projects in global organizations, a total of $31 billion was spent in 2013 and that amount is expected to top $114 billion by 2018. The recognition that

Usability Design for Kids: Things Federal Workers Should Know

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 10:00:50 -0400

I used to teach 8th grade science in inner city Denver in the 1990s. After that, I supported special education students and their teachers in North Carolina. Around that time (mid-late 1990s), the Internet wasn’t really designed for kids –most of the electronic materials I

Web Metadata Publishing Using XML

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 11:00:18 -0400

Metadata for website content is usually managed as part of the editorial process when documents are created and published with content management systems. There may be another source for this metadata, especially in regulatory agencies: internal databases that reference Web content in support of record keeping processes. These databases may contain public and non-public information

The Content Corner: Building a Content Strategy

Mon, 23 Mar 2015 09:45:24 -0400

I recently read a disheartening statistic which stated that only 32% of B2B organizations and 27% of B2C organizations had a documented content strategy. When you combine these results with the general assumption that the federal government lags behind in areas such as this (especially since content strategies have a marketing basis), then the number

Structured Content in Government: How HHS and NCI Are Getting Started

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 09:50:12 -0400

Metadata, tagging, content modeling … they’re not identical concepts, but they’re driven by the same basic principle: when you structure your digital information, it can be more easily searched, reused, connected, shared, and analyzed.

Turning Government Data into Better Public Service

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 10:32:42 -0400

Every day, millions of people use their laptops, phones, and tablets to check the status of their tax refund, get the latest forecast from the National Weather Service, book a campsite at one of our national parks, and much more. There were more than 1.3 billion visits to websites across the federal government in just

Getting Started with Usability Testing

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 02:10:54 -0400

At the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), our new open data policy will begin making more Agency-funded data broadly accessible to the public. It completely changes the way we do business, and it also means that in the coming years, the amount of data we

DrugShortages App Accelerates Public Access to Drug Shortage Information

Thu, 19 Mar 2015 01:00:13 -0400

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s new “DrugShortages” app gives the public access to important—and sometimes critical—drug shortage information easier and faster than ever before. Drugs in short supply can delay or deny needed care for patients. Shortages may also lead health care professionals to rely on alternative drug products,

Improving How Social Media Informs Leadership and Public Initiatives

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 11:10:01 -0400

Like private sector organizations, U.S. public sector organizations have experienced shifts in how they use both the Internet and social media to interact with the public. The mid-1990s onwards saw an increase in the number of websites helping individual members of the public learn more about various public sector organizations and initiatives directly from

The API Briefing: Introduction to Web Components

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 10:00:17 -0400

Instead of writing about a specific federal API this week, I want to talk about a new, evolving way of building Web interfaces and complete applications. Web Components allow developers to create their element that extends the HTML5 set of tags. Developers can create a Web Component

Showcase Your Innovation Program at the 2015 Spring Summit

Wed, 18 Mar 2015 01:00:21 -0400

Here is another other opportunity to show DigitalGov innovators what you got! The spring Digital Citizen Services Summit will host an expo, like we did in 2014, where you can showcase your program or service.

At Last: User Experience Performance Descriptions!

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:10:03 -0400

To improve your digital systems with user experience (UX), you need people. And to get people in government, you need position descriptions. While DigitalGov has collected a wide variety of position descriptions,

Trends on Tuesday: Big Ideas from Mobile World Congress

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 10:00:10 -0400

Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile infrastructure, software, hardware, product and app show, took place in Barcelona, Spain, and I attended for the fifth time. This year’s show shattered previous records with more than 93,000 attendees across

The Content Corner: A World Without Web Pages

Mon, 16 Mar 2015 11:10:48 -0400

Imagine a world without Web pages, only intelligent, self-assembling chunks of content waiting to respond to your needs. The page is irrelevant, there may be no context beyond what is included in your content. The content has to survive on its own, perform its goals on its own. Originally when creating content, you would take

Why Your APIs Need Design Help

Mon, 16 Mar 2015 10:00:28 -0400

Anything built should be built right. It doesn’t matter if it’s built of wood, carbon nanotubes or code. So it’s encouraging that the practice of User-Centered Design—getting customer feedback at every stage of a project—is catching on with

US, Canada, and Mexico Collaborate to Improve Open Government and Digital Services

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 11:10:14 -0400

Many forces are converging to strengthen the political, economic and commercial ties that bind the United States, Canada and Mexico. The GSA Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) has anticipated this drive toward collaboration for decades, building a network of links among the three nations’ Chief Information Officers and other national technology and data experts.

GoodGovUX Addresses UX of IT Contracts

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 10:00:27 -0400

How do you define user experience (UX)? That was the question posed to more than 100 people at the GoodGovUX event at the Artisphere in Arlington, Virginia, on February 24th. Attendees learned how government can improve the user experience of digital products, from

The API Briefing: Fulfilling the D(e)SIRE for Renewable Energy with the Department of Energy’s New API

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 11:25:36 -0400

The Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency® (DSIRE®) provides information on incentives and policies for renewables and energy efficiency in the U.S. This joint project by the Department of Energy and North Carolina State University just released an API to query DSIRE®’s database. Developers can view the sample

Data, Code, and API Event Round Up

Wed, 11 Mar 2015 10:00:04 -0400

DigitalGov University has hosted some great events over the last year in partnership with Data.gov, the MobileGov Community and 18F to bring you information on opening data and building APIs. This month we’ve rounded up the events over the past year so that you can see what’s

DigitalGov Monthly Theme: How Data and Code Improve Government Services

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:43:05 -0400

Data and code are the foundation, building blocks, and cornerstone of government digital services. They are the keys that open the door to a better digital government future and are fundamental in making government more open.

Busting Myths and Building Partnerships: National Drug Facts Week

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 11:10:21 -0400

Myth-busting isn’t just for television. And through a multi-faceted, tech-savvy campaign based on strategic partnerships, one federal office has found a winning strategy for combating misinformation. National Drug Facts Week (NDFW) is a health awareness week for teenagers, with the goal of debunking

Trends on Tuesday: More Time-Consuming, Complex Tasks on Mobile Platforms

Tue, 10 Mar 2015 10:00:56 -0400

One of the leading mobile app analytics companies, Flurry, released their annual mobile app growth report with some interesting data showing how audiences are changing the way they engage with mobile applications. Overall, mobile app usage grew 76% in 2014, and the top app categories included: “Lifestyle & Shopping,” growing 174%; “Utilities & Productivity,” growing

The Content Corner: Performing a Content Audit

Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:00:21 -0400

Audit. It’s a word that generally has no positive connotations whatsoever. We hear the word audit and we think of tax audits or timesheet audits, etc. The word normally strikes fear or dread in the hearts of most mortals. But it is also a task that all websites will need to perform from time to

The Usability ‘Aha!’ Moment: How to Turn Cynics into Converts

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 11:19:33 -0400

User Experience (UX) is the comprehensive experience a person has when using a product or application, and usability is the ease of use (or lack thereof) when using it. Many of us have discovered the vast advantages of evaluating usability on our own; however, getting others to jump on board is often a different story.

Enabling Trusted Digital Interactions Between People & Government

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 10:00:01 -0400

Connect.Gov is a service that helps reduce agency investment and enables a secure, trusted, and inter-operable method for digital interactions between people and government.

Explore Iconic Overseas World War II Sites with ABMC Apps

Thu, 05 Mar 2015 10:22:36 -0400

The Normandy American Cemetery is one of the 25 permanent American military cemeteries in foreign countries that the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) maintains to honor the service, achievements and sacrifices of U.S. armed forces.

The API Briefing: Practicing Safe App Development with Secure Federal APIs

Wed, 04 Mar 2015 12:10:13 -0400

When browsing the various APIs offered by the federal government, you may have noticed that developers need to sign up for an API key. You may have also noticed that the documentation tells app developers to access the API using specified methods. Along with these two requirements, federal API creators

Trends on Tuesday: Google to Implement Mobile-Friendly Rankings

Tue, 03 Mar 2015 10:00:18 -0400

As the use of smartphones continues to grow, it has become even more important for websites to be mobile-friendly. Google has been aware of this trend for quite some time. In response to this trend, Google made

The Content Corner: Catching a Wave

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 14:01:48 -0400

As we all continue to wrestle with the “content beast”, one effective method for generating ideas for content and fleshing out an editorial calendar is to look for trending events or even upcoming holidays. In the spirit of full disclosure, the idea behind this particular post was inspired by the back-to-back Valentine’s Day and Presidents’

Persona Development Case Study: NCI and Spanish Language Outreach

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 10:00:16 -0400

Government websites need to address the needs of diverse audiences. Although translations are a first step towards engaging non-English speaking audiences, the intended audience may be alienated if information is not presented in a culturally relevant way. The

ForeignAssistance.gov’s Redesign: Using Agile Methodology to Keep Users in Mind

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Content is one of the most important things about your site. After all, it is what keeps your users engaged and keeps them coming back to your site. Depending on the type of website your agency manages, you should always think of ways to best deliver your content to your end users. If the content

Keep a Strong Job Search Game with USA.gov’s Federal Mobile Apps Directory

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 13:00:43 -0400

Scoping the fed scene for the best match to apply your very formidable skillset? Use your smartphone to cast a wider net on your job search with help from the USA.gov Federal Mobile Apps Directory. Federal job hunters are no longer confined to desktop websites, so check

The Internet of Everything & Small Business Opportunities

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 10:00:53 -0400

In 1995, the World Wide Web, which had been fairly niche up until then, attracted mainstream attention. What followed were 20 years of business and social innovations in how we humans chose to use the web at work, school, at home, and with our friends. The web and its “Web 2.0” successor allowed us to

Avoid Weak ‘Links’ in Your Digital Chain

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 11:10:25 -0400

Users don’t like surprises. Unexpected or unwanted content undermines the credibility of your agency and frustrates users who come to your website looking for specific information. Using links appropriately in your website content is one way to build trust with users, according to an article by Kara Pernice of the Nielsen Norman Group. Here’s a

The API Briefing: Harvesting the USDA’s Rich Bounty of Open Data Sets for APIs

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:00:20 -0400

APIs and apps have been created for almost every aspect of human life. There are alarm clock apps, fitness apps, cooking apps, and personal finance apps, just to name a few of the thousands of apps available today. Most areas of society are well-represented in the app world except for one large portion of the

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Web Lessons From the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program

Tue, 24 Feb 2015 10:00:03 -0400

Practice makes perfect. But in the mobile world, it’s testing that makes products better. For federal agencies that have developed their own apps or mobile-friendly sites, the CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program offers a simple way to collect feedback on compatibility testing. Since the program’s inception in March 2013, eight federal mobile websites (including responsive design)

The Content Corner: Treating the Citizen as a Customer

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:10:26 -0400

There is a tendency in government to discount a range of strategies closely connected to marketing. A good example, and a recent buzzword, is content marketing. Content marketing’s main goal is to drive a user to click or sign-up; to turn them into a lead or a buying customer. We’re the federal government, we aren’t

Hear My Tweet: National Museum of American History’s #HearHistory Tweetup

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 10:00:52 -0400

DC was the Silicon Valley of the 1880’s. And Alexander Graham Bell? He was more than just a telephone man. His Volta Laboratory was the premier 19th century innovation center. The work of Bell and his contemporaries is the

Accessibility Is (Not) Scary

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 10:00:33 -0400

The word accessibility breeds misconceptions. Why? Because accessibility is something that scares you. Accessibility is hard. Accessibility needs people with specialized expertise. Accessibility problems often depend on the context of the website or Web application in question. Accessibility takes time. Accessibility is a legal mandate. Accessibility is a moral obligation. These statements are both true

IRS2Go App Provides Multi-Symptom Relief for Tax Anxiety

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 03:16:00 -0400

The digital equivalent of a cool rag and a spoonful of Pepto Bismol, the Internal Revenue Service updated their IRS2Go app to provide multi-symptom relief for tax anxiety this year. IRS2Go lets taxpayers check on the status of their tax refund and obtain helpful tax information. If you’re

Top 10 Things (We Think) You Don’t Know about DigitalGov

Thu, 19 Feb 2015 01:17:13 -0400

Things you don’t know about this website, DigitalGov.gov, that is. It’s our first birthday, and we’re celebrating by sharing some fun facts with you. A more sober look at our strategy can be read on our 6-month post, but this is a party post! w00t! 10. We’ve published an impressive 480 articles and counting (this

The API Briefing: Building Apps with APIs Using If This Then That

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:42:26 -0400

In my last posting, I argued that federal agencies should consider microservices architecture when releasing APIs. This is because allowing users to combine single-purpose apps together in unique ways helps people build personalized apps such as a driving map to local farmers markets. When given the opportunity, users will surprise you with the innovative creations

8 New Federal-Friendly Apps and Services

Wed, 18 Feb 2015 01:10:43 -0400

Tackling technology tasks just got easier. Recently, federal agencies negotiated eight new Terms of Service (TOS) Agreements for free apps and services. DigitalGov has an extensive list of federal-friendly TOS agreements for free products, and the list is updated as new TOS agreements are created. Cyfe Cyfe, a business dashboard app, helps users monitor diverse data

Trends on Tuesday: Top Five Trends in Mobile App Design for 2015

Tue, 17 Feb 2015 11:10:27 -0400

Mobile user habits are a moving target, and designers have to adjust accordingly. Review these top 5 trends in app design for 2015.

Don't Forget the Long Tail: It Can Deliver Value

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 11:10:37 -0400

Top tasks matter. Visitors come to your website with specific goals in mind. Using a top-task methodology can be particularly useful when redesigning your homepage.

Institutionalizing User Experience: Building Usability into Your Organization

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:00:30 -0400

So, you have some systems or tools your customers or employees access. Maybe you want to put together a robust capability to conduct usability testing. How do you start formalizing user experience (UX) into your organization? Brad Ludlow at GSA tossed this topic out on the User Experience community listserv, and I’ve encapsulated the superb discussion that

IFTTT Combines Social Media, Mobile and Internet of Things for Government

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:20:56 -0400

The newest addition to the federal government’s social media utility belt may also be one of its most powerful, as IFTTT (as in “If This Then That”) combines 166 channels like Twitter, Android and iOS Location and RSS into “recipes” that can integrate government social media, data, location-based services

A February Focus on Content on DigitalGov

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:28:00 -0400

Good content drives your digital presence. No matter what you produce content for - social media, websites, blogs - getting people to see your work is critical. But getting noticed is not as easy as it used to be.

Building Brick by Brick: Ed.gov’s Website Redesign and Mobile Implementation

Thu, 12 Feb 2015 10:00:39 -0400

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither are website redesigns. In line with the piecemeal responsive Web design implementation trend we recently highlighted, the new Ed.gov website redesign happened in three phases. In this case, budget limitations and existing content management systems (CMSs) influenced the decision-making

The API Briefing: Two API Trends to Watch in 2015 – Microservices and Containers

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 11:10:46 -0400

DigitalGov recently spotlighted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) new SaferRide app. SaferRide provides safe alternatives to keep drunken drivers off the road. SaferRide uses the Yelp API to provide information about local taxi services

New NIH Clinical Trials Media Player Now Available

Wed, 11 Feb 2015 10:00:43 -0400

Spread the Word about Clinical Trials! As we have recently seen with the Ebola outbreak, clinical trials are immensely important to medical advancement and treatment. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has developed a new syndication tool to disseminate NIH Clinical Trials information. This effort

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone Growth Reaches 1.3 Billion in 2014

Tue, 10 Feb 2015 09:51:14 -0400

Smartphone adoption rate continues to rise, but the screen sizes users adopt continue to evolve. According to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, smartphone vendors shipped a total of 375.2 million units during the fourth quarter of 2014. IDC states that this was an increase of more than 25%, compared

Hiring For Your Digital Needs

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 10:00:07 -0400

The increasing presence of big data and all things digital will require the federal government to hire more techies. The skills brought by techies will help the federal government, but we also must consider that success in the federal government will require more than the skills they bring.

The Content Corner: Content Pillars: The Foundation of Any Effective Content Strategy

Mon, 09 Feb 2015 01:33:53 -0400

If you and your organization don’t already have a content strategy, then you are most likely working too hard to create content that is less effective in communicating your desired message and less relevant to your end-user. The lack of a content strategy can leave you at the mercy of the content “beast” where you

Vote to Make the Spring Summit a Success

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 11:10:14 -0400

Thanks to your awesome input on the Citizen Services Summit agenda and the rallying of the Summit Sounding Board, we now have more than 70 ideas and 50 comments on those ideas. Vote early and Vote often! We’ve opened up the voting floodgates for these 70 ideas until February 28th! Now

Top Task Usability: Design for Your Users

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 10:10:11 -0400

Being able to design a website that users love is not too far away from being able to read their minds. While designers can’t read minds, that doesn’t stop them from using their website’s top tasks to make it seem like they can. A website’s top tasks include 5-10 tasks (depending on the scope of the

Getting to Yes: Working with Vendors to Secure Terms of Service and Federal-Friendly Pricing

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 09:00:32 -0400

The federal government is one of the largest consumers of products and services in the United States. Yet, many agencies face tight budgets and firm guidelines that restrict the parameters under which agencies can use a product or service to complete projects.

U.S. Public Participation Playbook Open for Coders and Designers on GitHub

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 11:47:52 -0400

We released the United States Public Participation Playbook this week, a new open resource agencies can use to evaluate and build better programs that give a voice to the people they serve—and the response was fantastic. Public servants and citizens around the world have shared it, and already are contributing new ideas that build from

Focus on Nutrition with DRI Calculator for Healthcare Professionals App

Thu, 05 Feb 2015 10:00:28 -0400

For those of us who need to get our diet under control—and keep it that way—we surely have noticed the recent explosion of health apps and wearable fitness trackers. No doubt we’ve all thought about buying one of those at $100 to $150 bucks a

Saving Energy, One Green Button at a Time

Wed, 04 Feb 2015 10:00:18 -0400

Conserving energy is not a shot in the dark. Millions of people can now shine a light on their electricity usage as a result of a dynamic public-private partnership based on open data. The goal of the Green Button Initiative is to provide electricity customers with access to their energy usage data in an easy-to-understand

Trends on Tuesday: Using SMS for Customer Support

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 10:00:07 -0400

Don’t forget, mobile first strategy can include text messaging and SMS, not just native apps and responsive Web design. Ninety percent of all SMS messages are read within three minutes of being received, according to a recent blog post on Gigaom. Paired with an average open rate of 98% (versus 22% for email) and the

Social Video: Making Sense of the Facebook and YouTube Platforms

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 10:00:38 -0400

Around the time that Tim Fullerton of the Department of Interior delivered his webcast to DigitalGov audiences about publishing video content to Facebook, we at the Broadcasting Board of Governors were comparing the differences in user behavior on the Facebook and YouTube video platforms

NASA Reaches New Frontiers in 3D Printing

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:10:55 -0400

3D printing has gone out of this world. Earlier this month, DigitalGov covered the NIH 3D Print Exchange, where 3D printing is supporting scientific learning and research. Today, we’re highlighting a project that is reaching brand new heights: NASA’s In-space Manufacturing Initiative. Self-Sufficiency in Space NASA is currently conducting 3D printing experiments aboard the International

Be a Citizen Scientist with NOAA’s CrowdMag App

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 10:00:11 -0400

Help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) improve the accuracy of magnetic navigation by tracking changes in the Earth’s magnetic field.

How Government will Accelerate Anytime, Anywhere Services and Information in 2015

Thu, 29 Jan 2015 03:19:04 -0400

Innovative wearables, stronger wifi and more 3D printing have been among the many projections for the future of mobile in 2015. Whatever comes to pass, we can be certain that the anytime, anywhere user will develop new habits and desires based on new trends. Government must accelerate its customer service approach with anytime, anywhere efforts to keep up. Here’s

The API Briefing: NASA and USPS Explore the Holographic Computing Frontier

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 10:00:30 -0400

Big news in the technology world as Microsoft unveiled HoloLens and Microsoft’s use of holographic computing in the upcoming Windows 10 release. Holographic computing or augmented reality uses computer-generated images that are overlaid on real world videos. For example, a user can view a car through their smartphone. An app can project information such as

6 Digital Media Trends for 2015: You Can Make Them Accessible!

Wed, 28 Jan 2015 02:30:19 -0400

Resolutions and predictions abound this time of year. If you’ve already lost the fight to finally give up sardine ice cream, you can always resolve to maintain or improve your digital media accessibility. Some people say that accessibility and Section 508 compliance squashes

New Inter-Agency Social Media Cyber-Vandalism Toolkit Launched

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 13:19:13 -0400

A new toolkit developed by more than a dozen government managers and representatives from major social media platforms, will help agencies evaluate and improve security of their programs to ensure they are better prepared for emerging challenges.

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Marketing on the Rise

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 11:10:43 -0400

Marketers are increasingly using SMS, push notifications, mobile apps, location-based functionality and other mobile-first techniques to reach constituents. That’s according to a recent article from Marketingland.com, which provided an overview of the mobile trends presented in Salesforce’s 2015 State of Marketing Report. The report was based on a survey of 5,000 marketers in 10 countries. Some

7 Ways to Ignite User-Centered Design at Your Agency

Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:00:54 -0400

So you’ve done a couple of usability studies, and a few people are starting to “see the light.” Now you’d like to take it to the next level and help your organization embrace user-centered design (UCD) as the philosophy that drives all your digital projects. But what is best way to do this? How can

New NHTSA App Uses Yelp API

Mon, 26 Jan 2015 10:00:16 -0400

The U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently unveiled a new mobile app to help people who have been drinking get a safe ride home. The ‘SaferRide’ mobile app, gives holiday revelers an easy way to find a ride home when they’ve had too much to drink instead of getting

New Ed.gov Homepage and More

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 11:10:51 -0400

You may have noticed we launched our new Ed.gov homepage today. This completes the third and final phase of our visual refresh for our main website. We released the second phase of the refresh back in June. So, what’s new? Streamlined Homepage The new homepage takes our efforts to streamline navigation on the website one

Training Trends in 2014

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 10:00:50 -0400

In recent years, DigitalGov University (DGU) has evolved from a prescriptive training program to a more agile program looking to federal government leaders like you to share the innovations, tools, resources, hurdles and case studies of how you work to meet the digital expectations of the 21st century citizen customer better. Whew. That’s a mouthful.

SaferRide App Could Save Your Life

Thu, 22 Jan 2015 10:00:03 -0400

One death every 52 minutes. That’s how frequently someone died in crashes involving a drunk driver in the U.S. in 2013—10,076 deaths in total. While that number represents a 2.5% reduction in deaths from the previous year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is offering a new mobile app—called SaferRide—to

The API Briefing: Bureau of Labor Statistics Invites Developers to Build Employment Apps

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:10:01 -0400

The federal government collects an amazing amount of economic data. Several agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Treasury, and the Census Bureau collect economic data, ranging from the stock market activity to local business conditions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects information on the labor market and is a rich source

Last Chance: Submit Your Summit Idea

Wed, 21 Jan 2015 08:00:03 -0400

We are accepting proposals for the 2015 DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit through the end of January.

USGS, Where Citizen Science Is for the Birds

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:10:26 -0400

“I tell the interns: In this lab, we’re all about failure. If you’re not failing, you’re not really doing anything.” –Sam Droege, USGS biologist, in Audubon magazine The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is actively working with citizen scientists to discover, collect, and organize a variety of scientific data that is

Trends: Big Data and Gov in 2015

Tue, 20 Jan 2015 11:00:41 -0400

As we move into 2015, the amount of data available in the digital ecosystem will increase very rapidly because of the Internet of Things (IoT), social media and wearable tech. In the future, the problem lies not only with data collection, but with what one does with the data. Big

How to Run an Agile Project in Government

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 11:10:59 -0400

For a seminar organized by DigitalGov University, Robert Read, the Managing Director at 18F, gave a presentation on agile methodologies in the federal government. Risk mitigation is a big advantage of using the agile methodology. The methodology deals with risk through the use of multiple iterations or “sprints” that ultimately lead to the development of

Walking in Our Customers’ Shoes

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 10:00:08 -0400

The General Services Administration’s (GSA’s) focus on customer experience can be traced back to its inception on July 1, 1949, when President Truman created a new federal agency to manage and store government records, handle emergency preparedness, and stockpile strategic supplies for wartime. While our customer focus has stayed with us, GSA’s mission has morphed

Spanish Language Mobile Apps from Gobierno.USA.gov

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 11:10:45 -0400

In mobile app development, if you aren’t making it multilingual, you miss providing anytime, anywhere information and services to important mobile-only audiences. Today, we’re highlighting five Spanish language apps from the Spanish Version of the USA.gov Federal Mobile Apps Directory.

The Future Will Be Printed – in 3D

Thu, 15 Jan 2015 10:00:42 -0400

The use of 3D printing is growing. From kayaks to pancakes to human and canine prosthetics, a diverse array of 3D printed products have been delivered. 3D printing has also been named one of the top technology

The API Briefing: Two Great Housing APIs and Why HUD Needs to Build More

Wed, 14 Jan 2015 12:47:31 -0400

Recently, a reader pointed out that some of the APIs I write about are not really APIs but just datasets. Technically that is true but it only takes some development effort to turn a into an API. That is why I also highlight interesting federal datasets along with federal APIs.

Trends On Tuesday: Responsive Web Design Implementation Happening Piecemeal

Tue, 13 Jan 2015 12:02:04 -0400

Approximately 18% of websites have implemented Responsive Web Design, according to the audit of websites Guy Podjarny completed in November. That’s more than 7% growth since his previous audit in January 2014. That number may seem low with the popularity of Responsive Web Design and the preference of mobile websites from users, but implementing responsive Web

Connect with Your Colleagues Before You Need Them

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:10:04 -0400

Running a government website or social media account is complex: while trying to meet your agency’s mission goals and your customers’ needs, you also have to keep track of issues like ethics, information security, privacy, and accessibility. It’s enough to make your head spin. Luckily, no one … errr … no online communications person …

15 Government Customer Service Trends for 2015

Mon, 12 Jan 2015 10:00:52 -0400

With public expectations at an all-time high, and trust in government nearing all-time lows, agencies need to step up their game. Veterans, seniors, students, taxpayers—all Americans—deserve the best service from their government. Here are our predictions for how the federal government will improve customer service in the coming year: 1. Many agencies will create a

Trend Watch 2015: What’s in the Forecast for Digital Government?

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 12:44:18 -0400

In January on DigitalGov, we’ll highlight pieces looking at trends we see coming in the digital government space in 2015 and beyond. We have lined up articles around: Customer Service Data 3D Printing at NIH and NASA Accessibility Mobile, and Training. Check back Monday, when we kick-off the month with 15 Government Customer Service Trends.

Personas 101

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 10:00:50 -0400

Personas are a tool that organizations can use to learn more about their users. They are used to learn as much as you can about end users in order to better the product or service you provide.

CBP Border Wait Time App a One-Stop Shop for Cross Border Travel

Thu, 08 Jan 2015 10:31:58 -0400

The new Border Wait Time app from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a one stop shop for cross border travelers, displaying estimated wait times and open lane statuses at U.S. land ports of entry. Travelers can also locate ports of entry

From Elephant to ELK: How We Migrated Our Analytics System to Elasticsearch

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 11:15:44 -0400

As I mentioned in a recent blog post about image search, we’re avid users of Elasticsearch for search. We also recently ported another vital part of our system to Elasticsearch: analytics. This post is a technical deep dive into how our analytics system works, and specifically how and why we used Elasticsearch to build it. Background DigitalGov Search is

The API Briefing: Make 2015 the Year You Create an App

Wed, 07 Jan 2015 10:00:04 -0400

According to some experts, over 80% of Americans will make a least one New Year’s resolution. So, if you are looking for a way to improve yourself while helping others, think about making a resolution to learn how to build a mobile app that can be used in disaster relief.

Trends on Tuesday: Phablets Top Tablets in Post-Holiday Activations

Tue, 06 Jan 2015 11:31:50 -0400

Phablets, the popular term for smartphones with screen sizes from 5.5 to less than 7 inches, increased in popularity this holiday season. According to Flurry, 13% of new device activations in December were phablets, jumping from 4% in 2013. Back in October, the International Data Corporation (IDC) predicted that “phablets” would outship tablets in 2015.

Great Customer Service in 140 Characters: #AskFAFSA Twitter Chats

Mon, 05 Jan 2015 10:00:25 -0400

As agencies strive for success in digital government, they often need to open their virtual doors and meet the public in new and evolving spaces. Federal Student Aid meets its audience in the 21st century public square at monthly #AskFAFSA sessions. During the live

Past, Present, Future: Usability Testing at the National Library of Medicine

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 11:00:28 -0400

Usability testing has provided our organization many important insights to improve our Web presence. Since the early 2000s, the National Library of Medicine (NLM)’s Web teams have actively sought and used usability testing tools; we have run “full service” usability testing almost yearly for various Web properties

Social Media and Accessibility: Resources to Know

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 10:00:59 -0400

When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990, there was no Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Since then, the number of social media channels, and their use for communication among all demographics, has grown exponentially. Unfortunately, however, despite newer ways to reach individuals living with disabilities, many individuals in this community face challenges

Countdown to 2015 with Our Most Popular Articles This Year

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:45:22 -0400

As we round out 2014, we’re reflecting on the exciting year we’ve had at DigitalGov since we launched in February. Our mission is to share information and resources from agencies across the federal government that are working in the digital space, and highlight the services and communities that can help you meet your digital government

Big in SocialGov in 2014: Services, Access and Participation

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:25:53 -0400

Social media for public service is a diverse field that uses platforms and data from both the private and public sectors to improve citizen services, make them easier to access and deliver them more cost effectively.

The Best E-gov Websites in the World

Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:00:45 -0400

In Design Secrets of the World’s Best e-Government Web Sites, the Asia-Pacific online communications powerhouse FutureGov singles out eight national e-government portals as the best-designed in the world, and identifies the best practices these sites exemplify. “Ultimately, these websites are the best in the world because they are designed to

Trends on Tuesday: The Hottest DigitalGov Mobile Articles in 2014

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 11:10:55 -0400

QR codes, apps about whales, bullying and railroad crossings, challenges of responsive Web design and mobilizing charts and tables were the things you were most interested in this year. We publish mobile trends every Tuesday and feature a government mobile app every Thursday on the mobile channel of DigitalGov. In addition, we do recaps of MobileGov

Opening Government Through Federal Crowdsourcing

Tue, 30 Dec 2014 10:00:45 -0400

Crowdsourcing is a critical corner of the digital government landscape, and our December theme articles have covered the topic from a variety of angles. Before we head into January, where we will discuss upcoming trends on the digital horizon, we sat down to learn more about the evolution and future direction of federal crowdsourcing initiatives

Using Focus Groups to Make Better Videos

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 11:00:11 -0400

There’s what you expect your audience to think, and then there’s what your audience is actually thinking. Sometimes, these can be entirely different. But, you won’t know unless you test it. For the release of the 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH), the Federal Citizen Information Center’s marketing team piloted a series of videos. The videos

Crowdsourcing for Accessibility

Mon, 29 Dec 2014 10:00:11 -0400

While we’re anticipating the Section 508 refresh, many government digital media teams are facing the task of incorporating WCAG 2.0 standards (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) in their projects despite having limited staff resources and budget constraints. We can use creative solutions, such as crowdsourcing, to overcome those challenges and make our works accessible. Our teams

Santa Is 16 Centuries Old: Things I’ve Learned from NORAD Tracks Santa App

Wed, 24 Dec 2014 09:00:36 -0400

NORAD’s Santa Tracker is available for download again! Here are five things I learned from the magical NORAD Tracks Santa app to keep my nieces, nephews and neighborhood children entertained this holiday season, even if I don’t remember how many of them

Announcing the Winners of the First-Ever White House 3D Printed Ornament Challenge

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 11:00:05 -0400

This year, innovative technologies like 3D printing are playing a role in creating a unique and interactive holiday experience at the White House. The halls of the White House are decked out with festive holiday décor and the White House Christmas tree stands tall in the Blue Room. In October, the White House announced the

Challenge & Prize Competition Round-Up

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 10:00:54 -0400

Recap of the 2014 Challenge and Prize competition events hosted by DigitalGov

Trends on Tuesday: Half of Online Americans Don’t Know What a Privacy Policy Is

Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:00:17 -0400

Federal agencies are required by law to use privacy policies on their digital properties that explain how they use the data they collect about users and visitors. This ensures that these users and visitors know what the government is doing with their data.

How Six Agencies Are CrowdSourcing with Mobile Apps

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:05:01 -0400

Mobile devices allow the public to interact with government in new and game-changing ways and users expect those interactions. As a result, many agencies are taking advantage of native apps for crowdsourcing projects. The White House Open Government Initiative recently defined crowdsourcing “as a

Large Scale Development Culture Change: Google and the U.S. Government

Mon, 22 Dec 2014 10:05:52 -0400

As part of 18F’s mission to deliver effective, user-centric services focused on the interaction between government and the people and businesses it serves, we are also committed to demonstrating how open source and agile-inspired methodologies are critical to an effective, efficient, modern delivery process. We believe these methods produce better software and services at lower

Who’s Using Your Agency’s Data?

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 11:10:04 -0400

For months, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get leads for the OMB External Use Open Data Survey responses. I’ve attended Google Analytics seminars, asked for survey responses from some of our public facing sites, added a data request form to our /data page, and begged for leads

Making Prototypes with Tools You Already Have

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:00:35 -0400

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. For me, the necessity resulted from long product development cycles paired with short windows for user testing and little room for iteration. The “invention” was the discovery of a powerful set of tools for prototyping that are available on just about

Reaching Out To Deliver Within: Crowdsourcing Internal Agency Projects

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 01:53:33 -0400

Crowdsourcing has created new paths for public interaction with the government, as we’ve been highlighting on DigitalGov with this month’s theme. However, crowdsourcing can also be used to harness support for internal agency projects. The Department of State is using crowdsourcing to find talent within and outside of government to support agency activities. Through the

Innovation Through Market Stimulation

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 11:10:30 -0400

Crowdsourcing and prize competitions can take many forms, which makes them a great open innovation tool. A large group of federal agencies and other partners has launched a competition that also involves a secondary crowdsourcing element. The Nutrient Sensor Challenge is a market stimulation prize competition to accelerate

Acronyms, Army-isms and Much More: ROTC Handbook App Explains Cadet Life

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 10:00:00 -0400

Have a potential future cadet in the family? Deciding whether the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program is right for you? Already in the program? Study up on the Army ROTC program before you or someone you know steps foot in the classroom in a crisp uniform. Download the ROTC Handbook from the U.S.

10 Years of Digital Government—A Retrospective

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 03:09:04 -0400

In December of 2004, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued the first Policies for Federal Public Websites. Over the past decade, we’ve seen technology completely transform how government delivers information and services to the public. On this 10-year anniversary, we’re taking a walk down memory lane to recap some of the pivotal moments

3rd U.S. Public Participation Playbook Draft Released This Month

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 17:19:13 -0400

The new third draft of the U.S. Public Participation Playbook continues to incorporate changes proposed from more than 100 suggestions submitted via public comment aimed at measuring the performance and improving the development of government programs. It takes the 13 initial “plays” from rough brainstorming and collaborations to a more refined, action-focused presentation that will help contributors understand and identify opportunities

With Every Tool Possible: Supporting Humanitarian Aid Efforts Through Crowdsourced Mapping

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 12:00:15 -0400

Fighting malaria in Botswana with a group of high school students in D.C. Contributing to the Ebola response from the West Bank. These scenarios may not fit the typical image of humanitarian aid efforts, but technology has transformed the possibilities for public participation in international development. Crowdsourced mapping projects have

The API Briefing: Department of Justice Frees the Content with Two New APIs

Wed, 17 Dec 2014 10:20:21 -0400

When websites were first created back in the 1990s, developers perfected their skills designing sites that presented content in an attractive and eye-catching manner. Content was completely contained within the four corners of the site. With the rise of Web 2.0, content

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone Users Still Use the Phone for Talking

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 10:57:53 -0400

Smartphones are changing how organizations do business—they are more than just smart Web browsers. As I noted last week, purchases from mobile phones have dramatically increased during the holiday shopping season. The infographic from IfByPhone demonstrates how people are using

Crowdsourced Digital Citizen Services Summit

Mon, 15 Dec 2014 10:00:57 -0400

In May 2015, we are hosting the second DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit. This round we are looking to you—federal innovators across government—to help build the agenda.

Going “Behind the Blog” with the Law Library of Congress

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 11:35:14 -0400

Creative content can be found in all corners of the federal space. Recently, the Law Library of Congress blog, In Custodia Legis, and the United States Courts blog, The Third Branch News, were named to the ABA Journal “Blawg 100” out of 4,000 legal blogs eligible for selection. We wanted insight on their blogging success, so we spoke

Defense Finance Accounting Services Use HHS Code to Make Mobile-Friendly Tables

Thu, 11 Dec 2014 11:14:44 -0400

Government mobile code developed to help make tables mobile-friendly in one agency has now been used in another agency’s mobile efforts. Last month, Clair Koroma told DigitalGov readers about code that the Department of Health and Human Services had developed to make website tables mobile-friendly and then HHS

The API Briefing: Save on Holiday Travels with FuelEconomy.gov Web Services

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 12:54:08 -0400

We are in the middle of the holidays, and that means much driving to visit friends and relatives. I was just in Kentucky this past weekend where I spent a total of eight hours driving. I am sure many of you will spend even more time driving in the next three weeks. So, where do

Data Visualization Challenge: Using Open Data to Reduce Crime

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 10:49:29 -0400

Criminal justice agencies collect a variety of information and use it in multiple ways. Having a clear understanding of current realities is critical to shaping policies and improving the administration of

Introducing “Get Your Open Data on Data.gov”

Wed, 10 Dec 2014 02:57:55 -0400

Data.gov is the central clearinghouse for open data from the United States federal government. It also provides access to many local government and non-federal open data resources. But how does this data get on to Data.gov? Data.gov does not host data directly, but rather aggregates metadata about

Can You Crowdsource Your User Experience Research?

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 12:00:34 -0400

In one sense, almost any type of user research is crowdsourced—you’re talking to people and using that information to improve your system. But in a true sense, crowdsourcing is more than just collecting information, it’s collaborating on it. We want to have real conversations, not one-time emailed suggestions without followups. So here’s a few tidbits

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Sales Rise Substantially During Holiday Shopping Season

Tue, 09 Dec 2014 10:14:32 -0400

Were you surfing the pre-Black Friday online sales while waiting for the Thanksgiving turkey to appear on the table? Turns out, you weren’t alone. “Online sales for Thanksgiving 2014 grew 12.2%, with mobile sales accounting for 74% of that traffic,” according to Mobile Marketing Watch. To put that in context, mobile sales grew 26.1% percent

Crowdsourcing Month: An Overview

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 12:01:38 -0400

This month we’ll be highlighting articles about crowdsourcing. These are the programs that use a variety of online mechanisms to get ideas, services, solutions, and products by asking a large, diverse crowd to contribute their expertise, talents, and skills. Among the mechanisms are hackathons, data jams, code-a-thons, prize competitions, workplace surveys, open ideation, micro-tasks or

From Taste-Testers to Explorers: Developing Personas for Open Opportunities

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 09:00:00 -0500

Being customer-focused means doing the gumshoe work of research and rounds of analysis to find gold by understanding user goals. For the task-based innovation network, Open Opportunities for DigitalGov, that meant developing personas in order to overcome our own biases and learn about the different motivations of our participants. In this article, we’ll talk about

2nd U.S. Public Participation Playbook Draft Responds to Public Contributions

Mon, 08 Dec 2014 06:14:07 -0400

The new second draft of the U.S. Public Participation Playbook incorporates changes that were proposed from nearly 100 suggestions submitted after the first week of public comment, with more improvements to come. We still need your contributions

Promoting Women’s Health Through Dynamic Multilingual Content

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 10:00:45 -0400

Sonia stands at the pharmacy counter, flashing her most brilliant smile. Jorge, the handsome neighborhood pharmacist, dispenses his own easy smile as they chat. Sound like an ordinary soap opera? This telenovela is actually a tool to help Spanish-speaking women make smart medication decisions. The four

Data.gov’s Data Pipeline Explained

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 12:40:21 -0400

In case you missed it: the Data.gov team recently hosted DigitalGov University webinars designed to help agencies and open data advocates better understand how to get data on Data.gov and how to implement the Open Data Policy’s metadata schema updates. These webinars were designed assist government data publishers in making more data discoverable to the

Ex-Im Bank Announces Improved Customer Contact Center to Better Serve U.S. Exporters

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 11:05:11 -0400

As part of its ongoing effort to enhance customer experience for current and prospective exporters, the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank) is unveiling a new and improved customer contact center that includes an improved 1-800 number experience, along with a new email response system.

Find Fuel During Disasters with Lantern Live App

Thu, 04 Dec 2014 10:00:58 -0400

Who to call? Where to meet? What to pack? How to find fuel? Make sure your personal disaster preparedness plan includes how to quickly find functioning gas stations in your area with help from the Department of Energy’s Lantern

The API Briefing: Test Your JSON Reading Skills with the Peace Corps Countries and Regions API

Wed, 03 Dec 2014 10:00:50 -0400

The Peace Corps just released a new dataset that lists all of the countries and regions Peace Corps volunteers serve. The API is RESTful and uses the JSON format. You have read in earlier columns about the different data formats for APIs and how to read the data presented by an API. As a refresher,

Interior and USDA Talk Social Media Success

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 13:04:31 -0400

When it comes to implementing a social media strategy, determining how to measure success can be challenging. Yes, knowing how many followers and likes you have is beneficial. However, to really get valuable results from the trove of social

Trends on Tuesday: America’s New First Screen

Tue, 02 Dec 2014 10:00:46 -0400

It has finally happened: Mobile has bumped TV as America’s first screen. Recent analysis from Flurry Analytics, which included data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that time spent on mobile devices grew in the U.S. by 9.3% to 2 hrs and 57 minutes, while time spent watching TV has remained flat at 2 hrs and 48

Will 2016 Be the Federal Government’s ‘Year of the Customer?’

Mon, 01 Dec 2014 10:00:05 -0400

As 2014 draws to a close, agencies across the federal government are beginning to think about what the customer experience (CX) landscape will look like in the years ahead. There is little doubt that 2014 saw the government make great strides on this front, setting in motion a number of initiatives that will help ensure

Keeping Vanity URLs in Check: A Few Criteria

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 10:00:53 -0400

Shortcuts, Vanity or Marketing URLs, are all names for the requests Web managers get to shorten Web addresses. The shortened links make it easy to share long links as well as track clicks on those links. On a recent discussion thread on the Web Managers

Avoid an Awkward Family Thanksgiving with the Federal Apps Mobile Directory

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 12:00:29 -0400

Are you like me? Do you consistently eat too much on Thanksgiving to avoid invasive family conversations that have a high probability of 1) turning awkward and 2) forcing you to abandon a sworn blood oath to never again reveal details of your private life to loved ones? Don’t be like me. It’s your holiday,

The API Briefing: FRED® and ALFRED® Serve Up a Buffet of Economic Data

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 11:10:15 -0400

The federal government captures almost every economic data trend through several agencies. The Federal Reserve of St. Louis offers 238,000 economic trends through FRED® (Federal Reserve Economic Data). FRED® data can be accessed through the FRED® website or the FRED® mobile app (Android | Apple). FRED® data can

Usability Events Round-Up: 2014

Wed, 26 Nov 2014 10:00:07 -0400

This past year DigitalGov University has hosted at least one Usability event per month and we thought we’d give you a round-up of those events. After all, November 13th was World Usability Day. Since this year’s theme of World Usability Day is Engagement it would be great to take a look at the event recap

Help Shape Public Participation

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 14:29:05 -0400

Public participation—where citizens help shape and implement government programs—is a foundation of open, transparent, and engaging government services. From emergency management and regulatory development to science and education, better and more meaningful engagement with those

Trends on Tuesday: What Are You Asking Your Phone?

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:00:33 -0400

What’s the weather like? When does the next movie start? What time does Target close? These are just a few questions that I may ask my phone on any given day. According to a recent Mobile Voice Study led by Google, I’m not the only having conversations with my phone. 55% of teens aged 13-18 use voice

Jumpstart Your Government-Sponsored Initiative in a Tight Budget Climate: Try Crowdfunding

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 11:05:02 -0400

There are many ways to apply crowdfunding in the government space. This case study highlights the U.S. Department of State’s utilization of an online crowdfunding platform (CFP) to launch the Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund 2.0 (AEIF 2.0). Through this fundraising platform, exchange program alumni were able to work on innovative solutions to the world’s toughest

Placeholder Text: Think Outside the Box

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 10:00:43 -0400

The verdict is in. Placeholder text is harmful in search boxes. Searchers are on your site to complete a task. Having placeholder text inside a search box distracts from the task and it reduces the usability and accessibility of the search box. Placeholders look simple, but are in fact very tricky to use. When people

Results: 2014 Federal User Experience Survey

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 10:00:29 -0400

The Federal User Experience (UX) Survey helpsus to learn how we can best improve the effectiveness, ease-of-use, and value of federal digital systems by connecting their teams to their customers.

Join the Global Climate Change Conversation with NASA’s Earth Now

Thu, 20 Nov 2014 10:00:52 -0400

Wanna join the global climate change conversation? Arm yourself with real-time facts about Earth’s vital signs from NASA’s Earth Now mobile app. Earth Now is an app that visualizes recent global climate data, including surface air temperature, carbon dioxide, carbon

The API Briefing: Keeping an Eye on Crime with the National Crime Victimization Survey API

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 11:05:42 -0400

Every year, the Bureau of Justice Statistics surveys nearly 80,000 households and over 143,000 individuals about crime victimization. What is unique about this survey is that both reported and unreported crimes data is collected. The survey has a well-documented API which offers data in the CSV, XML, and JSON formats. Let’s examine the documentation to

Young Entrepreneurs Hang Out With Government Virtually… and in Spanish

Wed, 19 Nov 2014 10:00:28 -0400

It’s a well-known fact that the Hispanic population is growing at a rapid pace, and among the areas seeing the most interest and growth is business. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are more than 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the U.S. today, a number that is growing at three times the national

Trends on Tuesday: Speed Matters When Measuring Responsive Web Design Performance Load Times

Tue, 18 Nov 2014 10:00:48 -0400

In the mobile world, every second matters. Mobile users are a finicky bunch. They want their information anytime, anywhere and quickly. As members of the MobileGov Community of Practice have noted last year, mobile user experience is about emotion. If that emotion is not happy, you will lose the user. For this month’s DigitalGov user

User Experience Impossible: The Line Between Accessibility and Usability

Mon, 17 Nov 2014 10:00:39 -0400

Bob goes to a popular federal government site, using his assistive technology, and starts reading a teaser for an article. Just below the teaser, there’s an embedded video on the page. He presses the tab key, trying to navigate to a link for the full article, but suddenly he’s trapped—he can’t tab past the video.

Institute of Education Sciences – Usability Case Study

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:00:32 -0400

After struggling with jargon-filled solicitations and a confusing website, some applicants were ready to give up on seeking grants from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES). Their complaints prompted a Plain Language makeover for the Institute’s funding materials. As the research arm of the U.S. Education Department, IES’s mission is to provide rigorous and relevant evidence

ICE Expands Reach of App Designed to Locate Child Predators

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 10:15:21 -0400

Catching child predators? There’s an app for that, and it’s expanding its reach to Android smartphones. Operation Predator—the first U.S. federal law enforcement app designed to seek the public’s help with identifying and locating fugitive and unknown suspected child predators—is now

World Usability Day 2014 theme: Engagement

Thu, 13 Nov 2014 09:00:09 -0400

There are many buzzwords thrown around in the digital government universe, but the most impactful ideas are rooted in one action: engagement. Whether it is a tweet, a mobile app, or a community of practitioners, every digital program or service requires interaction between an organization and its customer. Engagement is also the foundation of all

The API Briefing: The Fun Finder – The Recreation Information Database

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 13:00:44 -0400

Back in 2000, I worked at a dot-com building website applications such as a real-time stock ticker ribbon and a real estate listings search engine. One of my favorite applications was an app for mobile phones. At that time, I used the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), which displayed information using a special version of XHTML.

Follow the Clicks: A Look at Click-through Rates on Government Websites

Wed, 12 Nov 2014 10:00:51 -0400

How important is it to show the most relevant result at the top of your search results page? Very. Searchers expect to find what they’re looking for quickly and easily—and without scrolling—when they search on government websites. If a Web page isn’t “above the fold” as one of the first listings on the first results

Get More Health Content for Your Websites, Apps, and Social Media

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 11:05:26 -0400

Several federal agencies and offices have worked together to create a free and easy way for public health partners to incorporate our Web content, images, video, data, and infographics into other sites, apps, and social media. Through digital media syndication, the science-based resources of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and

4 Tips on Great Survey Design

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:00:40 -0400

Whether they pop up while perusing an e-commerce site or land in your inbox after your bumpy flight in from Chicago, surveys are used in many different industries to gauge customer satisfaction and glean insight into user motivations. They are a useful tool in the kit of a user experience designer or anyone

Welcome to User Experience Month!

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 12:00:33 -0400

One challenge with digital government: it’s hard to see people. If you work at a U.S. Post Office, you interact with your customers, talk with them, and even see what they are feeling by looking at their faces. You can understand their experience fairly easily. In the digital world, technology decreases physical distance but increases

DigitalGov University is Making Changes Thanks to You

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 11:19:17 -0400

DigitalGov University took the pulse of our participants this spring and found that our audience wants more information about events, wants us to better communicate the value of programs and wants more access to our programs. DigitalGov University (DGU) is a platform for feds to share ideas, experiences and techniques to meet 21st century public

Rail Crossing Locator App Now Available on a Second Platform

Thu, 06 Nov 2014 10:00:43 -0400

You don’t need to be a rail buff to want to download the Federal Railroad Administration Rail Crossing Locator app. Parents, outdoor enthusiasts, emergency responders, school officials, motorists and many others will find value in locating area highway-rail crossings. The aim of the app is public safety and the Department of Transportation

The API Briefing: Brainstorming Ideas for Apps

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 13:49:09 -0400

Data.gov has 130,000+ datasets (as of November 3, 2014) many of which are designed for application developers. In previous columns, I’ve showcased some of the great applications built using federal APIs. Have you wondered where the idea for an app came from? Some developers start with an idea and then look for the API that

Rocking the Vote: How the USA.gov Brand Leveraged the Mid-term Elections

Wed, 05 Nov 2014 11:22:55 -0400

You might have noticed a lot of people were talking about the elections yesterday, especially on social media. Election and voting hashtags were trending all day long as people around the country hit the polls to vote for senators, representatives, governors and more. And while plenty of people were really excited to simply let their

Trends on Tuesday: Phablets to Top Tablets in 2015?

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 11:10:30 -0400

Is it a phone or is it a tablet? The International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that “phablets,” the popular term for smartphones with screen sizes from 5.5 to less than 7 inches, will outship portable PCs this year and tablets in 2015. Specifically, total phablet volume will top 318 million units, surpassing the 233 million

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Tokens: Part II

Tue, 04 Nov 2014 10:00:48 -0400

In the first part of A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Tokens, I explained why we built a social media-driven image search engine, and specifically how we used Elasticsearch to build its first iteration. In this week’s post, I’ll take a deep dive into how we worked to improve relevancy, recall, and the searcher’s experience

Keeping Peace Corps Volunteers Healthy, One Text at a Time

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 13:53:23 -0400

Today, refilling your medicine cabinet with bandages and over the counter medicine from your local drugstore may seem like a trivial task, but for Peace Corps volunteers working in remote villages around the world, this task can be much more challenging. As we take steps to forge a 21st century

CFPB's IdeaBox: an Open-Source Internal Ideation Platform

Mon, 03 Nov 2014 10:00:00 -0400

IdeaBox is an application that helps an organization collect ideas, organize them, and solicit comments and votes on the ideas. Do you want to build an innovation program at your organization? Learn how you can leverage resources from IdeaBox, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s initiative to generate, incubate, and implement great ideas from employees across the agency.

What’s Happening with the Internet of Things?

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 12:32:33 -0400

No Mobile Gov Month on DigitalGov would be complete without an update on the Internet of Things. Regardless if you’re talking wearables, smart homes, sensors or any other connected device, your current mobile approaches will be impacted—as will your social media, user experience and data strategies. When we last visited the topic in April, discussion

HHS Conquers Tables in a Responsive Design

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 10:00:13 -0400

This year, we moved HHS.gov to a responsive template to ensure that users accessing our site in a mobile environment had the best possible experience. Our department faced several challenges in moving a site the size of HHS.gov into a responsive template and one of those challenges surrounded our need to make tables work in

Beware the Cyber Security House of Horrors!

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 04:29:46 -0400

Ghosts. Ghouls. Zombies. Multi-stakeholder content audits. This Halloween there is no shortage of terrors lurking to keep federal Web managers up all night, and our work is largely done in one of the scariest domains of all: cyberspace. Every moment of every day, a vast system of computers and networks are actively working to support

Open and API-Driven Federal Mobile App Registration

Wed, 29 Oct 2014 01:44:14 -0400

Thanks to the power of open data and APIs, federal agencies can now register their mobile native apps and websites on the Federal Mobile Products Registry and have them appear on the USA.gov Federal Mobile Apps Directory (formerly USA.gov Apps Gallery).

A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Tokens

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 11:15:34 -0400

Increasingly, we’ve noticed that our agency customers are publishing their highest quality images on social media and within database-driven multimedia galleries on their websites. These sources are curated, contain metadata, and have both thumbnails and full-size images. That’s a big improvement in quality over the images embedded within HTML pages on agencies’ websites. After some

Trends on Tuesday: 8 Ways To Format Tables for Responsive Web Design

Tue, 28 Oct 2014 10:00:27 -0400

Making tables, charts and graphs mobile friendly is like squeezing 10 pounds of sugar into a 5 pound bag. Mobile Gov Community of Practice member Debra Fiorrito from the Defense Accounting and Financing Service recently highlighted this challenge in her responsive Web design implementation. The challenge also came up during a call with the Federal

Open and Structured Content Models Workshop Recap

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:24:44 -0400

People consume government information in a variety of ways: through agency websites, of course, but increasingly through social media, search engines, and mobile apps, whether developed by agencies or third parties. To make sure the information is available seamlessly, accurately, and consistently from one setting to another,

Results Report: Robots Created for Competitions to Help Ebola Response

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:50:18 -0400

Challenge competitions were recently highlighted as two potential solutions to help with the Ebola crisis responses. The first is a grand challenge launched Oct. 17, 2014, by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID): Ebola: A Grand Challenge for Development. The goal: To help health care workers on the front lines provide better care and stop

Use Metrics to Drive Success

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 09:01:48 -0400

Would federal employees work on tasks outside their agency in order to support DigitalGov? That’s the question we wanted to answer as we created the Open Opportunities program. We had a built-in test case. When the Digital Government Strategy was released in May 2013, agencies were tasked with building APIs, launching mobile products, establishing digital

Web Design Changes? Let the Metrics be Your Guide

Thu, 23 Oct 2014 12:42:56 -0400

On September 6, 2013 at 11:27 p.m., EDT., viewers tuned in through the Internet to watch NASA launch its Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft. As viewers logged onto the website, something unusual happened. For the first time, metrics indicated that NASA.gov’s mobile users outpaced their desktop users. 93 percent of their viewers

The API Briefing: Home Energy Saver

Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:47:54 -0400

It is fall when the weather becomes colder, and people start firing up their furnaces. While I was working on putting in more insulation and installing a programmable thermostat, I wondered if the federal government has an API to help me lower my

Responsive Web Design Challenges Webinar Recap

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 10:00:18 -0400

A website redesign is never an easy task, but when responsiveness is one of your redesign’s key goals, special considerations come into play that can present unique challenges. In the September webinar on Responsive Web Design Challenges in Government, we heard from

Welcome to Mobile Gov Month on DigitalGov

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:26:16 -0400

What’s your mobile itch? A long time ago at a workshop not so far away…we asked the 40 federal government innovators who had released native apps this question. We wanted to know their biggest barriers, challenges, frustrations to building anytime, anywhere government. Their generosity in telling

Metrics Round Up

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 10:17:07 -0400

We are all collecting a lot of performance data across our digital properties and DigitalGov University has hosted many events on the collection, reporting and strategizing around metrics. DigitalGov has shared many posts on these topics as well. So we thought it would be great to curate these events and posts for easy reference and

Secrets to a Dynamite Public Sector Analytics Program

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 10:00:37 -0400

Uncovering meaningful analytics from months or years of Web metrics is daunting, at best. So how do you make great Web improvements using metrics? Whether you’re just getting started in Web analytics or you want to take your program to the next level, you should focus on

Where’s the Beef? USDA App Serves Up Inspection Information

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 10:08:04 -0400

Want to know where the food you’re eating was produced? Here’s a handy trick before you head out to the grocery store: Download the Meat, Poultry & Egg Product Inspection Directory (MPI Directory) app produced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. All containers of meat, poultry and

The API Briefing: EPA’s Water Quality Portal API Merges Three Data Streams

Wed, 15 Oct 2014 10:00:49 -0400

Access to clean water is fast becoming a vital issue in the 21st century. Changing climate patterns are drying up aquifers and limiting the amount of water runoff from thawing snow packs. Drought conditions in California are effecting hydroelectric production while dry conditions in the West have increased the frequency

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile App Pop Quiz

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 13:56:57 -0400

It’s time for a mobile pop quiz. How well do you know consumers and the time they spend on mobile apps? ComScore recently released the U.S. Mobile App Report which sheds light on how Americans use mobile apps. Test your knowledge with the five questions

Recap of Social Digital Search Webinar

Tue, 14 Oct 2014 11:17:31 -0400

Content is no longer limited to .gov sites. As mentioned in a recent blog post, Sharing is Caring, Adding Social Media Accounts to Search, DigitalGov Search uses Flickr, Instagram, and YouTube to populate image and video search results. On September 30, 2014, I presented with Justin Herman from the Social Media Community of Practice about: What

What Do Dear Abby and the Federal Government Have in Common?

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 10:00:48 -0400

Lots of people ask us questions. So it only makes sense for us to partner up to answer some of those questions. Since the 1970’s, USA.gov has partnered with Dear Abby to help get free printed government publications on a variety of topics (health, disaster preparedness, caring for aging loved ones,

Bullying: Help Prevent and Protect Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Device

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 11:08:02 -0400

I don’t remember being bullied as a kid, but my younger sister once was. When she was in junior high, a jealous schoolmate who ran in a small tough pack threatened to “beat up” my quiet, mild-mannered sibling at an unspecified time and day during her walk home from school. Sound familiar? Back then (in an era before text messaging

Customer Service Week 2014

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 10:00:53 -0400

They say that customer experience (CX) is the new marketing. People will tell their friends about their experience with your agency, and social media makes it easy to broadcast whether the experience was easy and enjoyable, or terrible. In 1992, Congress proclaimed the first full week in

The API Briefing: CDC’s API Delivers Free Up-To-Date Health Information for Your Blog or Website

Wed, 08 Oct 2014 11:50:21 -0400

The recent Ebola outbreaks demonstrate the need for current and authoritative health news. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the federal information source for Ebola and other infectious diseases, along with other public health data. Data.CDC.gov lists 48 datasets and views containing statistics from smoking to infectious diseases. Developers can use the

Trends on Tuesday: Are QR Codes Still Relevant?

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 16:55:55 -0400

Recently, I was designing new outreach materials and needed a way to connect this offline collateral with my agency’s digital content. Using a QR (or Quick Response) code immediately came to mind, followed by the question, “Are QR codes still relevant?” Opinions differ on their utility and I couldn’t find any objective data on how

Pillbox Google Hangout for Developers

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 11:00:48 -0400

Tuesday, October 7 at 2pm ET, the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health will host a Google Hangout to talk about developing with the API, data, and open source code from Pillbox. I (Pillbox project manager), Mark Silverberg of Social Health

User Acceptance Testing Versus Usability Testing…What’s the Dif?

Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:00:50 -0400

Building off the great discussion started around Customer Experience, we’re looking at the difference between User Acceptance Testing and Usability Testing.

Multimedia Storytelling in Government: Ghazni Towers Documentation Project

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 12:40:52 -0400

“Content is king” is a generally accepted truth for those of us who produce digital media. But once you have compelling content, how to best present it to your audience becomes the next challenge. In recent years, Web innovators started emphasizing the effectiveness of “digital storytelling,” or content focused on individual, human experiences using compelling

Introducing the New Challenge.gov

Thu, 02 Oct 2014 14:23:53 -0400

Challenge.gov now hosts the full federal-wide listing of crowdsourcing competitions and has a back-end platform for agencies to create and manage their competitions. The site is managed and produced within GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technology (OCSIT) group. The main feature is a complete

No More Beta in Congress.gov’s Responsive Website

Thu, 02 Oct 2014 10:30:31 -0400

Congress.gov ushered in the new fiscal year by removing the beta label from its URL two years after it launched. During this period, the Library of Congress not only extensively tested how the site would display on any device, but in a series of releases and enhancements, completely transformed the ability to find legislative information

The API Briefing: A Great Start For an API – NLM’s TOXNET Web Service

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 11:43:33 -0400

Glad to be back after a three-week absence. I was preparing for the South Eastern Conference on Public Administration held in Atlanta this year. Great conversations and I can tell you that the academic community is hungry for more government data and APIs. A great example is this week’s API Briefing: the U.S. National Library

Trends on Tuesday: Meet the Mobile Power Users

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 11:21:09 -0400

U.S. Hispanics are ahead of the digital curve, according to an analysis of strategies of leading brands and forward-thinking marketers by Lisa Gevelber, Vice President of Americas Marketing. As we’ve noted before, Hispanics not only lead in adoption of new devices, they are also power users of mobile.

Advice from USAID on Prize Competition Communication Strategies

Mon, 29 Sep 2014 01:57:25 -0400

A well-developed communications plan is critical to the success of a challenge competition, but too often it is one item managers leave to consider at the end of prize design. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s Jarah Meador shared the Desal Prize plan and results in the September 16 webinar, “Why Your Gov

Member Spotlight – Hannah Rubin, Library of Congress

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 10:00:17 -0400

Meet Hannah Rubin, who works in the Congressional Research Service (CRS) at the Library of Congress. She’s the focus of this month’s Member Spotlight.

Getting to Work for the American People

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:40:39 -0400

Over the last 6 months, 18F has embarked on a mission to transform the way the U.S. Government builds and buys digital services. We’re currently working with more than half a dozen agencies to help them deliver on their missions in a design-centric, agile, open, and data-driven way. How do we say yes to a

Saving the Whales With Just Your Smartphone: West Coast Edition

Thu, 25 Sep 2014 10:08:00 -0400

Saving the whales just got easier for West Coasters with the latest version of the popular Whale Alert app. This free “feel-good” iPhone/iPad app, developed by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and a long list of partners, now enables users on both U.S. coasts

The Federal Register: Improving Visitors’ Search Experience on Agency Websites

Wed, 24 Sep 2014 10:00:55 -0400

The Office of the Federal Register’s mission “informs citizens of their rights and obligations, documents the actions of Federal agencies, and provides a forum for public participation in the democratic process.” As the winner of the Bright Idea Award, FederalRegister.gov is clear and easy to use, but most citizens rarely frequent it. More frequently they

Trends on Tuesday: Avoid the Testing Black Hole

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 10:00:42 -0400

Remember the Golden Age of Web development? A time long ago when there were only five desktop browsers to support, a few different screen sizes and every user connected via broadband? Well, those days are over. With the advent of mobile Web

USGS Picture Puzzle: Do You See Changes to the Coast?

Mon, 22 Sep 2014 10:00:21 -0400

If you are a coastal resident, go to the beach, or are interested in digital volunteering, you can be a tremendous help in identifying and classifying changes that storms make to our coast after severe storms. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has launched iCoast, a Web application where you can view aerial photographs and help classify

New Tools to Help You Innovate Within the FAR

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 10:00:38 -0400

Outdated development practices and narrow interpretations of acquisition regulations have prevented the federal government from taking advantage of technologies that can help agencies deliver better digital services to the public. OMB is developing new tools to help you take advantage of existing procurement authorities in the FAR, or the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the nearly 2,000

CDC App Aids in Prevention of Neonatal Disease

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 11:51:06 -0400

The Centers for Disease Control has added another tool to its suite of mobile applications for healthcare providers and clinicians. The “Prevent Group B Strep” app provides specific, timely guidance to obstetric and neonatal providers to aid in

Save the Date: Tech@State Mobile Diplomacy Event

Wed, 17 Sep 2014 13:57:19 -0400

Sign up now to join fellow MobileGov Community of Practice members for Tech@State’s Mobile Diplomacy conference on Friday, October 3, 2014! Your attendance will let you participate in a variety of panels, ignite and breakout sessions about mobile development relevant to all digital government innovators. Members of the

Trends on Tuesday: The Mobile Tipping Point?

Tue, 16 Sep 2014 14:39:30 -0400

The International Data Corporation (IDC) is forecasting a strong outlook for smartphone sales during the remaining months of 2014. So, what might this mobile-driven world look like?

Helpful Hints: Writing RFPs So Real Businesses Can Respond

Mon, 15 Sep 2014 10:00:25 -0400

If you have a hand in contracts for crowdsourcing initiatives and challenge and prize competitions, here are some helpful hints for you. We’ve gathered this list from the expert businesses that provide competition services. Haven’t heard about that? See GSA Schedule 541-4G. Background: Over the last two years, competition providers and consultants have become more

Strategy Pivot Yields Results: DigitalGov.Gov Six Months Later

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 12:00:02 -0400

Six months ago, we launched this DigitalGov.gov platform to support federal agencies in delivering 21st century digital services and information to the public. It seems a good time to share some of the thinking that went into the development of the platform, and what we’ve learned so far.

3 Steps to Keep Customers Happy During Times of Change

Fri, 12 Sep 2014 10:00:53 -0400

Just like the private sector, government agencies frequently encounter new rules, regulations, policies, and financial realities that impact the way we do business. Of course, change is never easy—and when customers feel the ripple effects of those changes, their satisfaction with an agency can waver. That’s why, during times of change, customer experience leaders should

Cheaters, Thieves, Saboteurs & Other Nefarious Competitors

Thu, 11 Sep 2014 12:00:59 -0400

Challenge and prize competitions are competitive and not always squeaky clean. There are a few things we’ve noticed and noted in our experience over the last four years with challenge competitions run by federal agencies and studying others in the private sector.

#PrepareAthon 2014: Disaster Preparedness in the Palm of Your Hand

Thu, 11 Sep 2014 10:00:58 -0400

If there was one thing we learned on September 11, 2001, it’s that you can never be too prepared for a disaster of any magnitude. September is aptly named National Preparedness Month and the government’s #PrepareAthon campaign—led by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA)—is under way, culminating in National PrepareAthon! Day, September 30.

Stacking Up the Benefits of Openness

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:49:04 -0400

Open government, open source, openness. These words are often used in talking about open data, but we sometimes forget that the root of all of this is an open community. Individuals working together to release government data and put it to use to help their neighbors and reach new personal goals. This sense of community

Open Government #WikiHack at the National Archives

Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:00:36 -0400

The National Archives and Records Administration and Wikimedia D.C., invite you to help us improve access to open government data on Wikipedia. We are excited to announce that we will be hosting the Open Government #WikiHack, a two-day hackathon at the National Archives Building in downtown

Trends on Tuesday: Are only 11% of Websites Responsive?

Tue, 09 Sep 2014 10:00:59 -0400

Roughly 1 in 9 (11%) websites have adopted responsive Web design, according to research conducted by Guy Podjarny in January. While the number has risen in the last 7 months, I know you’re probably a little underwhelmed by that number. But if you are one of the agencies that have gone through the process of

Finding Participants for User Experience Studies

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:30:35 -0400

How do you find participants for your usability studies? I spoke recently with the User Experience Community of Practice about how we recruit participants for usability and cognitive studies at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Hopefully I can give you some new ideas about recruiting volunteers to fuel your user research. At BLS, we

A New Look at the Freedom of Information Act

Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:00:46 -0400

There are many ways the public can get information from the federal government. For example, you can check out Data.gov to find scores of datasets and APIs, agency websites for information about their work, or other important information in online FOIA Libraries. Or you can also just ask for it. Since 1966, the Freedom of

Getting it Done with Open Opportunities: The Case of the Mobile Code Catalog

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:30:00 -0400

Imagine open source code, publicly available to share, that jump starts your agency’s mobile development efforts. Pretty neat idea, huh? Well last year it became a reality with the Mobile Code Catalog. This idea was the brainchild of Mike Pulsifer, who, as the Technical Manager for the Division of Enterprise Communications, Office of Public Affairs,

Sharing is Caring, Adding Social Media Accounts to Search

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 10:00:36 -0400

Content is no longer limited to your .gov website. Social media accounts also contain a treasure trove of information relevant to your site’s visitors. Keeping that in mind, DigitalGov Search has worked to bring all your content, wherever it is, to your search results. Finding

Census Promotes Mobile Apps Front and Center!

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 13:18:46 -0400

Those cutting edge folks over at Census have raised the bar again! Not only do they have three mobile apps that use their own APIs, but now everyone who visits Census.gov is presented with an

National Cancer Institute Launches New User Experience Lab

Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:00:47 -0400

Why does a Cancer institute need a User Experience lab? Simply put: To learn about their customers—people living with cancer and those who care about them—and build the best possible products with them in mind. “Cancer has a journey and we wanted to create a

To Learn About reddit, Listen First

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:30:41 -0400

Reddit began in 2006 as an online bulletin board. Registered users post links to items on the Internet, start discussions and cast votes that control placement on the site. A simple structure and a live interview forum called AMA, (Ask Me Anything) helped make reddit a

The API Briefing: Finding Help for the Elderly – The ElderCare Locator API

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 11:00:53 -0400

If you have ever been a caregiver for an elderly family member or friend, you know that there are many resources to help you in giving care. But finding these resources can be difficult and frustrating. The Administration on Aging in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been guiding people to local

Open Source Content Management Systems and Responsive Web Design Webinar Recap

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:00:46 -0400

Most of us in the DigitalGov community recognize that responsive Web design is one approach to mobile first and most of us have a pretty clear picture of what it means—a responsive website will adjust to different devices, and the content will neatly change its layout from one screen size to another. But do you

Trends on Tuesday: Are PCs Obsolete?

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 14:05:01 -0400

We’ve seen (and experienced) a dramatic growth in mobile consumption in recent years. From app downloads to tablet ownership, the use of mobile devices continues to trend up. But, is this at the expense of desktop computer usage? Not really. The growth of mobile activity is incremental to what’s happening on existing platforms, according to

FTC Awards Five Winners from #DEFCON22 Robocall Honeypot Challenge

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 11:00:26 -0400

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had such great success with their first robocall challenge competition that the agency decided to take a different angle this year—targeting the skilled hackers at DEF CON 22, the annual defense conference in Las Vegas in early August. Five winners earned cash prizes and bragging rights for their creative technical

System Usability Scale (SUS): Improving Products Since 1986

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:15:49 -0400

Trying to measure usability can be a head scratcher. How easy something is to use depends on where you are, who you are, and a number of other factors. Luckily in the world of usability, there exists a post-test survey known as the System Usability Scale, introduced in 1986 by an engineer named John Brooke,

Help OPM Use SocialGov to Reinvent Fed Recruitment and Recognition

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 02:41:13 -0400

Here at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, we recently announced two exciting new government-wide working group teams with the mission of helping us use social media in ways we haven’t explored before. We’re hoping to recruit federal employees

USDA App Helps ID Your Potpourri

Thu, 28 Aug 2014 10:00:31 -0400

Got a thing for dried botanicals? (No, not THOSE … but the stuff of fragrant sachets, decorative wreaths and glass jars filled with heavenly scents?) Before you discard your old potpourri or put some within reach of pets and children, you’ll want to take a look at

The API Briefing: Mining the Rich Data Resources of NASA – The International Space Apps Challenges

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 11:00:34 -0400

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has an enormous collection of aerospace and science data sets. NASA missions and projects can create amazing amounts of data. One example: the Earth Observing System Data and Information System has collected enough information to fill the Library of Congress (Data.NASA.gov). A more recent example: the Solar Dynamics

Member Spotlight – Jill James, Dept. of Education

Wed, 27 Aug 2014 10:00:43 -0400

Welcome to the first edition of a new series of articles spotlighting members of our Government Web Manager Community. This month, we introduce Jill James, who’s the Senior Web Editor/Director for the Department of Education, in their Communications and Outreach

Help the Public Find Your Information, Wherever and However You’ve Published It

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:00:35 -0400

As traffic to desktop .gov websites declines, how we publish our content increasingly matters. We need to meet people where they are as they seek information on the Internet. To do so, we need to adjust to the new world of mobile applications, social media, and instant answers provided by search engines. Freeing Content from

Trends on Tuesday: Have You Cut the Cord?

Tue, 26 Aug 2014 10:00:05 -0400

First, it was party lines. Then, it was the rotary phone. Now, two-in-five (41%) U.S. households have officially said goodbye to landlines, according to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s National Center for Health Statistics. If you have been keeping up with previous mobile trends, you won’t be surprised

Creating an Open FEC

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:04:40 -0400

Campaign finance information is not very approachable, even when made available as open data. The laws that regulate how money can be spent around elections are important to our democracy, but sometimes it’s difficult to understand how these laws apply. Between Senate, House, and Presidential campaigns, thousands of people run for office on a regular

Preserving Fish and Wildlife Service History through Open Data Initiative

Mon, 25 Aug 2014 10:00:50 -0400

In the summer of 1914, Frederick M. Dille, manager at Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, observed: “The general conditions of affairs at Niobrara are favorable and good. The animals are thriving, the feed has been abundant, the fence is in good shape and Mr. Schultz has handled everything very satisfactory. […] The pheasants have done

Actionable Web Analytics: A Three-Step Process

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 13:00:36 -0400

As Web analysts, your customers and their needs can vary greatly. One minute you are leading an analysis that will influence strategic decisions, the next you are distributing reports to folks who will never use them, but just have to have them. Sometimes, in the darkest hours, it can become more

API Usability Case Study: openFDA

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:32:53 -0400

The API Usability Program brings together developers from agency APIs and the private sector to evaluate how the API can be improved to be more user friendly. Sean Herron of 18F, who was a key member of the openFDA developer team, shared with us some of the major insights gained from this latest API usability session.

Go.USA.gov Creates Short, Trustworthy .gov URLs

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 13:59:05 -0400

Short URLs are useful for tracking clicks, but they can create a poor user experience because the person clicking the link can’t see the final destination. That’s why Go.USA.gov was created—to show users that they would reach official government information. To maintain this trust, Go.USA.gov is only open to government employees and only shortens government

How to Find Your Open Data Hotshots

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 11:00:30 -0400

How can you find the top 5 users of your open data? We were recently asked this question on the Open Data listserv, and while this information can be a good measure of success for open data programs, we also figured some of the answers shared would be of interest to the broader community. This blog

Paper Prototyping PTSD Coach

Thu, 21 Aug 2014 10:00:05 -0400

The PTSD Coach mobile app from the Department of Veterans Affairs, provides veterans and users with information about PTSD and professional care, along with self-assessment tools and aid in finding support opportunities. The app has been downloaded over 100,000 times in 74

Top 5 Reasons to Use Government-wide Open and Structured Content Models

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 11:00:16 -0400

Content models provide an opportunity for agencies to structure, organize, distribute, and better publish information in multiple forms and on multiple platforms. Federal agencies discussed why content models are important for future-facing content in our What Structured Content Models Can Do For You Webinars in May and June.

The API Briefing: Back to School – U.S. Department of Education APIs

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 10:00:19 -0400

As the new school season approaches, it is a good time to see what federal datasets are available for educational app developers. Visit the developers’ page at ED.gov to find 36 educational datasets for educational levels. The datasets can be accessed in CSV, JSON,

White House SocialGov Summit Aims to Improve Open Data Innovation

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 11:00:59 -0400

More than 100 digital engagement and open data managers from across government met with leaders in the private sector startup community August 7 at the White House for a summit on integrating our digital services with public participation to create more

Trends on Tuesday: What’s Currently the No. 1 Smartphone in the U.S.?

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:00:18 -0400

Do you ever find yourself conducting unofficial smartphone research? Ever since my agency decided to develop a mobile app, I know I do. Luckily, new data from ComScore on the U.S. smartphone subscriber market share can help eliminate the guesswork. Here are a few of the key trends ComScore found in the U.S. smartphone industry

Redesigning with Customer Feedback: Child Support Enforcement Usability Case Study

Tue, 19 Aug 2014 01:00:49 -0400

The Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement at the Administration for Children and Families had a visually appealing website after an agency-wide redesign of program websites. The problem: Key stakeholders complained they could no longer easily find needed information. Their feedback prompted us to facilitate a UX-minded focus group to recommend improvements that met both users’ business needs and the redesign goals.

How to Choose a User Experience Technique

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:00:17 -0400

The good news: Your boss is interested in User Experience! The news: She wants you to do something about it… NOW. Well, don’t be alarmed; you can start by figuring out two simple things.

The Minimum Viable Building Blocks For a Federal Government API Hub

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 01:00:50 -0400

My name is Kin Lane, I am the API Evangelist, and a round two Presidential Innovation Fellow. I spend each day looking through the developer portals and hubs for API across the private sector. Recently I’ve also spent time looking at 77 federal government API developer portals and 190 APIs, and

The Contributor’s Guide to 18F: Code for the Common Good

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 11:00:49 -0400

Introduction Transparency in coding makes code more secure. Open-source development is development in the light, sometimes a harsh light, that shows every blemish. At 18F we strongly believe this improves the rapidity of our coding and the quality and security of the code. We keep the code open to each other, which allows us to

Get Out of the Jargon Trap: Plain Language Training Can Help

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 10:00:22 -0400

The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) is the official federal working group designated to help agencies with plain language, including training. PLAIN offers free 3.5-hour classes in the principles of plain language and plain language for Web writing.

Census PoP Quiz Mobile App Challenges Knowledge of State Statistics

Thu, 14 Aug 2014 13:29:36 -0400

The U.S. Census Bureau today released Census PoP Quiz, a new interactive mobile application that challenges users’ knowledge of demographic facts for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The new app, which draws from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, aims to raise

Challenge, Contract or Grant – Which tool is right for the job?

Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:52:00 -0400

Choosing between a contract, a grant, or a public prize competition to get solutions to the problems your agency faces is a difficult task. Each is a tool that has different qualities and each might be the best choice for varying situations.

The API Briefing: Writable APIs – The Federal Register.gov Commenting Feature

Wed, 13 Aug 2014 11:46:28 -0400

FederalRegister.gov just released a writable API that allows citizens to comment directly on proposed regulations. When a user is viewing a regulation on FederalRegister.gov, he or she can click on the “Submit a Formal Comment” button. A textbox appears, and the comment is recorded for that particular regulation.

Photo Carousels on Mobile Websites: Use With Caution!

Wed, 13 Aug 2014 10:00:58 -0400

You might recognize them by the user controls, if provided, that allow you to move from one newsy item to the next. They go by various names, including: carousel, slider, slideshow, banner, and gallery. Many government homepages have them. In a recent email exchange on

Delivering a Customer-Focused Government Through Smarter IT

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:29:36 -0400

As technology changes, government must change with it to address new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. This Administration has made important strides in modernizing government so that it serves its constituents more effectively and efficiently, but we know there is much more to do. Last year, a group of digital and technology experts

Heat Mapping Case Study: Epa.gov Homepage

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:00:17 -0400

Most people relate the term “heat map” with something they see during the weather forecast on the nightly news, those colorful maps that vividly illustrate how hot it’s going to be during an impending heat wave. The word “heat map” may not usually however, conjure up images of a widely used Web usability tool; but for those

Trends on Tuesday: The Rise of Mobile App Super Users?

Tue, 12 Aug 2014 10:00:33 -0400

A recent Trends on Tuesday post cautioned against becoming another statistic in the treacherous, desolate wasteland known as the App Graveyard. Thankfully, there is some research that shows the likelihood of your app being banished to its grave is receding. Trends indicate that not only are app retention rates rising, user engagement is increasing. According

The Power of Email Marketing

Mon, 11 Aug 2014 10:00:14 -0400

If you aren’t currently including email marketing in your digital outreach efforts, you’re missing out.

Design Sketching: The Easiest Prototype Method Ever

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:00:19 -0400

When it comes to Web and software design, the pen(cil) is often mightier than the Design Suite. What I mean is: Tech is cool, but don’t fall under its spell. It’s often when you remove the technological layers between you and your thoughts that the best ideas sprout. You’ve heard of great ideas that started

Parents Get a Head Start With New Mobile App

Thu, 07 Aug 2014 13:00:46 -0400

As it’s time to return to school, the Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families is helping parents and teachers prepare anytime, anywhere. Head Start Resources, an app available on iOS and Android, is a gateway to tools and resources for those associated

Celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508

Thu, 07 Aug 2014 10:00:58 -0400

Happy anniversary, baby! Seventies pop songs aside, July 26, 2014, was the 24th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and on August 7 of this year, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, will have its 16th anniversary. Sometimes these two laws are mistaken one for the other,

What is a “Customer Centric” Culture – Part 2

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 13:00:02 -0400

Since April of 2011 when President Obama signed Executive Order 13571 mandating agencies improve the quality of service they give to the public, agencies have been working through strategies to best fulfill this task. We at GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) were no exception. Back in September of 2013, we wrote

The API Briefing: An API that Searches other APIs – HealthData.Gov’s Catalog API

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 10:00:34 -0400

As federal agencies release APIs on an almost daily basis, keeping track of the numerous datasets has become a vital service for developers. The Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) manages HealthData.Gov which currently lists 1,680 datasets in 36 categories such as “Public Health,” “Health Care Cost,” and “Health Statistics.” To help developers find

Trends on Tuesday: What’s Your Mobile [App]etite?

Tue, 05 Aug 2014 11:00:57 -0400

In a few short years, the number of mobile apps has exploded, and the time spent on apps continues to increase. However, one thing hasn’t changed: the number of apps individuals use. The average smartphone owner uses 22 to 28 apps in a month, according to new data from Nielsen. Here are a few highlights

Working In Public From Day 1

Mon, 04 Aug 2014 10:00:38 -0400

In the wide world of software, maybe you’ve heard someone say this, or maybe you’ve said it yourself: “I’ll open source it after I clean up the code; it’s a mess right now.” Or: “I think there are some passwords in there; I’ll get around to cleaning it out at some point.” Or simply: “No

Video Blog: Alison Lemon, FDA

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:24:54 -0400

We wanted to learn a little more about the Office of Women’s Health at FDA, where Alison Lemon, the SocialGov Community Knowledge Manager, works. So we sat down with Alison and learned about the interesting social media approach her office has taken, some of the thinking behind their strategy and what she sees as the

Safe Swimming This Summer (Can You Say That Four Times Fast?)

Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:53:46 -0400

You don’t have to try too hard to get people into the water during summer. But swimming the healthy and safe way? Well, everyone could use help on that. Whether you are a swimmer, lifeguard, pool attendant or sun-loving spectator, the Centers for Disease

Why @congressedits Matters for Your Agency

Wed, 30 Jul 2014 10:00:23 -0400

If you haven’t heard about @congressedits yet, it’s a Twitter bot that was recently created to tweet out every anonymous edit made to Wikipedia from Congressional IP addresses. So, anyone editing articles on Wikipedia without logging in, and doing this while on Congressional Internet access, will have those changes tweeted (like this). Some of these

Customization is Key to Better Mobile User Experience

Wed, 30 Jul 2014 02:12:52 -0400

Resources like Theresa Neil’s Mobile Design Product Gallery book and Mobile-patterns.com describe, and provide examples of, common features mobile developers can implement and tailored further to satisfy their users. As mentioned in this week’s Trends on Tuesday, customizing apps to meet

“Deconstructing” Public Prize Competitions Can Result in Better Solutions

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 10:07:10 -0400

The message from a recent DigitalGov University webinar on public prize competitions (challenges) was that the government can often receive better solutions by going through the exact same process, and giving awards at each step.

Trends on Tuesday: Avoid the “App Graveyard”

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 01:23:17 -0400

Apps that are downloaded, used a few times and then never used again, are considered part of the “app graveyard.” In fact, 95% of apps are discarded within a month of download by users. Focus on creating a great user experience to make sure your agency apps are used consistently.

Take a Gander at Our /Developer Page!

Mon, 28 Jul 2014 10:00:05 -0400

A growing trend both inside government and outside is to have a simple welcoming page for outside developers who may be interested in your team’s efforts. This material is often located at website.gov/developer 1 and points visitors to technical material that developers may be interested in, especially APIs. Collecting technical documentation in one place facilitates

Should Your Agency Be Offering Chat Service?

Mon, 28 Jul 2014 01:58:20 -0400

Live Web chat is an important component of good customer service. People like having the option of talking with an agent in real-time without having to pick up the phone. While live chat is not widespread, several agencies have shown great success in serving the public through this alternative channel. At a recent Government Contact

5 Key Points About Government Branding Now

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 11:47:11 -0400

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking (in my own capacity) before the Council for Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency Public Affairs Officers (CIGIE-PAO) task force about branding. The invitation came by way of a colleague I greatly respect. Bridget Serchak is currently Chief of Public Affairs for the Department of Defense Inspector General and

How the American Battle Monument Commission Developed its First Mobile App

Thu, 24 Jul 2014 10:06:53 -0400

The job of the American Battle Monument Commission (AMBC) is to manage all overseas cemeteries and memorials from WWI and WWII. There are over 200,000 veterans who are buried or memorialized at these cemeteries. When ABMC began thinking about releasing a native

The API Briefing: Mapping Food Deserts – The USDA Economic Research Service’s GIS Map Services

Wed, 23 Jul 2014 10:00:27 -0400

Food deserts are areas where residents have little or no access to nutritional food. Food deserts exist because of low-incomes, lack of transportation, or too few stores that stock produce and other healthy food items. Governments from the local level to federal have implemented grant programs to encourage grocery store construction in the food deserts.

Trends on Tuesday: FCC Finds Rise in Mobile Internet Subscriptions

Tue, 22 Jul 2014 11:00:40 -0400

Approximately 70% of American households have a fixed Internet source of 0.2 megabits per second or greater, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Measuring Broadband Across America Report that analyzes the digital divide in the U.S. Up 15% in the last decade, this increase in Internet subscription source

Mobile Gov Code Chop Shop: Help Department of Labor Share Their App Functionality Gov-wide

Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:00:01 -0400

You’ve just found a great open source fed agency app on the Mobile Code Sharing Catalog, and would love to use one of its cool functionalities for your own agency’s app. As federal agencies release more and more code to the open source

Improving Content, Increasing Participation: A NARA Usability Case Study

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 10:00:49 -0400

Over the years, the staff intranet at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) had become increasingly difficult to use. Old, irrelevant content routinely bubbled to the top of search results, and essential employee tools were hard to find. NARA staff agreed that the site was due for an upgrade: fixing NARA@work was voted a

Solving a MobileGov Mystery: Using Open Source CMS to Implement Responsive Web Design

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 01:24:56 -0400

Responsive Web design is widely-known as a go-to solution for designing a website to fit on any device’s screen size. As we found in our February workshop, federal agencies are implementing it for various reasons. There are various ways to implement responsive

Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz, Oh What a Relief Social Media Is!

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:00:36 -0400

We often think of social media as a way to expand our audience, but some public health departments are using it as a new tool for tracking outbreaks of salmonella, e. coli, and other foodborne illnesses. It’s a familiar story: A nice meal out results in days of gastrointestinal discomfort when you realize only too

FEMA’s Responsive Disaster Assistance Website Helps Survivors Find, Apply for Aid

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 10:41:27 -0400

Hurricane Arthur, the first named storm of the 2014 Atlantic hurricane season, made landfall in North Carolina, July 3, as a Category 2 hurricane. It was no Sandy, but Arthur nevertheless reminds us to be prepared now and always. As we say at NOAA, “It only takes one.” That “one”

Hot off the Press: 18F’s API Standards

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:00:03 -0400

We recently released the first version of our API Standards—a set of recommendations and guidelines for API production. It is our intention that every 18F API meet these standards, to help us ensure a baseline quality and consistency across all APIs we offer now and in the future. These standards guide

The API Briefing: RealTrack – How Hackathons Help Create Apps from APIs

Wed, 16 Jul 2014 10:00:12 -0400

Once a federal agency releases an API, there are several ways they can be used in apps. The most common method is through hackathons. Hackathons are where an agency or agencies present the API(s) and invite developers to create prototype apps. The apps

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Drives Time on Digital Media

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:28:13 -0400

Major mobile milestones in May—try saying that three times! A new mobile usage report from ComScore revealed two significant shifts to mobile in May: total time spent on digital media and time spent on apps. Here are a few highlights from the report: Mobile platforms—smartphones and tablets—accounted for 60% of total time spent on digital

The Trend is Diversity, in Challenge and Prize Competitions

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 10:00:13 -0400

The U.S. government has launched more than 45 challenge and prize competitions so far in Fiscal Year 2014. What trends are we seeing? Well, the trend is…diversity. That might sound like an oxymoron, but federal agencies are really putting themselves out there, asking the crowd to help tackle a wide array of problems. Until August 3rd,

Open Data Takes Center Stage at User Conference

Mon, 14 Jul 2014 13:00:04 -0400

This week over 16,000 business leaders and data visionaries from around the world will convene for the 2014 Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Users Conference in San Diego. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker, NOAA Administrator Dr. Kathy Sullivan, and Under Secretary for Economic Affairs Dr. Mark Doms will join representatives from Census and NOAA to highlight the

Working with APIs for Non-Coders Recap

Mon, 14 Jul 2014 10:00:00 -0400

In a recent event titled: “Intro to APIs: Working with URLs, JSON, APIs, and Open Data—Without Writing Any Code,” federal practitioners and supporters interested in open data attended an in-person workshop, led by Eric Mill, a key developer on GSA’s 18f team. This event was especially targeted to non-developers and explored the basics of APIs,

Why Marketing to U.S. Hispanics Is like the Offside Rule in Soccer

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 13:55:10 -0400

Do you scratch your head trying to figure out the latest trends to reach out to Hispanics in the U.S.? If you answered yes, don’t worry, you’re not alone. The current Soccer World Cup is lending a great analogy to help you think through your strategy to your customers. Some rules in soccer, as in

Lean Startup: Changing Government Services and Agencies to Better Serve the Citizens

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 10:00:44 -0400

It is easy to start a business today and especially an Internet-based business. Using the cloud, APIs, and hosted applications, an entrepreneur can quickly build a website/mobile app. The entrepreneur can hire freelancers to do everything from creating a logo to writing a business plan. Virtual assistant services can provide on-demand staff to meet business

Mobile REMM App: New Physicians’ Aid

Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:00:49 -0400

The Department of Health and Human Service’s Mobile REMM App provides physicians and emergency medical staff with the latest and greatest information concerning radioactive and nuclear emergencies. Available on iOS, Android, and Blackberry platforms, the native application showcases comprehensive information concerning dose

The API Briefing: How APIs Provide Localized Information – NOAA’s Weather Service Data and FCC’s Broadband Services Map

Wed, 09 Jul 2014 10:30:10 -0400

The two featured APIs this week are excellent demonstrations of personalizing federal government data by where a user lives. Federal agencies collect a considerable amount of community data, from the Census Bureau’s surveys to the FDA’s local agricultural conditions. Thanks to GPS, app developers can locate a user’s immediate geographical location and tailor information based

Trends on Tuesday: What Does Mobile-First Video Look Like?

Tue, 08 Jul 2014 01:39:53 -0400

Like many Americans during the last month, I developed FIFA fever. Checking on scores, anticipating the latest Google Doodle and watching game highlights became part of my daily iPhone routine. Despite the elimination of Team U.S.A, mobile video consumption continues to win new fans. Consider these mobile video viewing statistics: On average, consumers spend 33 minutes

User Experience (UX) vs. Customer Experience (CX): What’s the Dif?

Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:00:02 -0400

“User Experience” and “Customer Experience.” They sound pretty similar, right? Well, here at the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies, we look at it like this: User Experience (UX) deals with people interacting with your product and the experience they receive from that interaction. UX is measured with metrics like: success rate, error rate,

Have a H(app)y Fourth of July from MobileGov

Thu, 03 Jul 2014 13:00:39 -0400

Washington. You can say a lot of things about this town, but one thing is clear: Fourth of July is our holiday. No one rocks Independence Day quite like we do, thanks to the hardworking people at the National Park Service who manage our National Mall and help stage a blockbuster fireworks celebration.

Using Top Tasks to be Top-Notch: Federal Reserve Board Usability Case Study

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:51:51 -0400

In 2012, the Federal Reserve Board used the Top-task methodology to redesign our intranet, called Inside the Board, which had not been significantly updated since it was launched in 1995. After determining the top tasks the audience needs to accomplish on a website, you can run usability tests to gain knowledge and improve the site. The project

The API Briefing: APIs Come In Many (Data) Flavors

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 10:00:44 -0400

This week, we will look at three different APIs that demonstrate how agencies use different technologies to serve out data. Presenting data in various formats encourages developers to build on federal APIs. As past columns have shown, the innovative apps created with federal data are quickly growing. The latest API news this week is how

Using Analytics to Create Change: USA.gov Usability Case Study

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:00:38 -0400

While many people tout the death of the home page, it’s still an important piece of the user experience on USA.gov. In 2013, 30 percent of all sessions on USA.gov included the home page—that’s 8.67 million sessions. The numbers for GobiernoUSA.gov are even higher—79 percent of all sessions included the home page. According to Jakob Nielsen, “A

Trends on Tuesday: Maximizing Your Mobile Moments

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 11:00:13 -0400

The rise of mobile device ownership is rapidly changing the way we, and our stakeholders, interact with organizations and information. From local weather to the status of our train, we look to our smartphones to not only provide the answers, but anticipate our questions. Forrester refers to this

Multilingual Digital Content

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:00:13 -0400

Federal agencies are required to provide meaningful access to government information to people with limited English proficiency. This also applies to agency digital content.

Big Data, Open Data & the Federal Agencies

Tue, 01 Jul 2014 10:00:02 -0400

Open data and big data—and the responsible management and protection of that data—are key components of the President’s agenda to drive innovation and economic growth. On Thursday, June 19, leaders from civil society, industry, academia, and 40 federal departments and agencies met at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute to discuss

508 Accessible Videos—Why (and How) to Make Them

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:00:51 -0400

Making Web content and video accessible to people with disabilities is the law. Ensuring a video is accessible requires planning. Taking steps from day one will save you time and money. To verify that a video is accessible you’d need to incorporate three elements: Captioning Audio descriptions An Accessible video player Why Accessibility Matters Many government

508 Accessible Videos – Use a 508-Compliant Video Player

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:00:37 -0400

When you watch a video on your computer, the window that displays your video is called a “video player.” It usually has start, pause, and other buttons. You might not be aware that you’re using a player at all—you just watch your video. A fully-accessible video player (e.g. Section 508-compliant)

508 Accessible Videos – How to Make Audio Descriptions

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:00:33 -0400

An audio description is an additional audio track that describes and gives context for essential visual information, making videos and multimedia accessible to people who have low vision (very poor vision), or who are blind.

508 Accessible Videos – How to Caption Videos

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 10:00:22 -0400

What are Captions? In a video, captions collect all audio information and describe them using text. They include not only spoken content but also non-speech information such as sound effects, music, laughter, and speaker identification and location (for example, audio spoken off-screen). Captions appear transposed over the visual elements in

U.S. Gov Releases New Collaborative Social Media Services

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 05:30:47 -0400

The Federal #SocialGov Community, a collective of almost 700 digital engagement managers from more than 120 government agencies, marked the 2nd anniversary of our program by releasing a suite of new collaborative services to help us better work together and with partners in

Is It Tweet-Worthy?

Mon, 30 Jun 2014 01:00:27 -0400

The Web now contains over 1.51 billion pages of content, according to WorldWideWebSize.com. That’s a lot of reading material, and a lot of content competing with yours for attention. People won’t waste time (even a few seconds) on an article that doesn’t matter to them in some way—not when there are so many other interesting

You Have the Data, Make the Most of It

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 10:00:44 -0400

With Web analytics tools you have the data to see what citizens really want on your website and how well you are delivering. You have an opportunity to make informed decisions on improvements to your site to reflect the voice of the customer and get constituents what they need. Here are

Broadcasting Board of Governors Use “Relay” Tool to Cover the World Cup

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 14:10:30 -0400

World Cup fever, everyone’s got it—even the Broadcasting Board of Governors‘ (BBG) Voice of America has reporters covering the event. For this year’s World Cup, VOA has teamed up with the Office of Digital and Design Innovation (a digital team inside

Deloitte Analysis: Craft of Incentive Prize Design

Thu, 26 Jun 2014 13:00:03 -0400

Federal challenge and prize competitions are in the news again. Our colleagues across government participated in research that resulted in a new report released June 19 from Deloitte University Press, The Craft of Prize Design: Lessons from the public sector. In the last five years, incentive prizes have transformed from an exotic open innovation tool to

Case Studies in Thunderclap

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 12:37:31 -0400

Now that Thunderclap has been approved for government use for nearly a year, we checked in with two agencies that have successfully used the crowd-speaking tool to rally their supporters and amplify their messages.

The API Briefing: The Census Bureau’s Discovery Tool – Find the Right API for Your App

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:00:47 -0400

The Census Bureau recently released a machine-readable dataset discovery service that lists 41 Census data sets.

Trends on Tuesday: Are Mobile Devices The “Center” of Social Universe?

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 15:28:59 -0400

Mobile devices are moving closer to the center of the social universe, according to this Sproutsocial article. Platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter are overwhelmingly used on the go. Comscore predicts that there will be increasing monetization via social in the coming years. In the banking industry, where data shows many people have stopped going to

CDC’s “Predict the Flu Season Challenge” Could Keep You Well in the Future

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 10:00:36 -0400

The results of an innovative government prize competition might help you avoid the flu next season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently announced the winner of the “Predict the Influenza Season Challenge”: Dr. Jeffrey Shaman of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and his team submitted an

Hacking the Bureaucracy One Task at a Time

Mon, 23 Jun 2014 13:00:53 -0400

Are you having trouble getting training or professional development opportunities? Federal employees can gain access to a variety of professional development opportunities and work on digital projects across the government through the Open Opportunities program.

Using Visual Content to Drive Engagement

Mon, 23 Jun 2014 10:00:41 -0400

When USA.gov was preparing to launch our campaign introducing the 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH), we wanted to create highly-visual social content to see how it would do in comparison to standard text and link social media content.

NIH Can Rebuild Him, Launches Bionic Man Tool

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 10:16:09 -0400

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering recently launched the “NIBIB Bionic Man,” an interactive Web tool that allows students and the public to learn about cutting-edge research in biotechnology. The bionic man features 14 technologies

Agency Dataset Publication in Data.gov

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 10:00:51 -0400

Not sure how to get your datasets into Data.gov? We’ve put together an overview to show you how the process works. Agencies prepare their enterprise data inventories in data.json format and post them on their websites (agency.gov/data.json), pursuant to the Open Data Policy and following the guidance and using the tools available on Project Open

The Golden Metric

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 12:15:33 -0400

Are you looking for the “golden metric” that is the best measure of your agency’s website performance and cross-comparable across .gov websites? If so, stop looking. The concept of the golden metric is a dangerous one because it oversimplifies performance analysis of your website and overlooks the truth

DOT’s SaferCar App Goes Android

Thu, 19 Jun 2014 01:00:15 -0400

With the start of “astronomical summer” later this week on June 21, that means two things: road trips and car buying. If you’re doing either or both, best be sure to grab the app for the SaferCar program from the Department of Transportation’s

The API Briefing: Department of State’s Model App – Education USA

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 10:00:46 -0400

Not only does the Department of State have a great set of APIs, State also has an excellent example of how to build an informative and useful app. EducationUSA is a network of State Department advisers who help international students apply for U.S. university programs.

4 Ways to Connect, Engage & Expand Your Community with Google+ Hangouts

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 01:05:55 -0400

When you think about your community, you may think about your neighborhood, your city, your office or the organizations and activities you’re involved in. The Peace Corps has many of the characteristics of a community, however our reach spans the entire globe. Because we need to regularly connect

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Location Data Improving

Tue, 17 Jun 2014 10:00:38 -0400

Imagine a world where your mobile device delivers ads for goods and services within 100 yards of your location. According to Thinknear, a leader in

Government CX: Where Do You Find the Right Foundational Metrics?

Mon, 16 Jun 2014 10:00:33 -0400

Customer service. Customer satisfaction. Improving the customer experience. These buzzwords have become well-trodden territory among government strategists as a new wave of agencies attempt to ignite—or reignite—a focus on customers. Of course, putting customers first is a worthy goal. But what, exactly, do we mean when we use words like “service” and “satisfaction”? These terms

Search Engine Optimization for Government Websites

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 11:00:33 -0400

On June 10, 2014, the Metrics Community of Practice of the Federal Web Managers Council and DigitalGov University hosted an event to honor the memory of Joe Pagano, a former co-chair of the Web Metrics Sub-Council. This third lecture honoring Joe focused on search engine optimization (SEO). While commercial search engines do a remarkable job

Challenge and Prize Practitioners Gather at GSA

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 10:00:48 -0400

Got innovation? Well, we do! On Wednesday May 28, the Challenge.gov team gathered the Challenges and Prizes Community of Practice together for its quarterly meeting.

Three Ways Agencies Are Using Social Media in Mobile Products

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:29:54 -0400

As highlighted in this Trends on Tuesday post, time spent on mobile phones—about 3 hours per day—has surpassed that of daily PC usage. This yields a significant opportunity for consumer interaction with federal agencies’ mobile apps, not just websites, and social media outlets. To take advantage of new opportunities for consumer

Attention Developers: More Economic Statistics Added to BEA’s API

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 10:00:33 -0400

Developers, do you want to bring more detailed economic data to your next app? The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) recently added several data sets to the application programming interface (API) we launched last year. The API now provides direct access to the

Talking Usability with Kids over Milk and Cookies

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:00:51 -0400

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently created a new Web page made especially for students, so who better to give it a test run than children attending “Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day”? We took advantage of this event held on April 24, 2014, at

The API Briefing: Quick Guide to Using GitHub – FDA’s OpenFDA Research Project

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 10:00:12 -0400

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just released the OpenFDA Research Project. At the heart of the project is the OpenFDA API, which allows developers to perform searches on FDA’s drug information database. Coming soon is the ability to search FDA information on medical devices and information about food. Visit the

Trends on Tuesday: Time on Mobile Surpasses PC Usage

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 10:03:43 -0400

With the recent growth of smartphone and tablet ownership, it’s no surprise that U.S. consumers are spending more time on mobile devices than PCs. Mobile usage will rise to nearly three hours per day in 2014, according to eMarketer. So how does mobile compare to other major media: Mobile usage will rise to 2 hours 51

DigitalGov IRL: 6 Ways To Get It Right

Tue, 10 Jun 2014 08:14:55 -0400

This morning I was walking down 18th Street, crossing Pennsylvania Avenue by the World Bank when I heard what sounded like “a test from the

Federal Agencies and the Opportunities and Challenges of Big Data

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 11:20:01 -0400

On June 19, the Obama Administration will continue the conversation on big data as we co-host our fourth big data conference, this time with the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy’s Massive Data Institute. The conference, “Improving Government Performance in the Era of Big Data; Opportunities and Challenges for Federal Agencies,” will build on

What Structured Content Can Do For You: Webinar Recap

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 10:00:42 -0400

Structured content and open content models can help you create content that is platform-agnostic, format-free, and device-independent.

Facebook Increases Public Service Verification to Improve Citizen Engagement

Mon, 09 Jun 2014 02:32:35 -0400

Facebook is now the first social media platform to start verifying all federal government pages with their signature blue checkmark using the Federal Social Media Registry API. The Federal Social Media Registry provides the singular source that allows social media platforms to quickly collect real government accounts—emphasizing the critical need to ensure the trust, quality and

Consumer Action Handbook – Usability Case Study

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:00:32 -0400

The Consumer Action Handbook is a guide to making smarter decisions with your money. It’s print and online formats, available in English and Spanish, include a compilation of buying tips from across government agencies, updates on the latest scams, and a robust consumer contact directory.

Overcoming Barriers—DigitalGov Summit Recap

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 14:09:15 -0400

As government innovators, we work to improve public services every day. In essence we are already in a public private partnership. But how can your agency capitalize on existing public private partnerships to engage citizens and enhance services? Four panelists from across government shared their public private partnerships success stories at the DigitalGov Citizen Services

The Importance of Cross-Channel Customer Service—DigitalGov Summit Recap

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 12:13:55 -0400

During the DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit last Friday, customer service experts from across government came together on a panel to share what customer service means to them and their organization and specific ways they leverage it. The other panels were on performance analysis, public private partnerships, and inter-agency work. The panelists spoke about the strategies

CDC’s Digital Front Door Goes Responsive

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 10:32:57 -0400

Ask, and you shall receive. That was the strategy behind the new homepage from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new CDC.gov homepage debuted last month with a responsive design that offers a “one-site-fits-all” experience based on feedback from you, the public.

The API Briefing: NARA’s Federal Register API – Learning How APIs Work

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 10:00:47 -0400

Application programming interfaces (APIs) can be confusing when people first hear of the concept. There are the many acronyms like REST (Representational State Transfer) and JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) that further obscure what APIs do. The idea behind APIs is quite simple: APIs are how computer programs share information between themselves. You can experience this for

Evaluating Digital Communication: An International Incident

Wed, 04 Jun 2014 10:00:28 -0400

Are you measuring Twitter followers and press release downloads without any clue as to what people are doing with your agency’s products and information? Or do you not even know what to measure, never mind whether that measurement would be meaningful? Fear not, fair government communicator—there is hope! On May 15, top government communication measurement

Harnessing the Power of Many—DigitalGov Summit Recap

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 15:14:11 -0400

At the DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit last Friday, Jacob Parcell, Manager, Mobile Programs at the General Services Administration led a panel on the challenges and benefits of Inter-Agency work. The other panels were on performance analysis, customer service across channels, and public private partnerships. “The challenges are real,” said Parcell, who quoted President Obama’s famous salmon

Turning Data Into Action—DigitalGov Summit Recap

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:35:10 -0400

At the DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit last Friday, more than 200 innovators across government and industry came together to share how digital services can improve citizen services and reduce cost. Four panels convened to share information on performance analysis, customer service across channels, public private partnerships and inter-agency work. We have a recap of the

Trends on Tuesday: Mary Meeker’s 2014 Internet Trends

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 13:25:10 -0400

Since 2001, Mary Meeker has developed a knack for highlighting what’s currently happening on the Internet and how this information may impact technology and business in the future. Last week she released her 2014 Internet Trends and it reveals some interesting digital trends. Here are the highlights: Marketing: Social messaging is changing

openFDA and Drug Adverse Events

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 13:01:30 -0400

openFDA launched today and with it the first publicly available dataset—Drug Adverse Reaction and Medication Error Reports—that covers more than 4 million records from 2004 to 2013. The openFDA team compiled 10 things to help developers use this dataset more effectively, including: Interactive examples created by the openFDA team to give perspective to the data. The

Unleashing Data Innovation for Action on Climate Change

Mon, 02 Jun 2014 10:00:30 -0400

Last June, President Obama launched a Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution, prepare communities for the impacts of climate change, and lead international efforts to address this global challenge. The plan recognizes that even as we act to curb the carbon pollution that is driving climate change,

DigitalGov Search Results Get a Redesign

Fri, 30 May 2014 10:00:39 -0400

Bing, Google, and Yahoo have all rolled out major redesigns to their search results pages in the past year. The last time DigitalGov Search did a major redesign of their results page was in January 2012. It was long overdue for a facelift. So, our team redesigned our search results page. We’ve kept an eye on best

DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit a Success

Fri, 30 May 2014 04:36:49 -0400

We had a GREAT DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit today. There were more than 200 digital innovators from across government and industry working to build the 21st century government the public expects.

This Weekend: Event List for Civic Hacking

Fri, 30 May 2014 02:33:31 -0400

Our fabulous colleague Jeanne Holm is ready for the #hackforchange events this weekend and summarized some tips, notes and links to resources on Data.gov. Great things will happen this weekend! Remember, if you hear about great uses of government data, let

Why We Turned Off Comments on the USA.gov Blog

Thu, 29 May 2014 10:00:54 -0400

On Friday, we made a big change over on the USA.gov blog—we turned off the ability for people to comment on our posts. Now before you all start looking at me like I have five heads and wondering what Koolaid I’m drinking, let me explain our reasoning. We’ve had comments on blog.usa.gov since it launched

Arlington National Cemetery’s Updated App Brings You Closer to Nation’s Fallen Veterans

Thu, 29 May 2014 01:45:14 -0400

While many of us were planning for barbecues or heading to lakes and beaches on the eve of Memorial Day Weekend, the digital team at Arlington National Cemetery was busy doing what they do best: honoring the sacrifices of America’s

Government IT Is a Small World

Wed, 28 May 2014 10:20:48 -0400

The world is getting smaller all the time for those who deal with issues of information technology (IT) in government. GSA’s long-standing relationships with high-level government IT officials in other countries are becoming more and more useful to the smooth functioning of government. With the widespread use of the Internet to conduct government business, IT

The API Briefing: NIH’s Pillbox – Unlocking Valuable Government Health Information through APIs

Wed, 28 May 2014 01:35:08 -0400

The Food and Drug Administration collects drug labeling information for human prescription, over-the-counter, homeopathic, and veterinary products through a special markup language called “Structured Product Labeling” (SPL). The database created from the SPL submissions is a treasure trove of health information that is valuable

Trends on Tuesday: Hispanic Millennials Provide Insight on Mobile Future

Tue, 27 May 2014 13:24:38 -0400

If you’re a frequent Trends on Tuesday reader, you may recall our post titled, “Latinos Embrace the Mobile Future,” which outlined several key categories where Latinos have adopted mobile technology faster than other groups. A new report by Univision and the Interactive Advertising Bureau, took an in-depth look at the mobile habits of Hispanic millennials,

Video Blog: Part 3: Sarah Crane, USA.gov

Tue, 27 May 2014 10:00:28 -0400

In our final video interview with Sarah Crane of USA.gov, she talks about adaptive content and how it works with APIs.

Data Innovaton with Census at #HackForChange

Fri, 23 May 2014 12:00:33 -0400

Do you want to build an application, product or business that uses Census Bureau data? There are opportunities to give feedback and get involved. Two years ago, the Census Bureau launched its application programming interface (API), giving developers access to a variety of high value data

Tips for Creating Great Video Interviews

Fri, 23 May 2014 10:00:40 -0400

At Kids.gov, we noticed a lot of our search terms were for different jobs: veterinarian, teacher, police officer. We offer links to these areas, but thought it would be great if we met and interviewed government employees in the

How to Make a Mobile Paper Prototype

Thu, 22 May 2014 13:00:44 -0400

What if a single piece of paper could make your mobile app work 20 percent better? It’s hard to imagine something as unimpressive as paper influencing our 21st century smartphones, but it’s true. Well before we get into the design and coding phases, we can show customers

Mobile Gov Apps for Memorial Day

Thu, 22 May 2014 11:52:42 -0400

Memorial Day is Monday and we wanted to let you know about some mobile products available for the holiday. As you’re visiting Arlington National Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc or the National Mall this Memorial Day to pay your respects to our fallen military service members, there are three mobile apps that will provide you with

Visualizing Federal Data

Thu, 22 May 2014 10:00:50 -0400

At the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) we have a long history of using data graphics in our reports and congressional testimonies to explain our findings. From photographs, tables, and charts in the 1950s; to computer-generated data graphics in the mid-1980s; to the complex interactive graphics we’re just starting to use this year, our graphics

Ignite with Us

Wed, 21 May 2014 15:00:05 -0400

Have a DigitalGov success?—published an API? Got buy-in from leadership? Changed a part of your customer-service paradigm? Developed a cool dashboard? Got the app out the door? Heck! Have you prototyped a wearable, drivable or flyable? Have a DigitalGov opinion?—think we should be focusing more or less on something? Have an idea on how to

Inter-Agency Federal Social Media Promotes Women’s Health Campaign

Wed, 21 May 2014 13:35:21 -0400

Last week, we discussed National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) as an example of a coordinated campaign that used digital tools. Social media has made building campaigns easier by enabling us to quickly reach out to groups with similar missions as well as to engage with

The API Briefing: Keeping up with Federal Employee Training – DOD’s xAPI

Wed, 21 May 2014 13:00:10 -0400

Federal employee training is about to receive a much-needed boost in the President’s 2015 Budget Request. Training is essential to the federal workforce and agencies have a number of learning management systems to deliver online training along with the traditional classroom training. The problem is that all of these training sources don’t share information with

The Road to Better Websites Gets Easier with Usability Walkthroughs

Wed, 21 May 2014 10:00:45 -0400

The road to more user-friendly government websites does not have to be long and scary. In fact, there is a growing network of people and resources to guide you along the way. My office in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has been fortunate enough to benefit from some of this support, most recently

Introductory Call for the Disaster Apps Challenge

Tue, 20 May 2014 10:00:08 -0400

The National Defense University (NDU) is hosting a conference call Friday, May 23, to spread the word about the Disaster Apps Challenge Competition, which opened yesterday. This call is open to the public, specifically the people who are interested

Trends on Tuesday: Larger Screen Smartphones See Accelerated Shipments

Tue, 20 May 2014 01:15:08 -0400

Smaller doesn’t mean more popular when it comes to smartphone screen size. According to mobile analyst Canalys, shipments for phones with screens larger than 5″ represented a third of total shipments worldwide in Q1 this year. Devices with a screen size larger than 5″ are more popularly known as “phablets” (not quite tablets, not quite phones). Government agencies

Five Years of Open Data—Making a Difference

Tue, 20 May 2014 01:00:33 -0400

In May 2009, Data.gov was an experiment. There were questions: would people use the data? would agencies share the data? and would it make a difference? We’ve all come a long, long way to answering those questions, starting with only 47 datasets and having 105,000 datasets today. We realized that this was never simply about

Packaging Up API Usability Testing for Agency Reuse

Tue, 20 May 2014 01:00:12 -0400

Over the past year, a GSA collaboration has seen a project that offers API Usability Testing to federal agencies go from the pilot stage to a regular, robust series. Already, 13 agencies and programs have participated, and several more participate with every monthly session

Video Blog: Part 2: Sarah Crane, USA.gov

Mon, 19 May 2014 10:32:03 -0400

Part 2 of our interview with Sarah Crane from USA.gov shares how the USA.gov team is tackling content sprawl with the USA.gov API.

Sign up For DigitalGov Citizen Services Summit, Friday, May 30

Mon, 19 May 2014 03:03:16 -0400

We won’t build the government of the 21st century by drawing within the lines. We don’t have to tell you the hard work of building a digital government doesn’t exist in a vacuum or a bubble. Show us social media without mobile, Web without data and user experience without APIs. You can’t? That’s right—in reality,

Designing in the Open Training Recap

Fri, 16 May 2014 15:03:07 -0400

During the recent redesign of Data.gov, the team developed a process that helped them respond to public feedback, track the actions and hold themselves accountable. In a DigitalGov University webinar, “Designing in the Open—Public Participation in Government Web Design,” Phil Ashlock, chief architect at Data.gov, and Jeanne Holm, Data.gov evangelist, shared how integrating feedback from

5 Things Every Federal Recruiter Should Know About LinkedIn

Fri, 16 May 2014 10:00:19 -0400

Some people think LinkedIn is only for active job seekers. Although many of LinkedIn’s 300,000,000+ registered members fit that profile, LinkedIn is also chock-full of passive job seekers—those who have a job but are

Defense Finance and Accounting Service Goes Responsive

Thu, 15 May 2014 13:15:53 -0400

Let’s face it: Some of us work to live. Some live to work. And all of us look forward to pay day. If you work for the Department of Defense, the Executive Office of the President, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health

The Federal List of #HackforChange Projects

Thu, 15 May 2014 12:28:30 -0400

You should be on this list—the current federal government participants in the National Day of Civic Hacking. There are 15 agencies participating in the event, primarily in and around the Washington, D.C., area. This is a fantastic compilation of what agencies are doing, but it is not enough. We need more widespread participation across the country. If

New Google Analytics for Government Training Manual

Thu, 15 May 2014 10:00:48 -0400

Looking for a training manual on how to use Google Analytics for your agency? In 2014, I released a second edition of my Google Analytics for Government training manual.

Continued Progress and Plans for Open Government Data

Wed, 14 May 2014 13:30:22 -0400

One year ago today, President Obama signed an executive order that made open and machine-readable data the new default for government information. This historic step is helping to make government-held data more accessible to the public and to entrepreneurs while appropriately safeguarding sensitive information and rigorously protecting privacy. Freely available data from the U.S. government

The API Briefing: USDA’s Farmers Market Directory API

Tue, 13 May 2014 15:02:26 -0400

Around the D.C. area, one of the first signs of spring are the numerous farmers markets. In my neighborhood alone, I regularly visit four farmers markets that have a wide variety of produce and baked goods. Farmers markets are good for the local economy, and the easy access to fresh fruits and vegetables helps local

Trends on Tuesday: Apps Dominate Mobile Web Usage

Tue, 13 May 2014 13:13:22 -0400

“There’s an app for that.” New data from app analytics provider Flurry on mobile app usage reveals that smartphone users are taking this trademarked slogan to heart. Of the 2 hours and 42 minutes per day that a typical user is on a mobile device, mobile app usage accounts for 2 hours and 19 minutes

What Is a “Terms of Service” and How Do I Get One?

Tue, 13 May 2014 10:00:33 -0400

Imagine this: You just found a great online tool that can help you do your federal job 100% better. You’re all ready to download it and start conquering the world when someone asks, “Have you checked the Terms of Service?” You’re not sure what they’re

Citizen Engagement at NASA

Mon, 12 May 2014 14:37:55 -0400

Recently, the White House hosted Stakeholder Engagement Workshops—an informal meet-up for citizens and federal agencies to discuss progress on Open Government. The third version of our Open Gov Plan is due June 1st. My Open Innovation teammates and I took the opportunity to attend the event. We gained valuable insights from citizen activists on what

Video Blog: Sarah Crane, USA.gov

Mon, 12 May 2014 11:58:21 -0400

Next in our video blog series, Sarah Crane from USA.gov shares how multiple product lines have led to an inconsistent customer experience and how new functional teams are helping them become more efficient.

Make Gov APIs Better with User Experience

Fri, 09 May 2014 10:00:29 -0400

APIs and User Experience go together like gummi bears and ice cream. An API is a product just like a car, a website or a ballpoint pen. It’s designed to help someone do something. Products

Common Mistakes in Government Video

Fri, 09 May 2014 10:00:28 -0400

Videographers in the federal government come from a variety of backgrounds—commercial television news, the armed services or broadcast/film school. Many of these individuals continue to hone their craft through the years, adopting new technology, taking training courses, learning new editing software,

CDC’s New App Answers the Question: ‘Can I Eat This?’

Thu, 08 May 2014 10:16:13 -0400

I’ll be honest: When I had only heard the name of the new mobile app from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I thought, “Interesting — another dieting app to add to my phone.” So wrong was I. In fact, the only way you’re going to lose weight with this traveler’s app is if you

Save the Date for FCC’s Social Media Accessibility Event

Thu, 08 May 2014 01:00:33 -0400

On Thursday, July 17, the FCC’s Accessibility and Innovation Initiative will host a public event called “Accessing Social Media.” The purpose is to promote collaborative, cross-sector problem-solving on how to produce and consume accessible social media, considering authoring tools, client apps, and best practices for various

New White House Report: Prize Competition Use Increased 85% in 2013

Wed, 07 May 2014 13:30:07 -0400

We are thrilled to share an update from our competition colleagues at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The third annual comprehensive report detailing the use of prizes and

Analyzing Search Data in Real-Time to Drive Decisions

Wed, 07 May 2014 13:00:27 -0400

DigitalGov Search recently rolled out a new open source technology stack, which gives the team access to real-time analytics and dashboards to monitor search trends.

Because It’s Hard

Wed, 07 May 2014 10:00:35 -0400

Two years ago, federal agencies were set on a fast track to create a 21st century digital government. The Federal Digital Strategy served up a heaping set of deliverables on a tight timeline.

Trends on Tuesday: What’s Your Agency’s Mobile Strategy?

Tue, 06 May 2014 10:15:36 -0400

Here’s a statistic that might surprise you: 28% of Chief Information Officer (CIO)s in the private sector admitted in a survey they don’t have a plan for mobile technology. They cited compliance issues as a factor preventing their organizations from taking

Government Open and Structured Content Models Are Here!

Mon, 05 May 2014 14:17:39 -0400

Smartphones, tablets, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, not to mention your agency’s desktop website, are all clamoring for information, but sliced and diced in different ways. How can you make your content adaptive for efficient delivery to all of these mediums? Structured content and open content models can help you create content that

Wrestling Government Social Media Data Into Knowledge

Fri, 02 May 2014 15:20:17 -0400

This week the SocialGov Community took the step of recruiting a Digital Engagement Knowledge Manager, and I am excited to join the team through the innovative new Open Opportunities Program. At this point, though, you may be asking—is there really so much information out there that it needs to be

Civic Hacking: Pathways for Participation

Fri, 02 May 2014 10:00:00 -0400

The National Day of Civic Hacking is actually a weekend. An awe-inspiring two days of collaborative work where coders, designers, writers, innovative thinkers,

‘Operation Predator’ App from ICE Developed to Help Rescue Children, Capture Sexual Predators

Thu, 01 May 2014 13:31:01 -0400

It’s disturbing to think about, but essential for all of us to know about: The sexual abuse and exploitation of children. When it comes to rescuing those children and investigating, locating and arresting suspected child predators, “it’s a race against the clock,” says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Acting Director John Sandweg. Luckily there’s

Improving Contact Center Performance with Contract Incentives: Dos and Don’ts

Thu, 01 May 2014 13:20:39 -0400

“In business, words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises, but only performance is reality.” Harold S. Geneen As government contact center managers, we dream of having contact center contractors who regularly exceed our performance expectations. One way to motivate your contractor to excel is by including financial incentives/disincentives directly into your contact center contract.

Need Help Responding to Facebook & Twitter Questions? Use Your Contact Center Customer Service Experts

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:00:49 -0400

Government agencies are always looking for better ways to connect with their audiences while making more effective use of existing (or shrinking) resources. To that end, many agencies—including ours, the National Cancer Institute—have begun to use social media platforms to help serve the communications mission. As these tools have become more widely used, NCI’s Contact

Federal Perspectives on Reaching Our Audiences with New Media Tools in 2014

Wed, 30 Apr 2014 01:03:13 -0400

AIDS.gov convenes and is guided by the Federal HIV/AIDS Web Council. The Council includes Web/new media leads, subject matter experts, and communication leads representing HIV programs across the U.S. government. Together we use new media to promote federal programs, policies and resources related to HIV.

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile, It’s Where You’ll Find Millennials

Tue, 29 Apr 2014 10:04:25 -0400

It’s no secret, if you want to reach Millennials, mobile is a great way to connect. This generation of tech-natives is adept at accessing large amounts of information held in the palms of their hands. However, their information overload also poses a challenge for agencies

In Crowdsourcing Competitions, Defining the Problem is Half the Battle

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 10:00:31 -0400

After leading a complex effort to crowdsource ideas to solve a problem facing your agency, the last thing you want to hear is that the innovative solutions you received don’t actually help remedy the issue. More than 20 federal innovators recently took part in

Storyboarding is Key to Successful Storytelling

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 10:00:53 -0400

Communication professionals pride themselves on coming up with big ideas and big messages. But moving a great idea from conceptualization to execution can be challenging, especially when you want to keep your budget in check. Storyboards can greatly assist in this process, a strategy I found to be critical to the success of a new

Architect of the Capitol’s Guide to National Statuary Hall Collection

Thu, 24 Apr 2014 10:00:53 -0400

The Architect of the Capitol’s new app gives users the ability to view the collection of statues donated by the 50 states in its Guide to the National Statuary Hall Collection of State Statues, available on iOS. Visiting the capitol? The app

When Sharing Buttons Work

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 10:00:41 -0400

At the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) we use sharing buttons on our website to help people share content from web pages with their colleagues and friends. With one click, a user can post a page’s link to popular social networking sites or send it via email. The article To Use

Government Social Media Isn’t Lagging, It’s Different: And That’s Good

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 16:30:34 -0400

Social Media tools, trends and algorithms come and go, but federal managers continue to see improvements in their digital engagement initiatives when they put citizens at the center of their programs.

Ten Earth Day Activities in Digital Government

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 14:40:10 -0400

On this Earth Day, federal social media managers are hard at work, sharing and promoting what government and citizens can do to protect the environment. We’ve compiled a sample of the activities that also show how different agencies are using different social media tools in support of a common goal. The United States Environmental Protection

Trends on Tuesday: How Contact Centers are Adapting to the Mobile User

Tue, 22 Apr 2014 10:00:01 -0400

While it does provide challenges, anytime, anywhere digital government provides numerous opportunities for contact centers to do business more effectively. According to this study by Compare Business Products, one of the most important impacts for contact centers is that smartphone users can now connect with contact centers via voice calls, SMS messages, Internet pages, social

Customer Satisfaction: Innovating with Lack of Resources

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:09:32 -0400

As government contact centers, we all face financial and technological constraints in our pursuit to improve the customer experience. One challenge faced by many contact centers is staffing limitations to handle the volume of incoming customer traffic. There are barely enough employees to operate phones, let alone work on meeting or exceeding the organizational customer

GSA Acquisition Portal – Usability Case Study

Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:00:24 -0400

Incorporating usability testing throughout the entire design process, especially before launch, allows you catch glitches and/or make design changes prior to anyone seeing it live. When more than minor adjustments need to be made to your site, it’s much better to have completed them before the public sees it. For Christina Mullins, a Contracting Officer

Defining Ideation in Challenge Competitions

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 10:00:29 -0400

There is some confusion about how “ideation” fits into challenge and prize competitions. Often, we hear from agencies that they would like to ask the public for ideas, to survey them on a specific question, or to request proposals in response to a

Search Is the New Big Data Recap

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 01:00:01 -0400

Search is easy, right? You type a term in a search box and the exact page you’re looking for appears at the top of the list of results. But search is hard and has many shades of grey. On April 10, 2014, Loren Siebert, our DigitalGov Search senior search architect, presented on: Complexities of recall

EPA Mobile Projects Update

Thu, 17 Apr 2014 10:00:48 -0400

Earth Day is next week, so today instead of featuring one mobile product like we do every Thursday, we’re highlighting how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is tackling mobile to help empower citizen environmental decisions. Currently, you can

How to Tell Your Agency’s Story—Plainly

Wed, 16 Apr 2014 10:00:23 -0400

You’ve got the right words, the active verbs, the carefully chosen adjectives and adverbs. You’ve got the facts. You’ve got the talking points. All you have to do is put it together, right?

Trends on Tuesday: e-Reading on the Rise

Tue, 15 Apr 2014 09:18:35 -0400

What’s black and white and read all over? An e-reader. While it may be premature to revise classic riddles, a recent study by the Pew Research Center indicates that e-books are gaining popularity among American readers. Nearly three in ten adults (28%) reported reading an e-book in the past year, up from 23% at the

Announcing FBOpen: Government Opportunities Made Easier

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:00:55 -0400

Today we’re announcing our first product launch: FBOpen, a set of open-source tools to help small businesses search for opportunities to work with the U.S. government. On the surface, FBOpen is a website: fbopen.gsa.gov is a simple, Google-style page where you can search available federal contracts and grants. We’ve used the latest in

NOAA National Ocean Service – Usability Case Study

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:00:04 -0400

For a small shop with a small staff, limited time, and a small budget, redesigning a website (and testing that redesign for usability) can be daunting. At least it seemed so to us when we redesigned the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s National Ocean Service website in November of 2013. We met the challenge

Storyboard: A Tool for a Successful Video

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 10:00:19 -0400

The script is king when it comes to creating a video. Once you have the words, it’s the pictures that will tell the story. Storyboards are a key component in video production. They serve as a guide during the production process, allowing the video producer to determine how the use of footage, sound bites, audio

PolicyOps—A Better Way to Create and Implement Government Policies and Programs?

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 02:06:42 -0400

“PolicyOps” is a better way to create and implement government policies and programs through cutting-edge data analytics and new collaboration methods. PolicyOps (“Policy” plus “Operations”) is a new proposal for improving policy making and policy implementation. Based on a cutting-edge IT management method, DevOps (“Development” plus “Operations”), PolicyOps has two major concepts. First, closer collaboration

Department of Treasury’s HelpWithMyBank.gov Goes Responsive

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 01:24:52 -0400

As the rapper Notorious B.I.G. aptly noted in his hit song, “Mo Money” brings “Mo Problems.” Especially when you run up against confusing policies or questionable actions by large national banks and financial institutions. Now it’s easier than ever

FDA Consumer Graphics – Usability Case Study

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:00:33 -0400

User testing isn’t just for websites—it’s for any product that has an audience. Which is everything, really. And that includes print materials, signage and infographics as well. Focusing on the User Experience is especially vital for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is committed to effectively communicating about products that affect the public

Feature Your Consumer Tools on WhiteHouse.gov

Wed, 09 Apr 2014 02:43:55 -0400

The White House launched a hub for consumer-facing tools across the federal government, and they want to feature your agency’s tools that can help make people’s lives easier. As of now, they are featuring tools from these agencies: Department of Education’s College Scorecard Department of Energy’s Hybrid Car Calculator & Home Energy Yardstick Department of Agriculture’s

Trends on Tuesday: Multi-Device Use is Common Practice

Tue, 08 Apr 2014 09:50:55 -0400

Have you ever opened an email on your smartphone, and then switched to your laptop to read the attachment or write your response? According to a new multi-device study, you’re not alone. More than 40 percent of all online adults move across devices—they start an activity

Tell Us Your Internet of Things Challenges

Tue, 08 Apr 2014 01:04:09 -0400

The Internet of Things, a concept approaching reality, is best described as objects (think appliance, trees, etc.) in the world equipped with identifying devices or machine-readable identifiers that make them connected to the Web. This handy infographic charts the history and development of the idea and perhaps this washing machine could be a roadmap to

Tips from NRC on Webstreaming Public Meetings

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 10:00:46 -0400

In support of open government, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) expansion of webstreamed meetings has allowed more participants around the country to hear about existing and proposed nuclear sites.

Heatmapping Tools Show What’s “Hot” on Your Pages

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 10:00:37 -0400

Most analytics tools can tell you how many times a link on your page is clicked on, but they can’t help you draw conclusions about a page with just a mere list of top links. A tool called a heatmap turns data into a data visualization, so you can more easily see how people are

The Official U.S. Navy App: Powered by API

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 13:29:09 -0400

As a “warfighting-ready force,” the U.S. Navy can bring it wherever and whenever it’s needed around the globe. Now this armed force is bringing it—the latest news, video, photos, multimedia, special events and more—to sailors and their families through

Can Federal Agencies Use Getty Images’ Free Share Tool?

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 10:00:32 -0400

Earlier this month, stock photo giant Getty Images launched an embedded photo viewer, that permits sharing millions of its’ copyrighted images for free. The news generated headlines and questions about whether it’s okay for government content producers to use the tool. From Getty’s perspective, the

To Use Social Sharing Buttons or Not

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 13:00:25 -0400

Our digital gov neighbors in the U.K. have been working on their own digital strategy, including the consolidating into a single website. When the GOV.UK team introduced social sharing buttons, that allow users to post a link to the page on Facebook or Twitter, on their

Kids.gov – Usability Case Study

Wed, 02 Apr 2014 10:00:02 -0400

Launched back in 2001, Kids.gov has the unenviable task of trying to keep pace with the rapidly changing online habits of youngsters.

Digital Analytics Program (DAP): Oceans of Data

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 14:30:56 -0400

In the last 15 months, the federal Digital Analytics Program (DAP) monthly Web traffic has grown to more than 1.1 billion views gov-wide, providing Web analytics to 29 U.S. federal cabinet-level agencies and nearly 3,000 public-facing government Web properties.

Trends on Tuesday: U.S. Smartphone Ownership Increases

Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:31:07 -0400

159.8 million people in the U.S. over the age of 13 owned smartphones during the three months ending in January, up 7 percent since October, according to ComScore. That is a 66.8 percent mobile market penetration, meaning two thirds of people in the country

Get Started with Challenge and Prize Competitions

Mon, 31 Mar 2014 10:00:13 -0400

Interested in running a challenge and prize competition, but don’t know where to start? Well, here are all the resources GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies has to offer: 1) Challenge.gov. Put your agency’s challenges on this government-wide listing and learn about more than 300 public

Challenge and Competition Service Providers

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 10:00:20 -0400

I’m sure many of you have heard the expression “there’s an app for that.” Well, now you can say “there’s a schedule for that” as you plan challenge and prize competitions with your colleagues. In 2010, GSA was asked to build Challenge.gov and set up a schedule (a list

Plain Language Page Titles: More Important than Ever

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 01:00:27 -0400

Government Web pages are found mainly through search engines. Google recently redesigned its search results page and there are quite a few small, but impactful, changes in this latest redesign. Specifically, it affects how page titles are displayed. Many experts now recommend even

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Launches New, Mobile Friendly Website

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:49:10 -0400

There’s a LOT going on at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and you don’t want to miss it: Seizures of illegal drug and counterfeit cash. Arrests of human smugglers. Even the interception of imported “pests” (most recently, a new slug found in the Washington area that goes by the name

National Weather Service: Think Social Training

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:00:02 -0400

For the last several years the National Weather Service has been rolling out social media accounts for all of their 122 field offices. Each office now has a Facebook page, Twitter handle and YouTube account to better communicate our life saving messages to the public. As these accounts were

What to Do with Big Data?

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 09:00:38 -0400

Shortly after taking office in 2009, President Obama launched the Open Government Initiative, an effort to increase transparency, participation, and collaboration in the federal government. The initiative introduced a number of websites and strategies to offer raw government data, including research grant information

GSA Introduces News Genius to Decode Government Web

Thu, 27 Mar 2014 08:00:20 -0400

The federal government can now unlock the collaborative genius of citizens and communities to make public services easier to access and understand with a new free social media platform launched by GSA today at the Federal #SocialGov Summit on Entrepreneurship and Small Business.

Measuring User Experience: A Few Tips

Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:00:24 -0400

With a calculated process, the right tools, and a staff willing to make it work, you can measure user experience (UX) on your websites and implement usability changes that show results. In a recent DigitalGov University webinar entitled “Measuring User Experience”, UX supporters and practitioners heard from Achaia Walton, Senior Digital Analyst at the Department

Trends on Tuesday: Testing Key to Quality Mobile Products

Tue, 25 Mar 2014 10:00:34 -0400

Building quality mobile products is the greatest challenge for succeeding in the mobile space according to an infographic by SmartBear. One key to developing quality mobile products is testing, as “nearly 50% of consumers will delete an app if they encounter just a single bug.” As a result the following processes are used to ensure

Why Go Responsive? Here’s What Feds Are Saying

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 14:04:51 -0400

Responsive Web design implementations in the federal government have members of the Mobile Gov Community of Practice asking what is responsive Web design and how do we do it? In February, the

DigitalGov Search: Our Open Source Strategy

Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:00:42 -0400

At DigitalGov Search, we keep an eye on on our what our government counterparts are up to, both in the U.S. and other countries. We recently came across Gov.UK’s philosophy on and approach to coding in the open. It caught our attention and we realized we should also articulate our open source strategy. Use and Contribute to Open

Announcing beta.usgs.gov

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 09:54:22 -0400

In 1994 when the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) launched it’s first website, the Web was a very different place. Many websites that were launched had little consideration given to, or even had an understanding of, things such user experience, content strategies, or design. Over the next 20 years our

Six Tips for Measuring Success in Challenge Competitions

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:09:09 -0400

You’ve run a challenge and prize competition, selected your winners, and distributed the prizes. If you think you’re done, guess again. There’s much more to challenge and prize competition success than getting a solution that solves your problem or meets the criteria.

Get a grip on injury, death rates with new mobile app from CDC

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 01:00:04 -0400

Need to make a pitch for injury prevention? About to give an impromptu public health presentation that can benefit from a few sobering data points about leading causes of death in your state? (Or maybe you just have a keen interest in the macabre while waiting for the bus.) Well, go grab your iPads: The Center

HHS Uses Crowdsourcing in Booming mHealth Industry

Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:07:39 -0400

The mobile health (mHealth) market is projected to become a $50 billion industry by 2020, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has been actively contributing to the rise of the mHealth applications. The agency uses public prize competitions like the recent “Game On: HIV/STD Prevention Mobile Application Video Game Challenge” to crowdsource a

Nine Tips to Leverage your Facebook Page

Wed, 19 Mar 2014 01:02:11 -0400

Due to recent news feed changes, Facebook engagement is down nearly 50% since October for brand pages and is predicted to go lower, according to Social@Ogilvy. As a result federal agencies are continually monitoring the performance of their pages and diversifying their strategies. We talked to members of the Social Media Community

Data.gov – Usability Case Study

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 08:42:54 -0400

We all know listening to your customers is important. Not just reading their comments, but talking to them, actually getting in a room with them, and having them test your product. But if basing a whole-scale redesign around one series of user conversations makes you nervous – it should. That’s because sometimes when we listen,

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Download Speeds on the Rise

Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:35:57 -0400

Mobile devices are uploading data faster and mobile users are starting to expect better performance, according to Citrix. Fifty percent of web pages are taking 37.5% less time to load on a mobile device than they did just a year ago according the Citrix Mobile Analytics Report. This infographic from the study shows the percentage of users

Introducing openFDA

Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:00:06 -0400

Welcome to the new home of openFDA! We are incredibly excited to see so much interest in our work and hope that this site can be a valuable resource to those wishing to use public FDA data in both the public and private

Customize Your Own Amazing Social Media Report Infographic

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 12:00:32 -0400

Social Media Community of Practice developed a set of baseline social media metrics to help you assess whether your efforts are achieving the results you want. How do

Anytime, Anywhere, Anything: The Effect of Mobile on the Web in 25 Years

Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:32:42 -0400

In 25 years, imagine a world where anytime, anywhere, any device is just taken for granted. That’s the theme from the responses we got from our Mobile Gov Community of Practice members when we asked them to predict the effect mobile would have on the Web

In the Beginning…of Web in Federal Government

Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:01:57 -0400

With the 25th anniversary of the Web, we wanted to share stories from the beginnings of Web in the federal government and how online government has evolved in the years since.

Crowdsource Ideas with New Competition Platform

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:26:37 -0400

Federal agencies now have the ability to create a challenge competition website that accepts submissions and allows public voting with a new, no-cost tool. The Challenge.gov team unveiled and demonstrated the capabilities of GSA’s new crowdsourcing and prize competition platform, Challenge.sites.usa.gov on a DigitalGov University webinar. The platform is now available for any

Trends on Tuesday: Tablet Ownership Steadily Increasing

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 10:32:50 -0400

Tablet ownership continues to rise, 44% of Americans now owning one, according to Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) December 2013 estimates. Other interesting findings include: Exactly half of American adults now own either a tablet or an e-reader. 7 in 10 online consumers expect

We Love it When a Plan Comes Together…

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 10:56:08 -0400

Federal agencies are currently hard at work developing revised Open Government Plans—blueprints that are published every two years, highlighting agency progress towards making their work more transparent, participatory, and collaborative, and outlining new open government commitments going forward.

Creating E-Books: Think Functionality, Not Aesthetics

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:12:10 -0400

E-books are great for one thing: reading on mobile devices. Their reflowable text adjusts to fit the reader’s smartphone, tablet, or e-reader in the type size the reader chooses. They are essential for reading on smartphones, and better than pdf’s for all but the biggest tablets.

Open Payments Apps Help Healthcare Professionals Track Reporting On The Go

Thu, 06 Mar 2014 10:30:22 -0400

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is bringing lots of change to the traditional healthcare landscape as practitioners and healthcare companies gear up for an influx of patient demand. There are also changes to the way healthcare companies and doctors will track and report reimbursements. And not only is the healthcare changing but also are the

GitHub for Government Recap

Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:11:39 -0400

As the definition of “developer” has grown and expanded, GitHub has become a place where anyone can do simple collaboration. It’s a free social network that tracks changes to any data, not just code, where stakeholders and developers can work on the same data simultaneously. Project Open Data, a cross-agency initiative developed by the White House,

Trends on Tuesday: Global Mobile Data Traffic Nearly Doubles in 2013

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:18:53 -0400

Global mobile data traffic almost doubled in 2013 according to Cisco’s recent Traffic Forecast Update. There are a number of other mobile data traffic trends in the report, but here are five trends we wanted to highlight today: Global mobile data traffic grew 81 percent in 2013. Global mobile data traffic reached 1.5 exabytes per

Creating Awesome Web Analytics Reports and Presentations

Tue, 04 Mar 2014 11:33:08 -0400

Collecting visitor, engagement, and traffic data for your digital channels is nothing new. By this time, you have a lot of data about your website. How do you use and present that data to make meaningful recommendations?

DigitalGov Search: Cache Me If You Can

Mon, 03 Mar 2014 08:47:36 -0400

Slowness Hurts Web Pages Have you ever been frustrated when visiting a Web page that doesn’t load quickly? Have you ever left a slow Web page before it finished loading? You’re not alone. Several recent studies have quantified customers’ frustration with slow Web pages. Customers now expect results in the

Mobile Code Sharing Catalog Snippet: BioZen

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 09:52:16 -0400

Interested in building an app that incorporates biofeedback data from multiple wearable body sensors? Check out BioZen, available on the Mobile Code Sharing Catalog, one of the first mobile applications to provide users with live biofeedback

What Do People Think of Your Content? Ask Your Contact Center!

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 09:36:00 -0400

All of us want to improve the content and information we provide to the public, but we’re intimidated by where to start: Does our website provide clear content? Is the best information hidden on pages a few layers down? What should we tweet about

Mobile Tester: Usability Short Reads: Learning from others’ mistakes

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 09:00:34 -0400

Over the last 18 months, the intrepid Mobile Gov team has worked with you to prioritize a set of guidelines and recommendations for good mobile user experience; categories are ranked by priority and tagged by user experience concepts such as information architecture, content, functionality, design, trustworthiness, and user context. The primary purpose of this set is

DigitalGov Search is Now Responsive

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:13:14 -0400

We’ve redesigned our mobile search results page. It now uses a card-based design and is responsive. This design gives searchers a more consistent user experience and access to the results anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Take a sneak peek of the new responsive results page.

Finding Inspiration Through Design Constraints

Thu, 27 Feb 2014 10:11:23 -0400

If you could only communicate through a business-card sized screen, what would you say and how would you say it? In which ways could people respond to your message? These are some of the questions constraints lead us to ask, and the reason why constraints are so great

Double Digit Crowdsourcing Competitions Launch in February

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 13:25:05 -0400

This is a phenomenal month for federal challenge and prize competitions with 12 new programs launched in February. The challenge.gov platform usually averages four to six new challenges a month, so we’re excited to see the year start off with a big push to engage citizens in creative

Department of Education goes responsive (again) with FSA’s new Financial Aid Toolkit

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 11:15:53 -0400

Money for college? It’s never too early — or too late, for that matter — to start schooling oneself in the possibilities of federal financial aid. Following in the footsteps of their StudentAid.gov website, the digital team at Ed.gov’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) closed out 2013 with the launch of FinancialAidToolkit.ed.gov, a “sister” site featuring

Open for Innovation in DigitalGov!

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 08:43:24 -0400

There’s tons of great work and innovations happening in federal agencies, and it is happening fast. They are embracing the 21st-century citizen expectations and working to deliver anytime, anywhere, any device services and information to the public.

NOAA National Weather Service Meteorologist Twitter Use Shows that All Government Employees are Communicators

Wed, 26 Feb 2014 08:42:30 -0400

During the run up to a recent winter storm, Twitter was aflutter with reports of 20-30 inches of snow falling across wide swaths of the Midwest. Unfortunately for snow lovers, those rumors were highly speculative and unfounded. That didn’t stop members

Trends on Tuesday: Six New Changes in Kids’ Media Habits

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 11:53:59 -0400

Children’s mobile media use has doubled and in some cases tripled in the last two years, according an eSchool News report of a study by Common Sense Media. Here are the other key findings: Roughly twice

New Go.USA.gov Features: Search Your URLs, Add Notes, New Bookmarklet, and More

Tue, 25 Feb 2014 10:49:26 -0400

You can now log in to Go.USA.gov with your username or email address, one of the new improvements added to the government URL shortener.

Welcome to the Future of Census.gov

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 14:34:01 -0400

If you have ever visited census.gov, you know that sorting through the vast array of information about America’s people, places and economy can be daunting. Based on customer research and feedback we collected and analyzed over time, we heard loud and clear

Tumblr: A Flexible Social Media Platform

Mon, 24 Feb 2014 10:12:01 -0400

When HHS’s Katie Gorscak was looking for a way to share Stopbullying.gov’s information with teenagers, she looked at her options on social media. New reports seem to come out regularly talking about how teens are fleeing “traditional” social media sites, but Gorscak knew her target audience

Customer Experience Video Blog: Stephanie Thum, Export-Import Bank

Fri, 21 Feb 2014 11:32:08 -0400

Stephanie Thum from Ex-Im Bank kicks off our video blog with an introduction to customer experience. Stephanie is Vice President of Customer Experience at Ex-Im Bank, a U.S. government agency which serves as the official export credit agency of the United States. We had a chance to

Lights, Camera, Action! 7 Tips to Run a Successful Video Challenge

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 10:10:13 -0400

Not sure how to craft a video challenge that will result in the creative solutions your agency is looking for? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Jason Crusan from NASA and Tammi Marcoullier from Challenge.gov joined a recent DigitalGov University webinar to share best practices and hurdles in running video competitions. We’ve recapped their advice and key

IRS Offers Updated ‘IRS2Go’ App

Thu, 20 Feb 2014 09:01:19 -0400

There’s no way to sugar-coat it. It’s that time again. Tax time. And just in (tax)time, the Internal Revenue Service has updated its handy IRS2Go Mobile App for iPhone/iTouch and Android phones. The 2014 version of the app offers a more elegant and streamlined visual experience — and a

10 Tips for Better Hallway Usability Testing

Wed, 19 Feb 2014 01:01:25 -0400

Hallway testing is a usability test set-up in a high foot traffic area, utilizing bystanders to test your product. Your participants will be people who happen to be walking down the hall and are able to afford 5-10 minutes of their day.

Trends on Tuesday: Distracted Walking

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 09:50:07 -0400

Piggybacking on one of my earlier posts, People are Excited about Mobile, I’m going to talk about “Distracted Walking.” Who among us hasn’t walked and texted or checked Facebook or Twitter on our smartphones, but have bumped into someone or something while texting on your smartphone? I

State of the #SocialGov 2014

Tue, 18 Feb 2014 04:09:21 -0400

If the silos and barriers that separated our programs are smashed, what could we do to realize the full potential of innovation in public service? Whether you’re a citizen who needs better access to services, an entrepreneur looking to spark innovation in the marketplace, or a public servant who wants to get your mission done

Engagement

Fri, 14 Feb 2014 12:58:46 -0400

It’s one of the most important words to a federal social media account manager and knowing who to talk to can sometimes make or break a communications campaign. The idea of making sure your social media accounts are reaching key constituents and members of

Trends on Tuesday: 1 Billion Smartphones Shipped in 2013

Tue, 11 Feb 2014 13:54:16 -0400

Smartphone adoption continues to grow exponentially. IDC recently reported smartphones accounted for 55.1% of worldwide mobile phone shipments last year. Smartphone manufacturers shipped a whopping 1.004 billion smartphones last year, up 38.4% from 2012’s shipments of 725.3 million, according to data

Managing, Measuring and Archiving with Hootsuite

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 03:20:04 -0400

Federal workers need to know more in social media than just how to send a tweet. Among other things, you also need to manage multiple accounts across platforms and languages; measure and report performance; and archive posts and comments for the public record. We dispelled the notion that technology limits agencies from tackling these challenges

Join HHS Ignite Innovation Day on Friday

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 16:23:22 -0400

This post was originally published on the IDEA Lab blog by Read Holman, HHS Innovation Advisor to the Chief Technology Officer and an Intrapreneur working in the HHS IDEA Lab. Launched last year in “beta” by Secretary Sebelius, HHS Ignite supports early-stage projects that can be completed in tight time frames. Ignite is part of HHS’s IDEA Lab, which

NOAA’s National Ocean Service Goes Responsive

Thu, 06 Feb 2014 10:20:36 -0400

Let’s ponder this for a moment: Maybe you live in South

Crowdhall, Tint Now Available for Federal Use

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 16:59:18 -0400

It’s been a busy few months negotiating Terms of Service on behalf of the federal government, and we’re happy to announce CrowdHall and Tint are now available and that the Tumblr agreement has been updated for the first time in almost 2 years.CrowdHall logo

Software/Apps Challenges: Getting Results for Your Agency

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:10:17 -0400

Federal agencies are rapidly finding that software and/or app prize competitions have the potential to harness innovative ideas from the public. But

Trends on Tuesday: Optimizing Infographics for Mobile

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 10:33:06 -0400

Mobile first means more than just focusing on text content; it’s also includes considering visual content as important element of the user experience.

What Happened at Our User Experience Summit (with slides!)

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 15:42:10 -0400

We were hoping for 30, but we got more than 100 user experience professionals and novices on Jan 28, 2014, for our User Experience (UX) Summit at the General Services Administration.

Instameets Combine In-person and Digital Engagement

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 15:23:51 -0400

Federal agencies continue to look for better ways to combine the benefits of online engagement and in-person action — Instameets can achieve this strategic goal by using Instagram with meetups to amplify the vision of your mission. Katie Harbath,

Responsive Web Design Workshop: Why, How and What’s Next?

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 10:28:29 -0400

Responsive web design has been a beacon of light in the darkness of mobile strategy for many federal agencies. Many agencies have implemented it and many others are exploring this approach to Mobile Gov. There are still many other questions about responsive web

Alternative Fueling Station Locator App from the Department of Energy

Thu, 30 Jan 2014 02:25:56 -0400

So: You decided to purchase a car that takes advantage of more environmentally friendly fuel. Congratulations! Now, you need to find a place to fill the tank that offers more than just regular gas. The new Alternative Fueling Station Locator app from the folks at the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory is a must-try. The new iPhone app will

Trends on Tuesday: 65% of All Email Gets Opened First on a Mobile Device

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 05:37:44 -0400

While composing email on mobile phones is still a tricky feat, email reading is quickly shifting away from the desktop. According to data from the US Consumer Device Preference Report: Q4 2013 from Movable Ink, way more than half of all email — a full 65 percent — is now being accessed

Innovation Means More, Better, Cost Effective Digital Training

Tue, 28 Jan 2014 03:02:41 -0400

SocialGov Summits bring together agencies from across government to share and learn how we can improve digital services to make services more effective and cost efficient.

How to Win Digital Like a Grammy

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 15:32:08 -0400

Digital Marketing Evangelist and analytics expert Avinash Kaushik recently published a fascinating article on Six Visual Solutions To Complex Digital Marketing/Analytics Challenges. The article is especially relevant to government organizations, because it talks about the importance of dynamic vs. static content. Government agencies tend

Top 10 Lessons Learned from Launching an Engaging Social Intranet

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 15:19:34 -0400

On January 16th, the Federal Communicators Network gathered at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The topic of the day was Driving Employee Engagement through a Social Intranet, and Kelly Osborn, NARA’s community manager for the Internal Collaboration Network (ICN) was the expert speaker. Kelly has been the driving force behind the project from

Rail Crossing Locator App from DOT

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 17:43:34 -0400

Mobile apps have the power to grant us access to data beyond our expectations, help us get things done easily and quickly, and have some fun, too. But what about apps that can potentially increase our personal and the greater public safety in our neighborhoods and

Extreme Makeover: GC News Release Edition

Thu, 23 Jan 2014 10:01:34 -0400

The Government of Canada (GC) is retiring the traditional news release format in favour of a more digital-friendly product that makes the key messages of announcements clearer, quick facts more accessible and integrates more effectively with social media channels. The old style

Trends on Tuesday: 4th Qtr Online Mobile Traffic Up 40% Over Last Year

Tue, 21 Jan 2014 17:53:37 -0400

According to the IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark report, overall 4th quarter online sales were up 10.3% year over year. Here were some of the key drivers: • Mobile Traffic and Sales: Mobile traffic soared, accounting for nearly 35 percent of all online traffic, up

Mobile Gov User Experience Resources and Design Tools

Mon, 20 Jan 2014 02:50:23 -0400

In September 2013, the Mobile Gov Community of Practice released user experience guidelines and recommendations for federal agencies to use in order to create good mobile user experiences. This article highlights private sector and government resources and tools to assist agencies in implementing those user experience guidelines. Mobile User Experience Resources and Tools From the

FEMA App adds ‘Disaster Reporter’ feature

Thu, 16 Jan 2014 17:03:25 -0400

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is taking the well-known slogan, “See something, say something,” to the crowd. Consider it more “See something, submit something.” Harnessing the power of citizen intelligence to understand and respond to disasters, FEMA in late 2013 launched a new feature in

Trends on Tuesday: The Future of Mobile Data

Tue, 14 Jan 2014 17:20:40 -0400

This infographic from Light Reading addresses recent trends in mobile data use. We are struck by how much data was transferred via a WiFi connection vs. cellular. People are using WiFi connections way more than cellular ones. Some other quick highlights: In Q2

Government CX: Finding the Metrics that Matter

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 08:42:11 -0400

Customer experience (CX) is an emerging area of focus within government. My role as Vice President of Customer Experience at the Export-Import Bank speaks to this reality. Our agency’s customers and partners consist of U.S. exporters, financial services institutions, insurance brokers and foreign buyers of U.S. products and services. All play a key role in

Designing for Open Data: Improvements to Data.gov

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 07:37:22 -0400

We’ve written a few times about the changes that we’ve been working on for Data.gov to make it easier for users to find, understand, and use government data. Today you’ll notice even more changes to Data.gov – here’s a quick rundown of some of the main changes you’ll see, and why.

Three Concepts for Excellence in Contact Centers

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 06:08:16 -0400

Using contact centers to deliver digital services is an emerging area in government. Due to the growth of online services, centers receive more attention and represent an important touch point for customers. When you need to speak directly with someone to get help or resolve an issue, it must be a good experience. This reflects on

Updating Blog Comment Policies

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 06:00:07 -0400

The difference between only distributing an online press release and opening up the benefits from a blogging community can be found in how your agency encourages and manages comments and engagement. An easily-referenced comment policy lets authors and contributors know what your agency’s guidelines are in order

Advancing Forward: Best of Social Media in 2013 and Beyond

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 05:42:11 -0400

It was a very good year, as Frank Sinatra sang, in the field of social media for the federal government. Advances were made not only in the technologies applied by agencies, but also the policies and strategies that unlock their potential to improve services and reduce costs. I’d like to share with you just some

Highlights from 2013 #TCOpen Coding Competition

Fri, 10 Jan 2014 04:02:18 -0400

Our team and a few other agencies had the chance to attend the 2013 TopCoder Open this year and meet the best of the best developers, coders, designers, data scientists, and innovative thinkers in crowdsourcing. This

Top 8 Best Practices for Federal Contact Centers

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 05:24:49 -0400

1. Meet all Laws, Requirements, Policies, and Directives for Federal Contact Centers Understand and follow all Privacy, Security, Disability, and Service Contract Act requirements. 2. Use Performance Metrics to Influence Business Rules and Drive Improvements Develop Key Performance Indicators/Metrics (see Performance Goals). CSLIC (Word document, 82 KB, 36 pages) could be used as a start. 3. Develop and Use a Comprehensive Quality Assurance Program Monitor quality. Use data to provide feedback to website/content team.

Energy.gov goes Responsive

Thu, 09 Jan 2014 01:44:28 -0400

Did this week’s polar vortex wreak havoc on your heating and cooling system? Maybe now you’re in the hunt for a new furnace or looking for more efficient ways to

Trends on Tuesday: What Might Smartphones Do in 2016?

Tue, 07 Jan 2014 13:42:23 -0400

A recent article in Mobile Marketing Watch suggested location-based sensor fusion would be featured on a billion mobile devices in 2016. Last year Mary Meeker said in 2013 that mobile would be wearable, sharable, drivable and flyable. We’ve gathered some other projections for the future functionality of mobile devices; • Indoor

FCC’s Speed Test App

Thu, 02 Jan 2014 13:39:35 -0400

Feeling the need for [more] speed? Well, so is the mobile team at the Federal Communications Commission. As part of the agency’s Measuring Broadband America Program, the FCC is looking to the crowd (that means you!) to help them assess America’s mobile broadband performance on a national scale. Their hope is

Trends on Tuesday: Federal Agency Mobile Gov Trends in 2013

Tue, 31 Dec 2013 13:31:03 -0400

Today we want to tell you about the federal agency trends we saw this year in the development of public facing mobile products.

Your Art App Now on Android

Thu, 26 Dec 2013 13:27:00 -0400

Earlier this year the National Gallery of Art released their “Your Art” app on iOS and now they have released an Android version. The Your Art app allows users to explore more than 130 works by artists including Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and others. Along

Trends on Tuesday: When Was Your Mobile Phone Not Within Ear Shot?

Mon, 23 Dec 2013 13:19:53 -0400

Here’s the latest news from the people are “excited about mobile” beat. Do you remember the last time your phone was not within earshot? Well, according to this infographic from Fast Company, 25% of smartphone owners ages 18-44 surveyed said they couldn’t remember the last time their smartphone was not

The Nuance Between Customers and Partners

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 10:10:08 -0400

Before you can create your customer experience (CX) strategy, you have to answer the key question: Who are your customers? Consider the concept that among the groups you interact with internally, you could be their customer, they could be your customer, or you

Results Posted: 2012 Challenge Report

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 10:06:20 -0400

This week the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy released its second comprehensive report detailing the use of federal challenge and prize competitions. Read it and you’ll find details about the fiscal benefits of more than 300 competitions implemented by 45 agencies. As the report

Gov URL Shorteners and How to Use Them

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:55:30 -0400

USA.gov offers two different types of URL shorteners – 1.USA.gov and Go.USA.gov. No matter which URL shortener you use, there are some usability, accessibility, and SEO issues you should keep in mind.

Best Week Ever in #SocialGov: December Edition

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:42:53 -0400

(This is the next installment of an ongoing series charting the programs, events and people that make the emerging field of social media and data in government an exciting place to serve the public. Agencies are encouraged to submit their own stories for this travelogue of digital innovation.) From

Live Tweeting Government Events – DOs and DON’Ts

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:24:55 -0400

In this time of tight travel budgets, not everyone can make it to every event or conference they’d like to attend. Luckily, Twitter has made it easier to share events through live tweeting. Live tweeting is using Twitter

Facebook News Feed Algorithm Update: What You Need to Know

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 12:47:48 -0400

Facebook announced they are refining their algorithm this week to better identify and promote quality news content. This can and will affect your strategic performance, but what exactly makes “quality” content and how can your agency ensure they are on the winning side of this adjustment? We talked with Facebook about the changes, and the bottom

Eventbrite Now Available for Federal Use

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 12:26:12 -0400

Does your agency host events, organize meet-ups, or provide training and professional development? Eventbrite is the latest tool with a federal-compatible Terms of Service.

The 2013 NORAD Tracks Santa App

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:16:43 -0400

Here Comes Santa Claus, Here Comes Santa Claus, Right Down iOS/Windows/Android Lane… What started out as a misdirected phone call to NORAD’s predecessor agency in 1955 turned into a much anticipated holiday tradition for kids and adults alike. Fifty-eight years later, NORAD

Citizen Needs Come First for UK Websites

Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:02:31 -0400

We have long believed that “governments learn best from other governments” and encourage far-ranging discussions with experts from other countries, as well as state and local governments. An example of this came to fruition when Michael Bracken, creator and director of the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service, spoke to

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Shopping Increased for 2013 Holiday Shopping

Tue, 17 Dec 2013 13:16:26 -0400

Mobile shopping increased significantly this year for both Black Friday and Cyber Monday. But by how much? A lot says this report from IBM: Online Sales Set New Record: Thanksgiving Day online sales grew by 19.7 percent year-over-year followed by Black Friday, with sales increasing 19 percent over 2012.

The Test Case: Write It Once, Test Many Times

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 11:38:54 -0400

What if Thomas Edison Didn’t Use Test Cases? “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~Thomas A. Edison Software testing is like a science experiment. The Tester must plan: methods, steps, and paths through the Application Under Test (AUT) to completely exercise the

Challenge Contest Requirements

Fri, 13 Dec 2013 17:14:24 -0400

As you are planning your challenge, you will want to review the relevant policies, memos, and legislation pertaining to challenge competitions.

9 Reasons Your Agency Should Have A CMS

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 15:02:56 -0400

Why Invest in a Content Management System? Does it take too long to update and post digital content? Do you lack consistent branding across your website(s)? Is outdated, redundant content leading to a poor customer experience? Does your agency website show up too far down in search results? Are you

FDA.gov Goes Responsive

Thu, 12 Dec 2013 13:10:11 -0400

It’s late at night. Your child can’t sleep: She has some kind of virus. You reach for a bottle of over-the-counter infant fever reducer you bought recently. But wait, you say to yourself: Didn’t I hear on the news something about a recall? Which brand was that again? Thanks to the digital team at the

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Gaming Habits

Tue, 10 Dec 2013 01:01:15 -0400

We’ve reported before that playing games is one of the most popular activities on mobile devices. A recent study by App Annie and IDC dives deeper into

Step away from the PDFs!

Fri, 06 Dec 2013 12:55:07 -0400

Every year, one of our office’s biggest projects is to prepare the Information Sharing Environment Annual Report to the Congress. This report examines the progress of Congress’s mandate in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to develop a better environment of terrorism-related information sharing.

U.S. Census Bureau Dwellr App

Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:51:29 -0400

The pursuit of happiness for many of us might mean a fresh new start and a new place to call home. But where? In such a large and diverse country as ours, the choices can seem endless — and overwhelming. Now, your data friendly U.S. Census Bureau has harnessed the power

Census Mobile App Showcases Local Statistics

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 12:54:24 -0400

America has always been a nation on the move. Whether you are looking for a career change or a new neighborhood to call home, life decisions affect each of us every day. With roughly half of Americans now owning smartphones, everyone should

Trends on Tuesday: More Tablet Shipments than PCs in 2014?

Tue, 03 Dec 2013 09:11:05 -0400

Canalys, an international IT company, predicted last week that tablets will almost out-ship all other PC form factors combined next year. They expect that tablets will account for almost 50% of the total client PC market (that includes desktops, notebooks, and tablets) in 2014. PC shipments accounted for 40% of PC shipments

What’s Your Strategy? Operational Excellence, Product Leadership or Customer Intimacy?

Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:22:50 -0400

In the Discipline of Market Leaders by Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema, we learned about the importance of being clear about your strategic priority. What unique value do you bring to the marketplace and your customers? In this book, they describe three strategic priorities

Surviving Thanksgiving With Your Smartphone

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 11:25:30 -0400

Oh, Thanksgiving! If you need to take a time-out from the dinner table for a little of your own (cyber)space, give these apps a try: Does a holiday with your extended family put your nerves on edge? The Breathe2Relax and TacticalBreather mobile apps are specially designed to help you control

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Driving Pre-Cyber Monday Shopping

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 15:55:39 -0400

Cyber Monday, billed as one of the busiest online-commerce days of the year, is spilling into the rest of the holiday season as more consumers use mobile devices to shop whenever they please. Shoppers are no longer waiting to return to work on the Monday after Thanksgiving to surf and complete web deals. Consumers armed

Empowering Forest Service Scientific Experts to Educate the World Using Live Video

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 14:40:37 -0400

In July 2013, U.S. Forest Service fisheries biologist Pete Schneider launched a YouTube Live video event from the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Alaska. The goal of the project was to not only deliver a reliable 2-month long, 24/7, live video stream where an international audience could witness spawning Sockeye salmon, hungry Dolly Varden, cunning

Challenge.gov Named as Top 5 Finalist Harvard Innovation Award

Tue, 26 Nov 2013 09:34:23 -0400

Thanks to the tremendous work of challenge managers across federal government and the support of the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, the Challenge.gov program at GSA has been named one of the top 5

Twitter Best Practices for Government

Mon, 25 Nov 2013 13:01:09 -0400

Best practices and success stories to help government leverage the power of Twitter

State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities for 2014

Fri, 22 Nov 2013 11:36:14 -0400

Security, consolidation, cloud services and enterprise portfolio management top the list of critical state CIO priorities in 2014, according to state information technology leaders surveyed by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO). The prioritized rankings of strategies and technologies reflect voting by state CIOs and are

Coast Guard HSWL App

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 10:02:20 -0400

Are you active or retired Coast Guard — or related to someone who is? If so, you’ll want to spread the word about the United States Coast Guard’s Health, Safety and Work Life (HSWL) app from USCG’s Office of Work-Life Programs.

Mobile Product Compatibility and Functional Testing 101

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 09:55:56 -0400

As covered in the Mobile Product Testing Guidelines article, there are various approaches to mobile testing. This article is a resource of the Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program and focuses on two common test types are compatibility testing and functional testing. Compatibility Testing The Wikipedia article on compatibility testing states the “Compatibility testing, part of software

Create Section 508-Compliant Videos on Your Government Websites

Thu, 21 Nov 2013 08:47:00 -0400

It is undeniable the reach of online video into our modern lives. From cats in shark costumes riding on Roombas to the 2.1 million people live streaming the 2012 Super Bowl. Online video inspires us with TED talks and allows us to feel the rush of Felix Baumgartner jumping from space. With online video so

Great Customer Experience through Open Dialogue

Wed, 20 Nov 2013 09:19:59 -0400

While we think about the audience, we don’t often map out the experience we want them to have when using our services. This is critical information for the design. In other cases, we may not have the data to analyze existing customers’

Trends on Tuesday: Smartphone Shipments Achieve Highest Share to Date

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 10:05:48 -0400

Last week, Gartner reported that global smartphone shipments have achieved their highest share ever recorded. Worldwide mobile phone sales totaled 455.6 million units in the third quarter of 2013, an increase of 5.7 percent from the same period last year. The real bread and butter came

Next SocialGov Summit: Challenge and Prize Competitions

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 09:39:30 -0400

A public prize spurred Charles Lindbergh to fly across the Atlantic, and this week social media managers across government will help a new generation of prize competitions take flight. These sessions aren’t just for social media managers who have held a challenge or are

Creating Cross-Channel Experiences

Mon, 18 Nov 2013 10:40:09 -0400

One of the most important jobs for an organization is to think about the entire ecosystem of their brand and what the user experience is across each channel. Whether it is through accessing information on your site through various devices, calling a help line, engaging through social media, and/or having a face-to-face conversation, there may

NOAA Release Mako Now on iOS

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 16:29:12 -0400

The NOAA Release Mako App was created for fisherman to report their releases of Shortfin Mako sharks while on the water. In order to offer the tool on

Ideation Challenges

Thu, 14 Nov 2013 13:13:08 -0400

Tips for Conducting an Ideation Challenge Examples of Ideation Challenges Criteria for Choosing an Ideation Platform Online Platforms and Tools Challenge and prize competitions are one tool that federal agencies use to drive innovation and solve mission-centric problems—whether technical, scientific, or creative. One type of competition is ideation, which allows you to collect ideas from

Key to Successful Prize Competitions: Define Your Problem Statement

Wed, 13 Nov 2013 13:06:21 -0400

In a prize competition, failing to properly define your problem up front can result in lower participation and submissions that don’t actually solve your issue. To create a challenge that produces viable results, start by doing your own homework. Vaguely defined problems invite less-than-desirable solutions or scare

5 Tips for Communicating Technical Information: iPad Pilot

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 13:35:40 -0400

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” — Mark Twain It’s simple—you’re the technical expert; you know the topic inside out, so of course you can easily explain it to a captive audience. Right? Not always. Communicators in every industry know that message

Trends on Tuesday: Would You Trade Your Latte For Your Mobile Device?

Tue, 12 Nov 2013 09:50:30 -0400

Recently, Mobile Marketing Watch published Sprint’s interesting infographic showing how executives use their mobile devices. “Would you trade your latte or morning cup of coffee for your mobile phone?” Sprint asked business professional executives. According to the results of their survey, turns out business professionals would

State Department Mobile Site Goes Responsive

Thu, 07 Nov 2013 12:04:34 -0400

The Department of State has updated their mobile website m.state.gov

Software and Apps Challenges

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 14:13:29 -0400

Challenge and prize competitions are one path that federal agencies take to drive innovation and solve mission-centric problems—whether technical, scientific, or creative. One type of competition is software and apps challenges, where solvers are asked to develop specific software or other code-based technical solutions, such as websites, mobile applications, or algorithms. Here you’ll find tips

NPS.gov Use of Digital Analytics Program: Beyond the Numbers

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 13:04:29 -0400

The National Park Service website, NPS.gov, is home to sites for the parks, programs, and subject-related content about the places and ideas that we preserve and protect for the American people.

Best Practices for Open Source in Government (Using GitHub)

Wed, 06 Nov 2013 07:46:20 -0400

Working on getting your agency to release an open source policy? Awesome! But if you want an effective open source program, you have to tightly integrate open source into how your agency procures, builds, and distributes technology. You’re not alone! There’s a growing community of

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile Surpasses Desktop for Social Media

Tue, 05 Nov 2013 10:30:24 -0400

More users are now accessing social media via mobile than on desktops. People are checking email or using social networks during their commute, in line at the grocery store, or waiting at the doctor’s

Sharing Information Across and Within Organizations Shouldn’t Be Challenging!

Mon, 04 Nov 2013 09:26:25 -0400

Are you involved in a collaborative project where you need to share information? Whether it is within an organization across units or external to an organization – across agencies, or levels of government – sharing of information can be fraught with challenges. The Center for Technology in Government, (CTG) University at Albany, New York has released

Federal Government Challenges and Contests

Fri, 01 Nov 2013 13:10:14 -0400

What is a Challenge? In a challenge, a “seeker” challenges “solvers” to identify a solution to a particular problem, or rewards contestants for accomplishing a goal. The solutions may be: ideas, designs, logos, videos, finished products, digital games, or mobile applications. There are many challenge success stories in government: Challenges Conducted in 2011 Under America COMPETES Act

Creative Challenge Contests

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 14:21:03 -0400

Multimedia, Photo, Poster, Design Challenge and prize competitions are one path that federal agencies take to drive innovation and solve mission-centric problems—whether technical, scientific, or creative. Creative competitions include multimedia, photo, poster, and design competitions. Here you’ll find tips on running a creative challenge, resources, examples, and information about online platforms you can use to

Technology Demonstration and Market Stimulation Challenges

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 13:32:25 -0400

Challenge and prize competitions are one path that federal agencies take to drive innovation and solve mission-centric problems—whether technical, scientific, or creative. One type of competition is technology demonstration and market stimulation prizes, competitions that result in fully developed solutions to address market failures, solve significant problems facing society, or catalyze and demonstrate breakthrough technical

New Outbreaks (but No Zombies) on CDC’s Solve the Outbreak

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 10:01:14 -0400

The Centers for Disease Control recently added three new outbreaks to their Solve the Outbreak app. CDC released the app earlier this year to teach users how CDC’s disease detectives save lives everyday.

Redesigning Commerce.gov

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 12:45:16 -0400

After having the same look and feel on our website since 2010, Commerce.gov is embarking on a fresh redesign to put the user in the driver seat. Drawing on anonymized user input, we have made some significant changes and are excited to announce the launch of our new site – Beta.Commerce.gov. First, you’ll notice

Content Management Systems Toolkit

Wed, 30 Oct 2013 08:45:15 -0400

Improving the federal government’s ability to deliver digital information anytime, anywhere, on any device via open content is a key goal of the Digital Government Strategy. A content management system (CMS) can help your agency move to an open content model, making it easier for people to find, share, use, and re-use your information.

Which Devices Should I Test With?

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 11:14:52 -0400

Developing a test device selection plan that is updated on a regular basis will help your organization whittle down the list of devices to a manageable number.

Trends on Tuesday: Digital News Trends and Mobile

Tue, 29 Oct 2013 10:13:29 -0400

The Pew Research Center recently released a report on “12 Trends Shaping Digital News.” Some of these trends show that mobile devices continue to affect how the public consumes the news. The report found: 19% of Americans saw news on a social network “yesterday” in 2012, more than double the 9% who had done so

Federal Contact Center Regulations & Directives

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 05:19:56 -0400

Contact centers operated and managed by federal agencies have to follow certain laws, regulations, policies, and other directives. Unless specifically noted, contact centers operated and managed by states or local governments do not have to comply with these same requirements. Access for People with Disabilities (Section 508) Federal contact centers must comply with Section 508

With Measurable Usability Goals – We All Score

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:07:47 -0400

Setting measurable usability goals will help your team to assess the performance of your site throughout development. Whether your assessment is at the beginning of the process, throughout iterative wireframe testing, after release, or all of the above,

Always Future Ready: The Benefits of Open Content Models and Structured Data Webinar

Mon, 28 Oct 2013 02:07:42 -0400

“Future-ready content,” “responsive design,” “create once, publish everywhere” are all buzzwords you hear when talking about the present and future of Web publishing. But how do we get there? We all know that technology is only part of the answer. Open content models and structured data are a big part of

Thousands of Calls Blocked, Thanks to Contest Winner

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 09:45:09 -0400

Technology to block robocalls is a huge win for consumers and for challenge competitions this year. The FTC awarded a prize to Aaron Foss, creator of Nomorobo, in April. The technology went to market September 30, and the tool has already blocked more

Understanding Your Users’ Needs By Analyzing Search Terms

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 14:24:12 -0400

Analyzing your visitors’ search terms can help you better understand their needs. It can provide valuable data about the content and organization of the content on your site. Create a Semi-Automated Report of Terms Here’s how to create a semi-automated report for analyzing large amounts of search data on a regular basis. A human still

Dolphin and Whale Apps from NOAA Fisheries

Thu, 24 Oct 2013 09:05:12 -0400

NOAA Fisheries to help you identify and aid stranded or

Mobile Code Sharing Catalog Snippet: Leaflet

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 14:07:23 -0400

Would you like help incorporating mobile-friendly maps in your mobile sites and/or web apps? Check out Leaflet, available on the Mobile Code Sharing Catalog, a modern open-source JavaScript library for mobile-friendly interactive maps. It is developed by Vladimir Agafonkin of CloudMade with a team of dedicated contributors. Weighing

Trends on Tuesday: Let’s Talk Connected Devices

Tue, 22 Oct 2013 10:15:32 -0400

Mobile Future recently released this infographic about the proliferation of connected devices. Among the key data points: Today, there are 10 billion connected devices. By 2020, data from connected devices will more than double all global Internet traffic in 2012. Traffic

Partnerships Can Add Value to Prize Competitions

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 10:27:05 -0400

The right partner can be the key to a successful challenge competition. If you’re planning a challenge for your agency, you’ve probably had to ask: “Do we have the tools and capabilities to pull off this challenge on our own?” Why we form partnerships Often times, the answer is, “no.” But that shouldn’t stop you from

PEW Report: Trends in Digital News

Fri, 18 Oct 2013 12:29:47 -0400

A report by the PEW Research Center, 12 trends for shaping digital news, looks at how the internet and digital devices are changing news consumption habits. While half of all Americans still prefer to get their news from

Mobile Products from HUD

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 15:16:10 -0400

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has two apps that can help citizens learn about their housing rights, locate housing counselors and file housing discrimination complaints. The HUD Counselor Locator App allows smartphone and tablet users to locate housing counselors in their own area

Hosting Successful Federal Twitter Chats

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 14:11:31 -0400

One way to leverage Twitter, beyond the basics of sending messages and engaging in dialogue, is to organize a Town Hall discussion, or Twitter chat. New guidance on preparing a live chat is now available, and we need your agencies to contribute your own policies

Cloud Computing in the Federal Government

Thu, 17 Oct 2013 13:27:51 -0400

Cloud Computing enables convenient, on-demand access to, and rapid deployment of, shared computing resources such as networks, servers, storage, applications, and services. Plan What is the Cloud? Is Cloud Computing for you? What types of services does Cloud Computing support? Types of Cloud environments Implement Learn steps to acquire, manage, and secure your agency

Twitter Chat Guidance for Federal Agencies

Wed, 16 Oct 2013 12:10:18 -0400

A Twitter town hall, or Twitter chat, is an event where agencies invite public engagement for a scheduled time period during which users can ask questions or find out more information about a topic via Twitter, much like a webinar. The questions are tagged

Mobile First

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 11:44:17 -0400

Mobile First is the idea that web sites should first be designed for mobile devices, including only those tasks/items that website visitors use most. Then as screen real estate increases, add in tasks/features as needed based on user priority. This means the site

Best Week Ever in #SocialGov: 2

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 02:58:09 -0400

(This is the second installment of an ongoing series charting the programs, events and people that make the emerging field of social media and data in government From where I sit, I think we just had a great week in #socialgov. From a sold-out international forum that demonstrated how we can use free tools to

What Is a “Customer Centric” Culture?

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 09:21:40 -0400

In our very first customer experience (CX) blog post about GSA’s Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies’ (OCSIT) Customer Experience Program, we published our principles and values. Our core principles say that all staff will: Take responsibility for providing an experience greater than customer expectations. Engage, listen and resolve. Design business from the outside

Constitution App from the Library of Congress

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 10:10:01 -0400

The Library of Congress recently released The U.S. Constitution: Analysis and Interpretation app, an iOS version of the “Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation.” This is a comprehensive analytical legal treatise prepared by attorneys

Plain Language Expert

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 08:24:42 -0400

A few days ago a coworker asked me to look at a paragraph. He said it was on the top customer service priorities in our division. So I scooted my chair over and looked at it. Then I looked at him and asked, “But what

Trends on Tuesday: Pew Cell Phone Activities Report

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 09:23:14 -0400

Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project recently released their report on Cell Phone Activities for 2013. The report stated

Tackling PII in Electronic Data

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 18:11:36 -0400

As non-lawyers peering into the legal world, be advised this post is not official legal advice from the Office of General Counsel. These are our impressions and what we took away from the Legal Learning Series session Social Media – Privacy, Records and Litigation.

Mobile Gov User Experience Guidelines and Recommendations: Content

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 14:02:43 -0400

Content refers to the various types of material in different formats, such as text, images and video, that provide information to the user (it also fits into a mobile product’s information architecture).

Privacy Policies, Terms of Service, and PIAs! Oh My!

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 11:48:52 -0400

Guest post by Cheryl Hackley who works in the Office of Public Affairs at the Federal Trade Commission. From my early days of using email, sites like MySpace, and later getting my first smartphone, it was a common practice for me to

Communication is Key in Measuring Customer Experience

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 06:56:30 -0400

As mentioned in previous blog posts, great efforts have been made in creating a Customer Experience program and a Customer Experience (CX) index in our Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) at GSA.

National Science Foundation’s Science and Engineering Indicators App

Thu, 19 Sep 2013 10:41:41 -0400

The National Science Foundation’s National Science Board has developed Science and Engineering Indicators for iPad. The application provides full content of the Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) 2012 report –the latest edition available. From NSF, The biennial SEI report is a comprehensive source of high-quality, quantitative

Best Week in SocialGov Ever: 1

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 10:39:52 -0400

(This is the first installment of an ongoing series charting the programs, events and people that make the emerging field of social media and data in government an exciting place to serve the public. Agencies are encouraged to submit their own stories for this travelogue of digital innovation.) From where I sit, I think we

Making Mobile Gov: User Experience Recommendations

Wed, 18 Sep 2013 02:49:35 -0400

How We Did It Last November, as part of revisiting the state of Mobile Gov, government mobile innovators identified a need for guidelines to help create amazing and engaging mobile user experiences. We convened a group to workshop around elements of mobile user experience with the

Trends on Tuesday: The State of Mobile Search

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 13:46:18 -0400

Mobile searching has become a fact of life. According to a recent study by Econsultancy, 67% of smartphone owners had used their device to search for information in the past 7 days. The infographic below describes what they are searching for–the majority of searches are for

Digital Analytics Program Goes To The Moon!

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:39:20 -0400

On Feb. 15, 2013, a meteor weighing 10,000 metric tons exploded 14 miles above Chelyabinsk, Russia. Users flocked to NASA.gov for info, and we spiked to nearly 12 million page views that day, ~16 times the daily average. Our real-time analytics showed over 300,000 active visitors

Usability testers unite! Join our Community

Tue, 17 Sep 2013 08:53:11 -0400

I’m the kind of guy who loves tests. Not SATs, or BMI tests, but usability tests: connecting target customers with a government website and watching how they interact with it. Our DigitalGov User Experience Program (formerly known as First Fridays) has taught dozens of agencies how to conduct

StudentAid.gov’s 1st Year: What We’ve Learned and Where We’re Going

Fri, 13 Sep 2013 18:39:05 -0400

Guest post by Brenda Wensil, Chief Customer Experience Officer for Federal Student Aid. Established in late 2010, FSA’s Customer Experience Office is responsible for identifying, measuring and reporting customer expectations and satisfaction with the financial aid services and products offered at Federal Student Aid. In my last post,

Mobile Products for National Preparedness Month

Thu, 12 Sep 2013 10:05:16 -0400

September is National Preparedness Month and there are a number of government mobile products to help you prepare for emergencies. FEMA‘s mobile app contains preparedness information for different types of disasters, an interactive checklist for emergency kits, a section to plan emergency meeting locations, information on how to stay safe and recover after a disaster, a

Mobile Code Sharing Catalog Snippet: Web Experience Toolkit (WET)

Wed, 11 Sep 2013 15:46:20 -0400

Looking to jumpstart your mobile website development? Check out the Web Experience Toolkit (WET) available on the Mobile Code Sharing Catalog. The toolkit includes reusable components for building and maintaining innovative Web sites that are accessible, usable, and interoperable. Developed as a collaborative open source project by the Government of Canada, the WET has reusable

How to Be a Fly on the Wall: The Dos and Don’ts of Sharing Executive Discussions

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 10:05:05 -0400

A sure way to annoy employees is to never share what executives discuss or decide until a new mandate lands on the organization’s collective head. While senior leaders should expect some privacy in decision-making and debate, they should also expect to openly hold themselves accountable and to make sure their employees know where the

Trends on Tuesday: Kids are Going Mobile

Tue, 10 Sep 2013 02:31:38 -0400

From the time they can grasp an object in their hands, children are reaching for electronic gadgets of all kinds—particularly our smartphones and tablets. The early adoption of mobile is growing each year as evidenced by this infographic from EveryDayFamily.com. 30 percent of 2- to

StudentAid.gov: Improving the College Financing Experience

Fri, 06 Sep 2013 15:42:06 -0400

Guest post by Brenda Wensil, Chief Customer Experience Officer for Federal Student Aid (FSA). Established in late 2010, FSA’s Customer Experience Office is responsible for identifying, measuring and reporting customer expectations and satisfaction with the financial aid services and products offered at Federal Student Aid. The launch of StudentAid.gov in July 2012,

SSI Mobile Wage Reporting

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 09:24:40 -0400

Following up on their mobile website, the Social

Better Performance and Metric Downloads Now Available From Go.USA.gov

Wed, 04 Sep 2013 11:04:03 -0400

A few weeks ago, the Go.USA.gov URL shortener introduced several new features to improve the user experience. Go.USA.gov now offers users faster speeds and downloadable metric information about their links. The service, which launched in 2009, gives government agencies the ability to provide trustworthy shortened links to their audience. Just

Trends on Tuesday: Companies Use Mobile for Brand Loyalty

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:56:06 -0400

A recent survey of 100 retailers by EPiServer found that 46 percent of those with a mobile strategy in place and 74 percent of those planning to launch one soon said they are using mobile primarily to increase customer loyalty or provide a more personalized experience for

Getting Started with the Digital Analytics Program

Tue, 03 Sep 2013 09:50:06 -0400

The Digital Analytics Program (DAP) is delighted to announce the launch of a DAP user group and new training program. These initiatives will support DAP users in getting the most from their implementation. The kick-off for this user group will be on Thursday, September 12, 2013, when we will

Looking at User Experience through Two Lenses

Fri, 30 Aug 2013 08:31:17 -0400

Usability and accessibility are slightly different lenses to assess user experience. It is possible to be strong in one area and weak in the other. Using either approach alone could result in an inaccurate view of your site’s user experience. Evaluating your website with both usability and accessibility in mind gives all users the best

GSA’s eBuy Mobile

Thu, 29 Aug 2013 10:22:07 -0400

The General Services Administration has made a mobile version of its eBuy website. The mobile site provides ease of access to small

Trends on Tuesday: Why You Should Be Accessible on Mobile

Tue, 27 Aug 2013 10:24:24 -0400

Mobile Marketing Watch released an article explaining why it is important for the workplace to be making the move to mobile. When it comes to marketing, it is essential to understand your customer and be easily discoverable or else your product will go unseen.

Mobile Product Testing Guidelines and Resources

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 13:45:01 -0400

You have started developing your mobile product, but you may be wondering what and how to test. As with any form of software development, mobile testing should be done intermittently throughout all development stages. This article was developed as part of the Mobile Application Development Program to provide agencies with some general testing strategies, types,

How’s My Waterway?: A Mobile Optimized Site from the EPA

Thu, 22 Aug 2013 09:55:39 -0400

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has upgraded its ‘How’s My Waterway?’ website into a responsive design website, meaning it

Trends on Tuesday: Latinos Embrace the Mobile Future

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 09:30:26 -0400

Latinos appear to be adapting to mobile technology faster than other groups, according to Mobile Future. They are ahead of the average U.S. population in several key categories, such as: 47% of Latino adults have embraced wireless exclusively versus 34% of all U.S. adults

Embracing Responsive Design

Tue, 20 Aug 2013 07:42:45 -0400

See how a shift in consumer behavior during the last few years lead to the responsive redesign of USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov.

NASA Space Place Prime App

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 09:51:48 -0400

In May, NASA released the Space Place Prime app for both iPhone and iPad. This app’s target audience is not only kids, but for teachers, parents, and all space enthusiasts. Based on NASA’s website, The Space Place, this app presents

New Release on Next.Data.gov

Thu, 15 Aug 2013 09:34:10 -0400

Since the launch of Next.Data.gov, your help and ideas have made it possible to make two updates to the site. We’re naming these biweekly releases after the presidents so the one that launched this week is the Adams Release. We’re pleased to announce that much

SocialGov Summit Diagnoses Viral Gov

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 18:20:21 -0400

Agencies discuss how to make social media programs more sharable and engaging.

Trends on Tuesday: People Are Excited about Mobile!

Tue, 13 Aug 2013 10:02:46 -0400

The way people are using mobile is changing—we are socializing in new ways; performing tasks in new ways, often multi-tasking between activities; and sharing and gathering information in new ways.

Military OneSource

Thu, 08 Aug 2013 09:29:04 -0400

Members of the military and their families now have access to Military OneSource on the go with the new Department of Defense mobile website Military OneSource. This

Improving Email Open Rates

Wed, 07 Aug 2013 07:40:08 -0400

Guest post by Ellen Langhans, healthfinder.gov Program Manager in the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the Department of Health and Human Services, with contribution from Tim Hudak, Web Analytics Specialist in the Office of

Trends on Tuesday: A Record 230 Million Smartphones Shipped Q2 2013

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:45:35 -0400

According to research done by Strategy Analytics, global smartphone shipments grew 47 percent from 156.5 million units in the second quarter of 2012 to 229.6 million units in the second quarter of 2013. Additionally, the research finds that this growth is being driven by demand for Android phones

Mobile Product Security and Privacy Testing Resources

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 15:01:32 -0400

Security testing is used to ensure that a mobile product does not pose a threat to agency IT systems and databases. In addition, privacy testing ensures that an app does not put the user’s personally identifiable information into a compromisable position. This article was developed as part of the Mobile Application Development Program. See our

Mobile Product Performance Testing

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 14:21:06 -0400

Performance testing is used to verify that an app or web page will display quickly to the user and will continue to function as the number of users increases to peak loads. Performance is an important consideration for mobile applications because the connection speed of users is often slower and more variable for mobile users than desktop users. Surveys

Thunderclap Now Available for Government-Wide Adoption

Mon, 05 Aug 2013 12:34:39 -0400

Thunderclap is the latest social media and crowd-sourcing platform available to federal agencies to better engage with the public, with a newly negotiated government-compatible Terms of Service (TOS) agreement. GSA collaborated with Thunderclap to negotiate the amended terms, which brings the total number of tools with federal-compatible agreements to 66.

HUD Office of Inspector General Responsive Design Website

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 09:15:04 -0400

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has developed a responsive design website for the HUD Office of Inspector General. The website provides: news, the latest reports and publications, locations to

The Impact of Culture on Customer Experience

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 07:24:19 -0400

What’s one of the most important factors in delivering a good customer experience? When I first began learning about customer experience, one of the biggest surprises was the importance of culture. Organizational culture can be defined as the values and behavior that contribute to the unique and psychological environment of an organization.It’s based on shared

Mobile Product Accessibility Testing Resources

Wed, 31 Jul 2013 10:34:45 -0400

Accessibility testing is a subset of usability testing and is the inclusive practice of making websites and mobile applications usable by people of all abilities and disabilities. You do this by testing mobile websites and/or applications on all leading browsers, mobile devices and screen readers. This article was developed as part of the Mobile Application

Trends on Tuesday: Identify Your Mobile Personas

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:35:38 -0400

The mobile product your agency is trying to promote needs to fit your customers, and creating mobile personas is a strategic way of doing that.

Improving the User Experience with the Usability.gov Reboot

Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:03:17 -0400

Plan and analyze. Write and design. Test and refine. As Web Manager for Usability.gov, I have found that taking a user-centered approach is vital each time you improve or build a digital product, especially when the content is about improving user

API Security

Mon, 29 Jul 2013 01:12:58 -0400

Like website development, API security revolves around three stages—planning the API, testing the API, and monitoring the API after it has launched. The planning stage requires those involved to conceptually map several design decisions and the impact that they will have on security. The second stage applies your agency’s security program to the API release

Why NCI Moved to a Structured Content Model

Thu, 25 Jul 2013 15:46:20 -0400

Wikipedia says that structured content refers to information that’s been broken down and classified using metadata. It can also refer to information that’s been classified using XML or other standard or proprietary forms of metadata. The National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NIH/NCI) move to structured

Understanding Your Customer

Thu, 25 Jul 2013 10:14:06 -0400

Do you know who your customers are? And what they expect from your organization? One of the most critical components of a successful customer experience program is to understand your customer. The first step is knowing who your customers are. Are they veterans, students, senior citizens or other federal workers? In some cases your customers

NOAA’s Whale Alert – Ship Strike Reduction for Right Whales App

Thu, 25 Jul 2013 09:32:26 -0400

Mariners now have an anytime, anywhere resource to aid in the

Trends on Tuesday: Uprise of SMS Marketing

Tue, 23 Jul 2013 15:30:39 -0400

MobileMarketingWatch recently published an article on how the SMS marketing world is changing. Due to its popularity, SMS has evolved into one of the most effective mobile marketing strategies. Improves Relevance for All: Marketers tailor campaigns to a variety of interests in order

Moderating a Government Blog

Mon, 22 Jul 2013 12:58:18 -0400

Guest post by Curtis Robert Burns, better known as Blogger Bob, at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). As a blogger for TSA I believe moderating blog comments always comes down to an understanding of your employer’s mission, audience, and your

DATA.Gov: The Next Step is Yours

Fri, 19 Jul 2013 10:18:24 -0400

Americans are rocking open data! From getting people to the emergency room faster with iTriage to helping them navigate road and rail after a disaster, people are innovating, building businesses, and creating safer communities. As developers get more sophisticated and businesses get better analytics, Data.gov needs to change to support them in new ways and

Department of Labor: Download Their Apps, Fork Their Code, Check out the Webinar

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:30:08 -0400

The Department of Labor’s DOL Timesheet, OSHA Heat Index Tool and LaborStats apps are available anytime and anywhere for the public. Now their code is available for agencies to leverage for mobile development. All the apps’ code are available on the Mobile Code

How to Create a Customer Experience Index

Thu, 18 Jul 2013 07:53:02 -0400

In my last post I talked about how we’re kicking off our Customer Experience program in the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) at GSA. There are many paths to creating a customer experience program, from starting with cultural issues like employee

Trends on Tuesday: Mobile a “Second Screen” for TV Viewing

Tue, 16 Jul 2013 09:58:58 -0400

A study conducted by Nielson for Q1 2013 reports that almost half of all mobile users use their mobile devices as second screens while watching TV on a daily basis (46% for smartphones, 43% for tablets).

Digital Metrics for Federal Agencies

Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:41:47 -0400

Digital metrics are critical for measuring, analyzing, and reporting on the effectiveness of your Web, mobile, social media, and other digital channels. Every agency should have a metrics strategy to measure performance, customer satisfaction, and engagement, and use the data to make continuous improvements to serve its customers. Part 1: Common Metrics: Guidance, Best Practices, and

To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis Exhibit App

Thu, 11 Jul 2013 09:04:11 -0400

The 2013 JFK Library and Museum exhibit “To the Brink: JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis” now has a virtual partner on the iPad. Anytime, anywhere, people will be able

Kicking Off Our Customer Experience Program

Wed, 10 Jul 2013 10:23:01 -0400

The vision for my office, the Office of Citizen Services and Innovative Technologies (OCSIT) at GSA, is simple: Deliver a world-class experience to the public when accessing government information and services – anytime, anywhere – through the delivery channel they choose. We create and leverage products, services and

Trends on Tuesday: Top Smartphones on the Market

Tue, 09 Jul 2013 09:09:27 -0400

ComScore recently released key trends in the United States’ smartphone industry for three months (February-May) with Apple ranked as the top smartphone manufacturer and Android as the top smartphone platform. During the three months, 141 million people owned smartphones. Top Smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers

Instagram Now Available for Federal Agencies

Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:57:55 -0400

Instagram is the latest mobile and social media tool available to federal, state and local governments to better engage with the public, with a newly negotiated government-compatible Terms of Service (TOS) agreement. GSA collaborated with Instagram to negotiate the amended terms, which brings the total number of

Mobile Gov for Independence Day!

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 09:28:26 -0400

Gearing up for the Fourth? Here are some anytime, anywhere government apps that can help make celebrating the United States easier and more fun. If you’re worried about the weather you can check out the National Weather Service mobile website. If the heat

Business.USA.gov – Usability Case Study

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:14:32 -0400

When redesigning a site, it’s easy to place menu items, text and other content wherever you can make them fit. It’s harder to take a step back and ask the strategic question: Is this the best place for this? A good rule of thumb is to never make any changes randomly—base your decisions on user

Fueleconomy.gov – Usability Case Study

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:08:48 -0400

Many technical websites have a hard time explaining information to the general public. This happens because users don’t understand the industry-specific or scientific terms. Fortunately, solutions to these problems are fairly easy—changing menu and navigation item text, or adding a line of explanatory text on key pages or complex graphics. The DigitalGov User Experience Program

Trends on Tuesday: 10 Mobile Trends to Embrace

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 09:24:48 -0400

Jackie Rov of tmgmedia points out that with more than a billion smartphones in consumer’s pockets, it’s more important than ever for brands to adapt their strategy to mobile trends. To engage with consumers in the mobile era, we must understand the shift in consumer behavior

What We’ve Learned: Three Years of Answering Questions on Social Media

Tue, 02 Jul 2013 08:46:16 -0400

USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov have been engaging with the public on social media long before Mayor Cory Booker underscored the need at this year’s SXSW. In January 2010, we began to respond to questions and comments on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. We never advertised the service, but people naturally

What’s In a Name Does Matter

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 18:48:33 -0400

Can you imagine how frustrating and confusing it would be to find several variations of the same agency name on different sites or even different pages or documents on the same site? This is what happens everyday to Spanish-speaking customers accessing the Spanish names of

Develop with Web Standards

Sun, 30 Jun 2013 01:23:02 -0400

What It Is Do you remember the days when web pages had banners announcing that they were “best viewed with browser X”? Veteran web developers and designers certainly do, because they had to consider numerous exceptions for certain browsers and their versions. Today, building websites isn’t as challenging and that’s because developers are moving toward

6 Easy Ways to Improve User Experience on Websites

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 08:47:13 -0400

If you want a better user experience on your government website, there’s a simple secret: early planning. Good designers know that it’s much more difficult to make changes to something after it’s built than before. This is true for

Medicare.gov Mobile Website

Thu, 27 Jun 2013 10:02:42 -0400

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services redesigned Medicare.gov as a new and improved responsive mobile website for their users (beneficiaries, caregivers and advocates). The users of the Medicare.gov can apply for Medicare services find health plans, doctors, hospitals and nursing homes review Medicare costs, claims, appeals and

Making Multimedia Section 508-Compliant and Accessible

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:18:22 -0400

If you plan for accessibility when creating and posting media, you can create a rich, interactive community where users can get important government information from your agency’s official website or blog and dialogue with government.

5 Myths About Social Media Accessibility

Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:03:57 -0400

Guest post by Mario Damiani, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) at the Department of Labor. ODEP spearheads the Social Media Accessibility Working Group within the Federal Social Media Community of Practice. The working group recently released a toolkit for agencies to make their content more accessible for citizens with disabilities, including recommendations from agencies

Tour Data.gov 2.0

Mon, 24 Jun 2013 09:04:23 -0400

As you know, last month Data.gov launched its new open-source Data.gov 2.0 catalog (catalog.data.gov). Based on CKAN, a data management platform used by many open-data catalogs around the world, Data.gov’s new catalog has received nothing but kudos from users. For the first time, our raw datasets, tools

NPS Chesapeake Explorer App

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 09:31:54 -0400

The National Park Service (NPS) developed an app for people looking to explore the historic Chesapeake Bay area and travelers now have an anytime, anywhere tool to tell them where they can go and how to get there. The NPS launched the Chesapeake Explorer App last

Army.mil – Usability Case Study

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:11:35 -0400

If you want to make a website more efficient and user friendly, then it’s not enough just to have your most valuable information on the site. People are busy—they want to find what they’re looking for, and they want it fast. You don’t always need to redesign an entire site to make things easier to

5 Steps for Delivering a Better Customer Experience

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 08:50:08 -0400

Everyone wants to know how to provide outstanding customer experience in government. It can be difficult, because everyday our customers are also doing business with companies like Starbucks, Zappos, and Virgin America, that excel in customer service.

Veteran’s Affairs PTSD Coach

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:34:17 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Veteran’s Affairs. PTSD Coach is a mobile application developed by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in order to help veterans and military service members

CDC’s Solve the Outbreak App

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 01:33:34 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) launched a free, educational iPad app called “Solve the Outbreak,” which lets users play

Disruptive Technologies That Will Change the Way We Work

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 12:34:49 -0400

Do you know what the most important technology will be 12 years from now, in 2025? A recent report on Disruptive Technologies from McKinsey & Company predicts a number of evolving technologies that will have the biggest impact in the next decade or so, including

Tips for Creating Great Digital Content for Kids

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:24:36 -0400

Great websites for kids have many of the same features as websites for adults, but some key differences are worth noting when writing digital content for kids or teens. Kids have short attention spans, so it’s important to keep your site engaging, fun,

Civic Hacking at the White House: We the People, By the People

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:16:48 -0400

On June 1st and 2nd, more than 11,000 civic activists, technology experts, and entrepreneurs around the country came together for the National Day of Civic Hacking. Civic activists, technology experts, and entrepreneurs in 83 cities developed software to help others in their own neighborhoods and across the country.

OPM Alert App

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 10:15:24 -0400

Did that snowstorm (or thunderstorm as the case may be) affect DC feds’ operating status? Now you’ll know even faster with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management‘s newest mobile app OPM Alert. The app features: Real

Take Your Social Media Program From Rags to Riches

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 08:55:54 -0400

Are you a small or even one-deep government social media team who wonders how with limited resources you can still deliver the program citizens need? Do you have a larger team but still want to know how you can roll up your sleeves and make a change? If either

Responsive Design Overview, Resources and Tools

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:08:25 -0400

Responsive Web design refers to a fluidly constructed Web page layout that scales from handheld device displays to large, high-resolution computer displays using flexible typography, flexible images, fluid grids, and CSS3 media queries. For years, most Web teams designed for the desktop. Branding, navigation, work flows – the overall look & feel of online applications

YouTube Releases New Features

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:19:24 -0400

YouTube recently upgraded to the new One Channel design. The new design emphasizes responsive layouts for mobile devices, tablets, desktops and laptops, and TVs. A single banner on a white background replaces a customizable background and color scheme. YouTube recommends using a single 2560 x 1440 px image that fits

Chief Digital Officer: Roles and Responsibilities

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:00:11 -0400

In my previous blog post, I asked if your agency needs a Chief Digital Officer and before you answer maybe you’d want to know what exactly would a Chief Digital Officer (CDO) do at your Agency? According to Tim Bourgeois of ChiefDigitalOfficer.net , the biggest asset a CDO brings

Energy’s Alternative Fuel Locator Mobile Site

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:06:32 -0400

Drivers can find the closest alternative fueling sites anytime, anywhere with the Alternative Fuel Locator. The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has created this mobile website that allows users to locate alternative fueling stations. Using Google map technology and data from the Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC), the site

Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends Report

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 08:49:57 -0400

Techcrunch. com reports Mary Meeker’s much anticipated annual Internet Trends report released at the D11 Conference last week shows astounding growth regarding use of smartphones and tablets.

What We’re (Really) Talking About When We’re Talking About Mobile (Hint: It’s the User)

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 11:01:31 -0400

It used to be when we said mobile we meant activities and devices defined strictly by mobility and the features associated with it, such as GPS, SMS, barcode readers, cell phones, etc. But when I found myself in my easy chair watching a ballgame on my

Four Steps to Achieve Good SEO

Fri, 31 May 2013 11:21:54 -0400

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the active practice of improving aspects of your website so that commercial search engines (such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo) can find and display your Web pages in the results when they’re relevant to a searcher’s query. Users generally

Twitter’s Two Step Verification Process

Fri, 31 May 2013 11:16:45 -0400

To enhance security, Twitter now offers two-step verification. The release of the new feature follows several high-profile account breaches – including a false tweet sent from the Associated Press’s Twitter account in April. If you chose to enable the two-step verification feature, Twitter sends a text message with a unique code to a cell phone that must be

Apple’s iOS Terms of Service & Developer Program License Agreement

Thu, 30 May 2013 11:10:13 -0400

The Apple iTunes App store is the only marketplace for downloading apps for the Apple platform. In order to put apps in the iTunes store, agencies or their contractors have signed agreements with Apple to use Apple Software to produce mobile apps that can later

Does Your Agency Need A Chief Digital Officer?

Thu, 30 May 2013 09:03:16 -0400

Russell Reynolds Associates, the senior-level executive search firm, says that the last 2 years have seen the rise of the Chief Digital Officer (CDO), a senior executive who sits at the right hand of the CEO. According to the consulting firm Gartner, 25% of organizations will have a Chief

Social Security’s Mobile Website

Thu, 30 May 2013 05:06:51 -0400

The Social Security Administration recently announced their new optimized mobile website which is compatible with Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows devices. The mobile website offers a user-friendly, tabular, icon-driven navigation, which makes it very easy to find information anytime, anywhere.

Mobile Application Development Program Webinar and Wikithon Tomorrow!

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:00:43 -0400

Anytime, anywhere government information and services are becoming more important as the public increasingly consumes information and services on the go. As we announced last week, agencies can now get assistance with their mobile development efforts with our new Mobile Application Development Program. Tomorrow, we will host

Government Websites and Keyword Search Strategy

Wed, 29 May 2013 01:22:50 -0400

Having a keyword search strategy is critical for government agencies to: Gain awareness, Secure a strong online presence and Help the public obtain the information they need. Since the public relies heavily on Government-related information for research, and a myriad of other tasks, each government

Functionality and Usability Testing Resources

Sat, 25 May 2013 16:28:41 -0400

Functionality testing verifies that the functions of a product or service is working as intended. Each function is tested by providing appropriate input, verifying the output and comparing the actual results with the expected results. Usability testing measures the ease of use and intuitiveness of a product or service by asking users to perform a

NASCIO Launches Mobile Apps Catalog

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:14:40 -0400

The federal government’s Mobile Code Catalog has company! This month, NASCIO released a new State Mobile Apps Catalog, a collection of over 160 state and territory native mobile apps that users can browse and download for smart phones and tablets. The apps are searchable by state/territory,

Make Mobile Gov with the Mobile Application Development Program

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:01:11 -0400

Anytime, Anywhere, Any Device. The 21st century imperative to deliver government information and services to the public anytime, anywhere and on any device makes mobile a critical tactic in the federal Digital Government Strategy.

Usability and Open Source Go Hand-in-Hand for Data.gov

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:49:12 -0400

Data.gov launched a major upgrade today, moving to a new catalog based on an open source data management system called CKAN. In the process of migrating to a new data catalog, Data.gov had the opportunity to do another round

/Developer Kit

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:05:45 -0400

These are the elements that make up a well-rounded developer hub. Homepage The API efforts of any agency should all be accessible via one easy to reach developers hub. This Web page should provide a path to all public APIs and any associated resources. Once an agency has begun to publish multiple APIs, certain resources

Google Analytics and the New Healthcare.gov

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:53:22 -0400

The new Healthcare.gov will sort content according to user demand with a new plugin developed for the site. For a content-heavy site like healthcare.gov, this option will allow HHS to serve popular content to readers quickly. In April we told you about Jekyll. The new Healthcare.gov will use this

API Release Kit

Thu, 16 May 2013 13:04:03 -0400

These are the elements you should include in your federal API release. Homepage Each of your public APIs needs a page to serve as a hub to provide access to all information and tools associated with it. By using the page’s sidebar, footer, and sub pages, you can directly include or link to each of

CDC Mobile Tools

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:31:24 -0400

The Center’s for Disease and Control has developed a mobile website and a mobile app so users can access information anytime, anywhere, on any device. The mobile website was developed to allow users to access a subset of CDC’s content on mobile devices. These sections include

What is a Civic Hacker?

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:21:12 -0400

The National Day of Civic Hacking is bringing together thousands of civic hackers on June 1st and 2nd. But what is a civic hacker, anyway? “Civic hackers” as we think about it for the National Day of Civic Hacking are technologists, civil servants, designers, entrepreneurs, engineers –

Federal Mobile Code Sharing Catalog Is Here

Mon, 13 May 2013 18:49:40 -0400

Federal agencies have a new resource to help them make content and services available anytime, anywhere, and from any device–the federal Mobile Code Catalog sponsored by the Digital Services Innovation Center. This catalog is hosted on GitHub (more on why that matters in a moment).

NIH Twitter Chats: Collaborations Multiply Successes

Fri, 10 May 2013 09:06:27 -0400

Twitter Chat discussing anxiety, stress, and complementary health practices December 18, 2012

USPS Mobile App Updates

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:30:44 -0400

The U.S. Postal Service Mobile app can help you find a post office, calculate shipping prices and track packages. Since we last featured this app, the USPS has added the ability to schedule pickups and order supplies. Last month, USPS Mobile version 3.8 was released. The new version allows users

We the People API

Thu, 09 May 2013 09:09:16 -0400

“APIs for WhiteHouse.gov? What in the heck does that mean?” Like President Obama, you may be asking the same question.

Planning an Apps Challenge

Wed, 08 May 2013 02:27:12 -0400

Apps challenges are a great way to spur innovation and help your agency meet its mission. But before you jump in, learn about how apps challenges work, to ensure yours is successful. Design Concept or Functioning App? What kind of product do you want from your apps challenge? A working app; or A concept for

The New Healthcare.gov Uses a Lightweight Open Source Tool

Tue, 07 May 2013 09:01:13 -0400

Last week, we told you about the upcoming relaunch of Healthcare.gov and its use of the Jekyll website generator. Jekyll allows users to build dynamic websites served by static pages. To help manage large websites using Jekyll, developers working on the new healthcare.gov published the ‘Prose.io’ editing interface

Cracking the Mobile Contracting Nut

Mon, 06 May 2013 15:05:48 -0400

Mobile is a fast moving technology leaving many agencies feeling behind the contracting eight-ball. Between finding those rockstar mobile developers, figuring out what to ask for in a statement of work (SOW), the time it takes getting a contract to get those expert resources, agencies are challenged in making

Video copyright: How to avoid getting sued

Sat, 04 May 2013 12:14:45 -0400

Don’t include Internet music, video, or graphics in your video unless you understand the copyright. Yes, this is a pain, but companies take copyright very seriously and regularly file both takedown notices and lawsuits against offenders.

Your Art, the National Gallery of Art’s Mobile App

Thu, 02 May 2013 15:22:17 -0400

The National Gallery of Art has released a free mobile application about the treasures in the permanent collection. Your Art app, available for iOS, enriches the experience of on-site visitors and expands the Gallery’s reach by bringing its masterpieces to art lovers across the globe. Some of this app’s

Internet Time Travel

Thu, 02 May 2013 13:40:29 -0400

The first public page on the world wide web went live twenty years ago on April 30, 1993. Take a look because this is the page that explains all things www at the time.

Why Government Websites Need SEO

Thu, 02 May 2013 09:00:40 -0400

As the SEO Specialist for Brighton College, I have come across many frustrating, un-optimized, information-rich government websites which are difficult to find on the Internet. Although government websites may have an advantage over commercial websites pertaining to search engine optimization (SEO), without an intentional SEO strategy

Harvard’s Top 25 Innovations in Government

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:22:08 -0400

Nine federal programs made the list! Harvard’s Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation announced the Top 25 Innovations in Government May 1. A winner and four finalists will be revealed this fall. The Washington Post described how Harvard’s review

New Healthcare.gov is Open, CMS-Free

Wed, 01 May 2013 08:43:39 -0400

Recently HHS CTO Bryan Sivak outlined a new vision for healthcare.gov. The site will relaunch this June with a completely rethought design and architecture. The new healthcare.gov follows a new CMS-free philosophy. It will be a completely static website, generated by Jekyll. This shift will allow HHS to move away from

APIs in Government

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 02:12:53 -0400

This page is about what an Application Programming Interface or API is and what it does and how government agencies are using them to operate more efficiently.

Producing APIs through Data.gov

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:07:53 -0400

One way agencies can offer APIs for their data is to use the built–in functionality of Data.gov. The information that is hosted as interactive datasets have an API layer which agencies can make available through documentation in the developer’s section of the agency’s website. The guide below will help you do this. Process Upload a dataset

ATF.gov – Usability Case Study

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:21:56 -0400

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives has some really valuable information for the public that a lot of people search for on ATF.gov. It’s important that the information is easily and quickly accessible. Government agencies reach a wide audience with their information, so making sure everyone can understand your content is important. The DigitalGov User

Usability Testing + Gov APIs = Best

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:37:18 -0400

Good APIs can transform intimidating data sets into something that people can use. Good government APIs can create a better connection between government and citizens. The Digital Government Strategy has spurred Federal adoption of APIs, and the Digital Services Innovation Center and DATA.GOV teams are supporting these efforts by releasing a swath of guidance and

How to Do Usability Testing with Kids

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:02:56 -0400

What do kids know about Web design? As we found out, quite a lot. Recently our DigitalGov User Experience Program teamed up with the Kids.gov team to get some big time feedback from some pint-sized testers.

Government Must Respond Rapidly to Social Media Hacking

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:25:31 -0400

The hacking of an Associated Press news account on Twitter this week, and its fallout, underscored the need for agencies

NASA’s Be A Martian App

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:48:32 -0400

Solar System fans, space shuttles are not the only way you can visit a planet! In July 2012, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA developed a mobile app called “NASA Be A Martian”, which allows you to become a Martian citizen on planet Mars. A Martian

Social Media Metrics for Federal Agencies

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:45:50 -0400

Social media is transforming how government engages with citizens and how it delivers service. Agencies are using social media to share information and deliver service more quickly and effectively than ever before. Increasingly, these tools are also being used for predictive and sentiment analysis—using the vast

How Canada is Revolutionizing Digital Governance

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 03:26:59 -0400

The Canadian government is changing how we think of traditional Web management. They built a platform of standards-compliant (HTML5, WCAG and WAI-ARIA), accessible and secure components that its agencies (and even provincial and municipalities) can use to build and maintain their sites. They are also focused

The SaferCar App

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:15:20 -0400

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has created a new iOS app that provides real-time vehicle safety information to consumers from NHTSA’s SaferCar.gov site The new SaferCar app gives consumers immediate access to key safety information to

National Park Service Apps

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 09:30:18 -0400

The National Park Service offers 3 mobile apps to create mobile experiences at 3 specific parks available for both the Android and iOS platforms. NPS National Mall App – As cherry blossom visitors give way to the summer travelers, visitors can download the NPS’s National Mall App providing visitors with a handheld map and customizable tour plans based

DOSCareers App

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:59:31 -0400

The U.S. Department of State has released a mobile app that informs and educates potential foreign service officers about a diplomatic career. The app provides access

Regulations.gov – Usability Case Study

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:29:33 -0400

More and more people use search as their primary means of finding what they are looking for. When users get confused by the search results, or can’t immediately find what they are looking for, they’re going to get frustrated. They may even leave the site for good. The DigitalGov User Experience Program helped test Regulations.gov on October 5, 2012, to

SaferBus Mobile App – Usability Case Study

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:51:29 -0400

When designing a site, remember that your terms and icons are like signposts that show people where your links and pages lead. Make sure that you use words and pictures that are easily understood or people will have trouble using your site. Small changes like underlining links or adding arrows to indicate expandable information can

American Red Cross Tornado App

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 09:46:31 -0400

The American Red Cross Tornado App gets your family and home ready for a tornado. The app, which is available on the Android and iOS platforms, puts everything you need to know

Census takes “March Madness” to a New Level

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:38:03 -0400

Government agencies are working hard to communicate complex mountains of data clearly and effectively through graphics. The Census Bureau, known for their great work creating visual images, has done just that. They have created a great data visualization game just in time for March Madness! The game, “Population Bracketology” tests your knowledge of

NCI QuitPal App

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:39:45 -0400

NCI QuitPal is a free smartphone app developed by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health to support smokers working to become smoke-free. This interactive app, available on the iOS platform, was developed using proven quit

API Analytics

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:11:57 -0400

Similar to website analytics, API analytics focus on reliably reporting the metrics which are most useful to its stakeholders. There are a many ways of collecting, reporting, and consuming API analytics but all revolve around the industry–accepted norm that some form of analytics are crucial to any API program. The most basic metrics will track

API Design and Documentation

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:49:20 -0400

Design At their core, developers want APIs for very straightforward, pragmatic ends. You should always design your APIs and document them with the goal of making it easier for developers to use them. Doing so results in greater adoption and a healthier, more successful API. The least efficient way to support developers would be to

How to Make APIs—An Overview

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:47:51 -0400

After choosing a set of information or services to offer via API, some of your next steps are to plan and implement the API. You’ll still need to prepare documentation, tools, and other elements that make a complete package for the API, but at the center is the actual Web service itself. In many situations,

Resources and Tools for APIs

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:41:05 -0400

Hosted API Tools Labs.Data.gov is a repository of shared services to prototype and provide developer resources to government agencies. Each tool uses Web services and lightweight, open source code to provide powerful functionality. Agencies are encouraged to improve any project and submit pull requests in order to share the improvements with others. API Standards Template With the open

How to Get Started with APIs

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:28:11 -0400

Audit Research existing APIs Regardless of your agency’s level of progress in API production, your first step is to create a developer hub that links to any of your agency’s existing APIs. This can help identify current efforts and connect you with others in your agency already working on APIs. Follow up with a deeper

API Basics

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:24:59 -0400

Common Technical Choices Protocol API protocol is the set of rules that govern how an API functions. The protocol outlines the structure and definitions of the API. The two common forms are REST and SOAP. REST is the dominant choice for API protocol because it uses the http protocol that powers the Web. REST supports more

Benefits of APIs

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:19:48 -0400

Understanding the benefits of API production allows you to coordinate with system owners and other stakeholders to modernize the agency’s systems and unlock the sizable potential. Here are just some of these opportunities. Efficiency Providing API access allows for content to be created once and automatically published or made available to many channels. Your agency’s

GSA FAS QR Code

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:50:06 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by GSA. The General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service Customer Accounts and Research (CAR) Office created a QR codes presentation for the 2011 GSA Expo to teach government attendees about the benefits of

USAID, HHS & DOL Mobile Gov App Challenge Winners

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 11:21:19 -0400

One way federal agencies create Mobile Gov products is through third party development. Some agencies use platforms like Challenge.gov to get the word out to developers and there have been 3 mobile app challenge awards so far this

USDA’s Amber Waves App

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:10:41 -0400

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) has developed a tablet app for their Amber Waves magazine which showcases

CDC’s Solve the Outbreak App

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:38:31 -0400

The Centers for Disease Control has launched a new table app Solve the Outbreak designed to teach users how CDC’s disease detectives save lives everyday. In this interactive, engaging app, you are a disease detective who gets to decide what to do when an outbreak

Contractor Vehicle Navigator – Usability Case Study

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:39:15 -0400

When users interact with a website to find information, it is important that we help them find their way by using plain language, clear terminology and visible help text. On December 7, 2012, the DigitalGov User Experience Program helped test the U.S. General Services Administration’s Contract Vehicle Navigator website. This Navigator site helps contracting officers find

Mobile Gov for Valentine’s Day!

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:26:56 -0400

Need a last minute Valentine’s Day gift idea? We’ve put together some last minute anytime, anywhere government Valentine’s ideas for your special

You'll Have Them at Swipe: Making An Awesome Mobile User Experience Webinar

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:02:07 -0400

Learn how to create amazing and engaging Mobile Gov User Experiences by watching this webinar. Anytime, anywhere government will be used in numerous contexts and requires developers to think about more than just content, security and privacy during implementation.

Pointe du Hoc Battle Site Mobile App

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 13:59:38 -0400

The Pointe du Hoc mobile app serves as a tour guide and learning tool for this World War II D-Day landing site in France. The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) developed both Android

Commerce Departmental Library – Usability Case Study

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:37:08 -0400

A website with too much information on the homepage, or any page, will overwhelm users in less than a second. They will be unable to find a starting point to accomplish what they came there to do. If users are not able to locate the information they need and/or are unable to get past the

Mobile Gov Resources for 2013!

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 09:55:27 -0400

With mobile use growing exponentially and federal agencies implementing customer-facing mobile services for the Digital Government Strategy, we decided to put together a Mobile Gov resource “cheat sheet” with concepts and information we think will be helpful for agencies implementing Mobile Gov in 2013. Here’s what Mobile Gov implementers need to

Analytics, APIs and Open Content Resources

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:34:25 -0400

Agencies have been working away at building better digital services and here, at the Digital Services Innovation Center, we’ve been building resources to help. We have been focusing on three areas, 1. The Digital Analytics Program. We announced this program in early October to help agencies better measure performance and customer satisfaction

NORAD Tracks Santa App

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:31:58 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by NORAD. The NORAD Tracks Santa apps provide a countdown to Santa’s Christmas Eve flight, interactive games and live tracking of Santa’s progress on December 24th. Why

SAM.gov – Usability Case Study

Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:04:42 -0400

One of the most vital parts of any website is its starting point. When a visitor arrives on the main page of your site, they should be able to quickly tell what the main tasks are and how to perform them. Visual cues and plain language are the best ways to accomplish this. The SAM.gov

IRS – Usability Case Study

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:05:59 -0400

Acronyms and jargon are fine when you want to communicate quickly to an internal audiences or to like-minded readers. Once the scope of your audience widens, however, these elements can make your pages harder to understand. The IRS recognized that its pages about tax planning for retirement were reaching an audience beyond tax professionals, and

Weather.gov – Usability Case Study

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:43:22 -0400

After conducting a usability test and listening to customer feedback, the Weather.gov team and the DigitalGov User Experience Program identified these three issues as both important and quickly solvable. Problem 1: Terminology and Labels Confusing The terminology and labels used were either too technical or too abstract for users to understand—a far cry from the plain

Using Gamification in Federal Projects

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:35:26 -0400

Gamification is the practice of using game technology or design principles for something that is not inherently game-like. Some examples include: bronze, silver, and gold badges for reading a set number of books, progress bars in online surveys, leader boards for top grades on an exam, or rewards for attending in-person events. As gamification projects are

#SocialGov Summit Highlights Accessibility Challenges

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:58:51 -0400

The recent #SocialGov Summit on accessibility of government social media raised emerging issues faced by agencies in their effort to make sure the information citizens need is communicated to them when and how they need it.

How the Department of Education Automated Publication of Press Releases

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:59:49 -0400

A case study on how the Department of Education used the Drupal content management system (CMS) to publish press releases as structured content to automatically generate listing pages and reduce errors and posting time. The Challenge The Department of Education was posting press releases using a system that posted them as static HTML files. The

How NASA Chose a New Content Management System

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 13:21:29 -0400

A case study on how NASA is choosing a new enterprise content management system (CMS). The Challenge NASA.gov needs a new enterprise CMS. They’re facing issues such as software obsolescence, inconsistent website governance, and a large amount of unstructured content stored in flat HTML files. Their current system is almost a decade old, and the

Smart Traveler App

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 02:22:34 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Department of State. Secretary Clinton often talks about using “21st Century Statecraft” at the State Department. For us in the website office, this equates to using new tools

Case Study: How DOL Created Software Development Kits (SDKs)

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:16:23 -0400

What It Is The U.S. Department of Labor sought to go beyond merely making data available to developers and take ease of use of the data to the next level by giving developers tools that would make using DOL’s data easier. The target audience was not just experienced developers, but even those who may be

Case Study: How GSA Launched Social Media Registry

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 01:14:12 -0400

In September, the General Services Administration (GSA) launched a registry of all federally-managed social media accounts. We want to explain a little of the history behind the registry and talk about a few things that make it a truly remarkable innovation from GSA. Before I start, I want to emphasize when I say “we” from

comScore Report, October 2012

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:13:09 -0400

In October 2012, comScore, a Web analytics research company, released an independently produced report that analyzes 75 federal agency websites on a range of quantitative and qualitative factors.

Government as an Information Franchise

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:28:00 -0400

The Digital Government Strategy represents best practices in today’s web services landscape. The DGS outlines a path to making government web services faster, more cost-efficient and higher-performing. It also frames out the digital government that everybody wants by making government information more flexible, actionable and easier to use. America Has Been There and Done That. Really?! Many consider

Centers for Disease Control Content Syndication

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 14:13:31 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses content syndication to share important health information with a variety of federal public

NSF.gov – Usability Case Study

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:57:16 -0400

Many government websites are informational in nature – you don’t sign up for things or buy anything. Instead, you look for something – a name, a ruling, some contact information. Informational sites – and scientific sites in particular – can be a challenge to design. With so much information, how do you make the important

GSA’s Child Care Information Portal

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 15:09:20 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the General Services Administration. The Child Care Information Portal is a responsively designed web site built by General Services Administration’s Office of the Chief

Mobile Apps Life Cycle Webinar

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 13:17:59 -0400

Are you creating a mobile website or app for your agency? On Tuesday, October 30, at 11 a.m. we will host a webinar to get agencies thinking about how they can prepare for the entire life cycle of their mobile products—from planning–to implementing—to continually updating and upgrading. This webinar will

Feds Shed Light on Dark Social

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 02:05:46 -0400

“Dark Social” media took the web by storm this week, unveiling to many the shadows in measuring your social media impact. This accounts for the majority of your traffic and yet lives untraced where standard metrics fear to tread (or simply cannot) — places like email and instant

GSA Intranet (Insite) – Usability Case Study

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:21:03 -0400

Not all usability changes are dramatic. Sometimes a few small tweaks can make a site significantly easier to navigate, or make important but hidden content pop off the page. The DigitalGov User Experience Program helped test Insite, GSA’s intranet, on September 21, 2011. GSA took the feedback from their usability test and made some changes to the

FedRAMP – Usability Case Study

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:16:23 -0400

Websites allow newer government programs to establish a visual identity that introduces them to users and conveys the importance of their work. On April 18, 2012, the DigitalGov User Experience Program helped test GSA’s Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) site, which at that point was less than six months old. Three immediate needs were

Office of Natural Resources Revenue – Usability Case Study

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:01:22 -0400

After watching a DigitalGov User Experience Program testing session, ONRR stakeholders and the testing team identified three major issues that could be quickly fixed to make the site more usable for its audience.

Taking Cancer.gov Mobile

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 14:29:55 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by National Cancer Institute. The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the nation’s leading cancer research agency and part of the National Institutes of Health has a legislative mandate to collect, organize, and disseminate the

Medicare.gov Responsive Redesign

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 15:37:35 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Medicare.gov is the consumer website for Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and advocates. The site includes information about Medicare plans, coverage, and care

Digital Government Strategy Milestones Report

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 10:00:19 -0400

Yesterday marked three months since the release of the Digital Government Strategy and agencies have been making great strides in meeting the milestones toward building a 21st Century Government.

Agency Digital Strategy Pages

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 10:00:26 -0400

In his May 23rd, 2012 Presidential Memorandum, President Obama directed Executive Departments and Agencies to implement the requirements of the Digital Government Strategy, and create a page at www.[agency].gov/digitalstrategy to publicly report progress of this implementation.

SMS or Short Message Service

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:10:46 -0400

SMS or Short Message Service (Texting) is a mobile device capability where users are able to send short (generally 160 characters maximum) text messages to another user via the use of the keypad or built-in keyboard. Seventy-three percent of cell phone owners use their device to text,

Agile “Sprinting” to Digital Governance Recommendations

Sun, 12 Aug 2012 15:51:19 -0400

To help agencies produce better decision-making across the organization about how to best spend resources on digital services and manage their data, the Digital Government Strategy tasked the Digital Services Advisory Group with “recommending guidelines on agency-wide governance structure for developing and

How Kids Search

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:11:43 -0400

Kids and adults use Web search tools differently. Kids fail more often, because they often don’t have enough knowledge or experience to search using the right keywords, or understand search results. If you’re designing websites for kids, remember that they use search tools differently than adults. Kids prefer surfing over searching.

Mobile First Webinar Recap

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:57:02 -0400

Federal agency mobile implementation is an important aspect of the Digital Government Strategy, so last week the Mobile Gov team and Digital Gov University partnered for a “Mobile First” Webinar. A “mobile first” approach is where new websites and applications are designed for mobile devices first, instead of designed for the traditional desktop. Representatives from government and the private sector

Accessibility Editorial Guidelines for YouTube

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 09:00:44 -0400

USAGov and USAGov en Español (formerly known as GobiernoUSA.gov) use social media to make government information easy for people to find, access, and use. Among the essential tools we use are videos, which we host on USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov’s YouTube channels.

Introduction to APIs

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:56:58 -0400

There’s an easier way to get content and data into the hands of citizens. Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, are web services that allow people to more easily consume content and data in multiple ways–via mobile devices, mobile apps, innovative mash-ups, and much more. Simply put, “APIs are a better way to get government information

Healthfinder.gov API

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:19:04 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Healthfinder.gov. The actual healthfinder.gov site was launched approximately twelve years ago, while the API is a fairly recent development that has occurred in the past year and

IRS2Go App

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 15:25:24 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS2Go app lets taxpayers check on the status of their refund, sign up for helpful tax tips or get the most recent IRS

OSHA Heat Safety Tool App

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 14:39:01 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Department of Labor. The Heat Safety Tool provides the heat index for your work site and precautions to prevent heat illness. Why We Did It OSHA developed the

Next in our Mobile Webinar Series: Mobile First!

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 11:48:11 -0400

You need resources, and we are here to help with an excellent new webinar series to jump start your agency’s digital gov efforts. Do you think “mobile first”? A “mobile first” approach is where new websites and applications are designed for mobile devices first, instead

Bureau of Indian Affairs Wikithon

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 15:04:12 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Bureau of Indian Affairs.

AIDS.gov Responsive Design

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:41:20 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by AIDS.gov. AIDS.gov implemented an innovative model for responsive design by combining the former AIDS.gov and m.aids.gov to a fluid site accessible on computers, smartphones and tablets. View the

FAA Mobile Site

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:36:05 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA launched a mobile site to cater to the needs of its users on the move. Why We Did It Mobile traffic

Government Video: Laws you need to follow

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 12:33:55 -0400

Government videos need to follow two main laws: People with disabilities must be able to fully experience them, and They must adhere to privacy laws 1. Making Video Accessible for People with Disabilities (Section 508) Federal employees are required by law (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973) to make the materials they create

How to Improve an Apps Challenge

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:32:50 -0400

The contest is over, but your work isn’t finished. Maintain a positive relationship with the community you’ve developed around your challenge. You will want to reach out to them in the future. Close the challenge and present awards Hold an awards ceremony to draw attention to the winners and to your challenge. The team behind

How to Implement an Apps Challenge

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 02:30:29 -0400

Recruiting the right judges, writing clear rules, and ensuring the public can find your apps challenge online will help ensure success. Recruit the judges Reach out to those who have expertise in your topic or are influential in the area. Well-known judges will help you draw attention to your challenge, and the judges are likely

Mobile Webinar Series Recap: Responsive Design

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:19:34 -0400

Some agencies are turning to responsive design to support device-agnostic content delivery which was called for in the recently released Digital Innovation Strategy. Last week, GSA’s Mobile Program Management Office held a responsive design webinar in conjunction with DigitalGov University outlining agency experiences with responsive design. Agency experts covered responsive design technical approaches and strategy and you can

Mobile Strategy at the Smithsonian

Fri, 29 Jun 2012 11:48:52 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian’s Mobile Strategy is designed to be integral to the overall organizational strategy of the institution. This Mobile Gov Experience is a synopsis of a webinar (PDF, 3.3 MB, 18 pages) by Smithsonian’s

Hitting the Ground Running With the Digital Strategy

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:28:21 -0400

Last month, the Obama Administration launched the Digital Government Strategy, a comprehensive roadmap aimed at building a 21st Century Digital Government that delivers better digital services to the American people.

MedlinePlus Mobile Evaluation

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 03:17:01 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the National Library of Medicine. The National Library of Medicine (NLM) launched MedlinePlus Mobile (m.medlineplus.gov) in January 2010 to provide authoritative consumer-level health information to a

USDA’s Ask Karen

Fri, 08 Jun 2012 02:43:37 -0400

MobileGov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Eyenote

Thu, 31 May 2012 12:27:21 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The EyeNote application scans paper money and tells the user the denomination, making U.S. paper money accessible to the blind and visually

RIM/Blackberry Mobile Development Webinar Recap

Wed, 16 May 2012 16:15:33 -0400

The Mobile Platform Development Series was developed to help government agencies learn how to deliver government content–information, data and services–anytime, anywhere and on any device. One way to deliver content to citizens is via applications on mobile devices or native mobile apps. Government agencies need technical expertise on developing apps on the various platforms. Today we bring

National Contact Center’s Text Message Program

Sat, 12 May 2012 14:22:22 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by GSA’s Office of Citizen Services & Innovative Technologies, Contact Center Services Division. The National Contact Center’s Text Message Program The

Find Free Video Stock Footage

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:50:12 -0400

If you’re creating video, stock footage can be your best friend. If you need shots of people walking around, a photo of Chicago, the sound of footsteps or a Latin soundtrack, someone else has already probably already created it and made it available for free!

NOAA’s Release Mako App

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:26:08 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Release Mako App was created for fisherman to report their catch and releases of shortfin mako sharks in real time.

NARA’s DocsTeach

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:42:14 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by National Archives and Records Administration. DocsTeach is a mobile application developed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) that allows teachers to create and share

USA.gov Mobile Apps Gallery

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 09:25:46 -0400

In April 2012, the U.S. General Services Administration launched a “full stack” responsive redesign of the federal mobile apps galleries: apps.USA.gov and apps.GobiernoUSA.gov. The full stack includes both a REST API and a complete redesign of the site using responsive design techniques.

MyDS Web App

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:08:16 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institute of Health has developed a free mobile app for consumers called My Dietary Supplements (MyDS).MyDS gives the user

EPA’s Mobile Access Review Committee

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 12:06:56 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. The Enivronmental Protection Agency’s Mobile Access Review Committee (MARC) evaluates external (public-facing) mobile app and mobile Web concepts prior to any development.

DOL Labor Stats App

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:09:51 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. The Labor Stats Application presents the most up-to-date numbers and news releases for top employment statistics published by Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration and Bureau of Labor Statistics.

My TSA Mobile App

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:28:21 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Transportation Security Administration about their MY TSA mobile app and website.

EPA Indoor airPLUS App

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 12:02:12 -0400

Mobile Gov Experiences are agency stories about creating anytime, anywhere, any device government services and info. This entry is a story shared by the Environmental Protection Agency about their Indoor airPLUS app.

Social Data Unlocked for Next Generation Services

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 01:44:51 -0400

Today at the Social Gov Summit for Social Media Week DC, we’ll showcase two new initiatives for citizens, agencies and small businesses that help unlock the full potential of social data for the next generation of government services and engagement.

Battle Royale: Mobile Web Versus Mobile Apps

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:32:24 -0400

When agency folks gather together to talk about mobile gov, the number one question asked is, “Should we do a mobile app or a mobile web site?” To help people with that question, we became fight promoters and sponsored THE BATTLE OF THE CENTURY: Mobile Web Vs. Mobile Apps.

Making Mobile Gov Project

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:20:28 -0400

Held during the summer 2011, Making Mobile Gov was a three phase multi-media project created by the MobileGov Community of Practice to help federal agencies discover, discuss, and design a citizen-centric path to mobile government services and information.

Tell Compelling Stories with Data Visualization

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 11:33:15 -0400

No information is more critical to your work than the numbers that reveal what’s happening, how you’re performing, and opportunities to do better. GovTech provides ten tips for getting the most from your data visualizations.