/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/topics/usability/ Recent content in Usability on Digital.gov Hugo en-us /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/11/26/navigating-digital-acquisitions/ Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/11/26/navigating-digital-acquisitions/ Learn the best practices for agile acquisitions—from building and buying solutions, to overcoming common roadblocks. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/30/enhancing-the-customer-centricity-of-gsa-websites/ Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/30/enhancing-the-customer-centricity-of-gsa-websites/ An overview of GSA’s website evaluation process, which combines qualitative and quantitative data to assess website management and performance. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/11/making-targeted-improvements-to-nps-gov-a-case-study-from-the-national-park-service/ Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/11/making-targeted-improvements-to-nps-gov-a-case-study-from-the-national-park-service/ NPS enhances user experience on NPS.gov by integrating Digital Analytics Program web analytics data and customer feedback from GSA Touchpoints. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/04/uncovering-impactful-solutions-through-user-research/ Fri, 04 Oct 2024 16:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/10/04/uncovering-impactful-solutions-through-user-research/ Get an overview of what user research and user testing are in a federal context. Learn what policies apply and what resources are available. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/13/10-years-of-the-u-s-digital-service-transforming-government-for-the-digital-age/ Tue, 13 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/13/10-years-of-the-u-s-digital-service-transforming-government-for-the-digital-age/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/06/developing-an-easier-way-to-recruit-user-research-participants/ Tue, 06 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/08/06/developing-an-easier-way-to-recruit-user-research-participants/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/07/16/designing-for-people-with-disabilities/ Tue, 16 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/07/16/designing-for-people-with-disabilities/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/07/08/a-small-teams-journey-through-digital-maturity/ Mon, 08 Jul 2024 15:55:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/07/08/a-small-teams-journey-through-digital-maturity/ As a small team, Digital.gov adopted user research and customer experience early. That foundation helps develop evidence-based strategies for today. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/06/06/case-study-removing-barriers-to-applying-for-a-presidential-pardon/ Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/06/06/case-study-removing-barriers-to-applying-for-a-presidential-pardon/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/05/14/one-year-with-the-new-usagov/ Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/05/14/one-year-with-the-new-usagov/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/04/17/progress-towards-delivering-a-digital-first-public-experience/ Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/04/17/progress-towards-delivering-a-digital-first-public-experience/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/04/16/determining-the-true-value-of-a-website-a-gsa-case-study/ Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/04/16/determining-the-true-value-of-a-website-a-gsa-case-study/ GSA has developed a composite indicator to visualize six key components of website success. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/03/19/18f-at-ten/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:02:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/03/19/18f-at-ten/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/03/15/search-gov-year-in-review-2023-report/ Fri, 15 Mar 2024 08:23:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/03/15/search-gov-year-in-review-2023-report/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/02/09/timeless-top-10-best-practices-for-great-government-websites/ Fri, 09 Feb 2024 11:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/02/09/timeless-top-10-best-practices-for-great-government-websites/ While the field of federal web management continues to evolve, the core best practices have remained essentially unchanged for two decades. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/01/09/accessibility-testing-creating-digital-services-everyone-can-use/ Tue, 09 Jan 2024 14:33:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2024/01/09/accessibility-testing-creating-digital-services-everyone-can-use/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-content/ Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:44:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/an-introduction-to-content/ Best practices for creating clear, useful, digital content for federal websites and digital services. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/10/04/5-things-we-learned-from-our-scams-wizard-usability-test/ Wed, 04 Oct 2023 10:57:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/10/04/5-things-we-learned-from-our-scams-wizard-usability-test/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/09/22/why-the-american-people-deserve-a-digital-government/ Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:26:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/09/22/why-the-american-people-deserve-a-digital-government/ 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). /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/08/24/blind-veterans-can-now-read-decision-letters/ Thu, 24 Aug 2023 13:08:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/08/24/blind-veterans-can-now-read-decision-letters/ VA now offers accessibility to blind Veterans so they can independently read decision letters online. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/05/15/a-digital-accessibility-catalyst-for-your-next-policy-refresh/ Mon, 15 May 2023 14:51:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/05/15/a-digital-accessibility-catalyst-for-your-next-policy-refresh/ Use GSA’s IT Accessibility Policy Framework to update digital accessibility language in your agency’s policies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/30/modernizing-a-federal-government-website-with-user-centered-design/ Thu, 30 Mar 2023 16:57:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/30/modernizing-a-federal-government-website-with-user-centered-design/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/16/testing-beta-for-accessibility/ Thu, 16 Mar 2023 10:23:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/16/testing-beta-for-accessibility/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/14/5-changes-the-ux-team-made-for-beta/ Tue, 14 Mar 2023 14:44:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/14/5-changes-the-ux-team-made-for-beta/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/09/call-for-participation-government-ux-summit-2023/ Thu, 09 Mar 2023 07:46:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/03/09/call-for-participation-government-ux-summit-2023/ The UX Summit will be a one day virtual event on June 14, 2023. New and experienced UX practitioners are encouraged to participate. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/01/25/revisiting-who-uses-onrr-gov-refining-personas/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 11:45:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2023/01/25/revisiting-who-uses-onrr-gov-refining-personas/ We’ve conducted several studies where we’ve noticed gaps in our onrr.gov personas, so we decided to revisit them. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/12/13/to-build-trust-aim-for-easy/ Tue, 13 Dec 2022 10:12:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/12/13/to-build-trust-aim-for-easy/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/11/21/accessibility-testing-for-onrr-gov/ Mon, 21 Nov 2022 15:27:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/11/21/accessibility-testing-for-onrr-gov/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/10/24/managing-stakeholder-feedback-lessons-from-experience/ Mon, 24 Oct 2022 07:59:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/10/24/managing-stakeholder-feedback-lessons-from-experience/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/06/13/dhs-usability-testing-kit/ Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:31:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2022/06/13/dhs-usability-testing-kit/ /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/11/15/webinar-recap-u-s-web-design-system-october-2021-monthly-call/ Mon, 15 Nov 2021 10:26:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/11/15/webinar-recap-u-s-web-design-system-october-2021-monthly-call/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/11/05/webinar-recap-u-s-web-design-system-september-2021-monthly-call/ Fri, 05 Nov 2021 13:34:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/11/05/webinar-recap-u-s-web-design-system-september-2021-monthly-call/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/09/01/building-a-bureau-wide-usability-collaboration-group-lessons-learned-from-the-u-s-geological-survey/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 19:05:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/09/01/building-a-bureau-wide-usability-collaboration-group-lessons-learned-from-the-u-s-geological-survey/ Learn about the U.S. Geological Survey’s Usability Collaboration Area in this short interview with the group’s organizer. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/13/involving-end-users-at-all-stages-to-create-actionable-science-products-for-complex-real-world-issues/ Fri, 13 Aug 2021 10:15:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/13/involving-end-users-at-all-stages-to-create-actionable-science-products-for-complex-real-world-issues/ How co-production methods increase the usefulness of scientific results, products, and tools /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/12/a-user-centered-approach-simplicity-and-complexity-in-a-homepage-graphic/ Thu, 12 Aug 2021 16:29:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/08/12/a-user-centered-approach-simplicity-and-complexity-in-a-homepage-graphic/ /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/web-analytics-and-optimization/ Wed, 07 Jul 2021 09:13:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/web-analytics-and-optimization/ Make better decisions using web analytics and other optimization strategies. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/05/21/how-to-navigate-challenges-to-successfully-a-b-test-your-emails/ Fri, 21 May 2021 11:44:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2021/05/21/how-to-navigate-challenges-to-successfully-a-b-test-your-emails/ The article will go over some best practices of implementing A/B testing on your emails. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/10/27/zero-pageviews-is-your-goal-finding-problem-pages-with-website-analytics/ Tue, 27 Oct 2020 10:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2020/10/27/zero-pageviews-is-your-goal-finding-problem-pages-with-website-analytics/ Improve customer experience by turning your website analytics upside down to track the numbers for pages you DON’T want visitors to see. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/usability-testing-with-steve-krug/ Fri, 03 Jan 2020 16:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/usability-testing-with-steve-krug/ Get started making usability fixes to your website or product. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/department-of-homeland-security-usability-testing-kit/ Tue, 27 Sep 2022 11:25:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/department-of-homeland-security-usability-testing-kit/ A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/web-content-managers/ Thu, 21 Nov 2013 02:31:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/communities/web-content-managers/ Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2025/01/16/uswds-monthly-call-january-2025/ Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2025/01/16/uswds-monthly-call-january-2025/ Learn the U.S. Web Design System basics, how to get started with the design system, and what’s coming next for USWDS in 2025. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/12/19/uswds-monthly-call-december-2024/ Thu, 19 Dec 2024 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/12/19/uswds-monthly-call-december-2024/ The U.S. Web Design System team is joined by the Federal Website Standards team to share more about the standards, their origin, the research backing them, and what standards are coming next. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/11/21/uswds-monthly-call-november-2024/ Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/11/21/uswds-monthly-call-november-2024/ The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/10/17/uswds-monthly-call-october-2024/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/10/17/uswds-monthly-call-october-2024/ The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system. event_organizer: Digital.gov /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/03/13/spring-2024-community-summit/ Wed, 13 Mar 2024 10:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2024/03/13/spring-2024-community-summit/ Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/03/28/uswds-monthly-call-march-2023/ Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/03/28/uswds-monthly-call-march-2023/ Making sense: Cognition, perception, and design /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/01/25/continuously-improve-your-website-by-using-customer-feedback-and-web-analytics-an-irs-case-study/ Wed, 25 Jan 2023 13:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/01/25/continuously-improve-your-website-by-using-customer-feedback-and-web-analytics-an-irs-case-study/ Get tips and lessons learned from the Internal Revenue Service on how they collect user feedback and use web analytics to improve applications. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/01/19/uswds-monthly-call-january-2023/ Thu, 19 Jan 2023 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2023/01/19/uswds-monthly-call-january-2023/ Join the Design System team as we tackle your most commonly-asked questions. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/12/15/uswds-monthly-call-december-2022/ Thu, 15 Dec 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/12/15/uswds-monthly-call-december-2022/ A look back at what took place in the Design System in 2022. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/11/15/usagov-usability-test-reports/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/11/15/usagov-usability-test-reports/ Join us for an overview of usability test reports on the next version of USA.gov. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/09/27/dhs-usability-testing-kit-so-easy-anyone-can-do-it/ Tue, 27 Sep 2022 13:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/09/27/dhs-usability-testing-kit-so-easy-anyone-can-do-it/ Join us for an overview of the Department of Homeland Security’s new Usability Testing Kit, including its four approaches to usability testing. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/07/13/increase-your-impact-with-plain-language/ Wed, 13 Jul 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/07/13/increase-your-impact-with-plain-language/ Get tips and lessons learned from the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division on using plain language to increase their impact and influence. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/09/plain-language-compassion-help-people-in-crisis/ Wed, 09 Mar 2022 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2022/03/09/plain-language-compassion-help-people-in-crisis/ Meet the content strategists who worked to transform FindTreatment.gov to connect people in crisis with the help that they need. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/09/21/2021-federal-plain-language-summit/ Tue, 21 Sep 2021 10:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/09/21/2021-federal-plain-language-summit/ On 9/21/21, PLAIN’s Fourth Federal PL Summit showcases federal employees’ plain language projects. Topics include COVID-19 agency responses, accessibility, user experience, and career enhancement. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/07/28/fedramp-dap-case-study-part-1-assessing-analytics-strategy/ Wed, 28 Jul 2021 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/07/28/fedramp-dap-case-study-part-1-assessing-analytics-strategy/ In this two-part Analytics Case Study, we’ll speak with the GSA’s FedRAMP team about their analytics strategy, data collection, reporting, and subsequent decision-making for a new site launch. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/04/14/how-testing-your-documents-can-improve-plain-language-compliance/ Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2021/04/14/how-testing-your-documents-can-improve-plain-language-compliance/ Usability testing isn’t only for websites. Come work with Dr. Ginny Redish and try out three techniques for quick and easy ways to test the usability of your documents. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/11/12/customer-experience-continuous-improvement-the-usps-digital-approach/ Thu, 12 Nov 2020 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/11/12/customer-experience-continuous-improvement-the-usps-digital-approach/ This presentation lays out USPS.com’s continuous improvement approach and how it combines analytics and customer feedback with iterative heuristic reviews, design, and usability testing to monitor, improve, and evolve the USPS.com CX. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/07/28/2020-government-ux-summit/ Tue, 28 Jul 2020 11:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/07/28/2020-government-ux-summit/ A remote event covering user experience (UX) methods, service design, and managing UX in the government. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/23/short-case-study-ab-testing-for/ Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/23/short-case-study-ab-testing-for/ See how our Office of Strategic Communication used A/B testing to resolve a difference of opinion within a cross-functional design team. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/18/2020-census-language-support-in-59/ Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:30:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2020/06/18/2020-census-language-support-in-59/ How the Census Bureau provided language assistance in 59 non-English languages for the 2020 Census. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/04/16/an-introduction-dha-usability-lab-overview-case-studies-whats-next/ Tue, 16 Apr 2019 14:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2019/04/16/an-introduction-dha-usability-lab-overview-case-studies-whats-next/ Join us for an overview of the DHA Usability Lab, and the resources they provide to improve customer experience. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/18f-methods/ Tue, 02 Apr 2019 17:25:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/18f-methods/ A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/12/10/an-introduction-usability-testing-why/ Mon, 10 Dec 2018 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/12/10/an-introduction-usability-testing-why/ /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/08/30/collaborating-for-better-design-technology-user-experience/ Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:18:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/08/30/collaborating-for-better-design-technology-user-experience/ Overview of initiatives across Federal government that focus on IT design, development and accessibility. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/26/civic-service-design-tools-tactics/ Thu, 26 Jul 2018 15:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/07/26/civic-service-design-tools-tactics/ Join us for this hour long webinar to receive an introduction on the Civic Service Design Tools + Tactics, a set of practical ways to gather insights from the people who depend on your services in their own environments. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/06/14/usability-testing-with-steve-krug/ Thu, 14 Jun 2018 15:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/event/2018/06/14/usability-testing-with-steve-krug/ Join us for a 90-minute demonstration and talk with Steve Krug, where he will share how you can get started making usability fixes, no matter what your full-time job is. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/03/07/redesigning-an-intranet-site-final-stages-launch-lessons-learned/ Wed, 07 Mar 2018 12:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2018/03/07/redesigning-an-intranet-site-final-stages-launch-lessons-learned/ Helpful lessons from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) on the redesign of an intranet. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/28/finding-usability-testers-tips-from-an-army-recruiter/ Thu, 28 Sep 2017 14:50:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/28/finding-usability-testers-tips-from-an-army-recruiter/ 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). /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/20/a-conversation-with-itif-about-state-federal-government-websites/ Wed, 20 Sep 2017 11:00:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/09/20/a-conversation-with-itif-about-state-federal-government-websites/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/24/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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2017/03/24/new-itif-report-inspires-a-closer-look-at-website-performance-and-security-here-is-where-to-begin/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/accessibility-for-teams/ Wed, 01 Feb 2017 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/accessibility-for-teams/ A ‘quick-start’ guide for embedding accessibility and inclusive design practices into your team’s workflow /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/17/analytics-success-series-usa-gov/ Mon, 17 Oct 2016 11:00:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/10/17/analytics-success-series-usa-gov/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/19/how-do-you-redesign-a-dinosaur-redesigning-an-intranet-site-the-beginning-stages/ Mon, 19 Sep 2016 10:00:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/09/19/how-do-you-redesign-a-dinosaur-redesigning-an-intranet-site-the-beginning-stages/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/31/creative-usability-test-methods-or-my-brief-career-as-a-robot-voice/ Wed, 31 Aug 2016 12:00:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/08/31/creative-usability-test-methods-or-my-brief-career-as-a-robot-voice/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/01/the-user-centered-redesign-of-identitytheft-gov/ Wed, 01 Jun 2016 14:30:14 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/06/01/the-user-centered-redesign-of-identitytheft-gov/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/23/kids-gov-reenvisioned/ Mon, 23 May 2016 10:00:16 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2016/05/23/kids-gov-reenvisioned/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/20/ux-vs-cx-whats-the-dif-part-2/ Fri, 20 Nov 2015 11:10:26 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/20/ux-vs-cx-whats-the-dif-part-2/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/23/is-your-site-mobile-friendly/ Fri, 23 Oct 2015 11:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/23/is-your-site-mobile-friendly/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/16/why-your-user-experience-must-include-design-for-accessibility/ Fri, 16 Oct 2015 10:00:52 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/10/16/why-your-user-experience-must-include-design-for-accessibility/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/20/the-content-corner-determining-your-users-needs/ Mon, 20 Jul 2015 10:20:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/07/20/the-content-corner-determining-your-users-needs/ 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). /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/04/helpful-resources-to-help-make-your-content-mobile-friendly/ Mon, 04 May 2015 10:00:43 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/05/04/helpful-resources-to-help-make-your-content-mobile-friendly/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/21/trends-on-tuesday-the-total-market-approach/ Tue, 21 Apr 2015 10:00:13 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/21/trends-on-tuesday-the-total-market-approach/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/15/mobilegeddon-government-edition/ Wed, 15 Apr 2015 14:15:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/15/mobilegeddon-government-edition/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/10/usability-testing-with-people-who-have-vision-impairment-is-difficult-reality-or-perception/ Fri, 10 Apr 2015 11:10:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/10/usability-testing-with-people-who-have-vision-impairment-is-difficult-reality-or-perception/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/02/careeronestops-newest-online-resources-targeted-to-user-needs/ Thu, 02 Apr 2015 10:17:09 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/04/02/careeronestops-newest-online-resources-targeted-to-user-needs/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/19/getting-started-with-usability-testing/ Thu, 19 Mar 2015 02:10:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/19/getting-started-with-usability-testing/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/17/at-last-user-experience-performance-descriptions/ Tue, 17 Mar 2015 11:10:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/17/at-last-user-experience-performance-descriptions/ 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, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/16/why-your-apis-need-design-help/ Mon, 16 Mar 2015 10:00:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/16/why-your-apis-need-design-help/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/13/goodgovux-addresses-ux-of-it-contracts/ Fri, 13 Mar 2015 10:00:27 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/13/goodgovux-addresses-ux-of-it-contracts/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/09/the-content-corner-performing-a-content-audit/ Mon, 09 Mar 2015 10:00:21 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/09/the-content-corner-performing-a-content-audit/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/06/the-usability-aha-moment-how-to-turn-cynics-into-converts/ Fri, 06 Mar 2015 11:19:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/03/06/the-usability-aha-moment-how-to-turn-cynics-into-converts/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/avoid-weak-links-in-your-digital-chain/ Wed, 25 Feb 2015 11:10:25 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/25/avoid-weak-links-in-your-digital-chain/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/20/accessibility-is-not-scary-2/ Fri, 20 Feb 2015 10:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/20/accessibility-is-not-scary-2/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/13/institutionalizing-user-experience-building-usability-into-your-organization/ Fri, 13 Feb 2015 10:00:30 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/13/institutionalizing-user-experience-building-usability-into-your-organization/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/06/top-task-usability-design-for-your-users/ Fri, 06 Feb 2015 10:10:11 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/02/06/top-task-usability-design-for-your-users/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/02/past-present-future-usability-testing-at-the-national-library-of-medicine/ Fri, 02 Jan 2015 11:00:28 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/01/02/past-present-future-usability-testing-at-the-national-library-of-medicine/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/31/the-best-e-gov-websites-in-the-world/ Wed, 31 Dec 2014 10:00:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/31/the-best-e-gov-websites-in-the-world/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/19/making-prototypes-with-tools-you-already-have/ Fri, 19 Dec 2014 10:00:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/19/making-prototypes-with-tools-you-already-have/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/09/can-you-crowdsource-your-user-experience-research/ Tue, 09 Dec 2014 12:00:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/12/09/can-you-crowdsource-your-user-experience-research/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/26/usability-events-round-up-2014/ Wed, 26 Nov 2014 10:00:07 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/26/usability-events-round-up-2014/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/21/results-2014-federal-user-experience-survey/ Fri, 21 Nov 2014 10:00:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/21/results-2014-federal-user-experience-survey/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/17/user-experience-impossible-the-line-between-accessibility-and-usability/ Mon, 17 Nov 2014 10:00:39 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/17/user-experience-impossible-the-line-between-accessibility-and-usability/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/14/institute-for-education-sciences-usability-case-study/ Fri, 14 Nov 2014 10:00:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/14/institute-for-education-sciences-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/10/4-tips-on-great-survey-design/ Mon, 10 Nov 2014 10:00:40 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/11/10/4-tips-on-great-survey-design/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/06/user-acceptance-testing-versus-usability-testing-whats-the-dif/ Mon, 06 Oct 2014 10:00:50 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/10/06/user-acceptance-testing-versus-usability-testing-whats-the-dif/ Building off the great discussion started around Customer Experience, we’re looking at the difference between User Acceptance Testing and Usability Testing. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/08/finding-participants-for-user-experience-studies/ Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:30:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/08/finding-participants-for-user-experience-studies/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/04/national-cancer-institute-launches-new-user-experience-lab/ Thu, 04 Sep 2014 10:00:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/09/04/national-cancer-institute-launches-new-user-experience-lab/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/29/system-usability-scale-improving-products-since-1986/ Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:15:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/29/system-usability-scale-improving-products-since-1986/ 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, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/22/api-usability-case-study-openfda/ Fri, 22 Aug 2014 09:32:53 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/22/api-usability-case-study-openfda/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/19/redesigning-with-customer-feedback-child-support-enforcement-usability-case-study/ Tue, 19 Aug 2014 01:00:49 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/19/redesigning-with-customer-feedback-child-support-enforcement-usability-case-study/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/18/how-to-choose-a-user-experience-technique/ Mon, 18 Aug 2014 10:00:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/18/how-to-choose-a-user-experience-technique/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/14/census-pop-quiz-mobile-app-challenges-knowledge-of-state-statistics/ Thu, 14 Aug 2014 13:29:36 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/14/census-pop-quiz-mobile-app-challenges-knowledge-of-state-statistics/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/12/heat-mapping-case-study-epa-gov-homepage/ Tue, 12 Aug 2014 11:00:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/12/heat-mapping-case-study-epa-gov-homepage/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/08/design-sketching-the-easiest-prototype-method-ever/ Fri, 08 Aug 2014 10:00:19 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/08/08/design-sketching-the-easiest-prototype-method-ever/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/02/using-top-tasks-to-be-top-notch-federal-reserve-board-usability-case-study/ Wed, 02 Jul 2014 13:51:51 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/02/using-top-tasks-to-be-top-notch-federal-reserve-board-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/01/using-analytics-to-create-change-usa-gov-usability-case-study/ Tue, 01 Jul 2014 13:00:38 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/07/01/using-analytics-to-create-change-usa-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/06/consumer-action-handbook-usability-case-study/ Fri, 06 Jun 2014 10:00:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/06/06/consumer-action-handbook-usability-case-study/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/ignite-with-us/ Wed, 21 May 2014 15:00:05 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/ignite-with-us/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/the-road-to-better-websites-gets-easier-with-usability-walkthroughs/ Wed, 21 May 2014 10:00:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/21/the-road-to-better-websites-gets-easier-with-usability-walkthroughs/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/packaging-up-api-usability-testing-for-agency-reuse/ Tue, 20 May 2014 01:00:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/20/packaging-up-api-usability-testing-for-agency-reuse/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/what-is-a-terms-of-service-and-how-do-i-get-one/ Tue, 13 May 2014 10:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/05/13/what-is-a-terms-of-service-and-how-do-i-get-one/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/21/usability-case-study-gsa-acquisition-portal/ Mon, 21 Apr 2014 10:00:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/21/usability-case-study-gsa-acquisition-portal/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/14/noaa-national-ocean-service-usability-case-study/ Mon, 14 Apr 2014 10:00:04 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/14/noaa-national-ocean-service-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/09/usability-case-study-fda-consumer-graphics/ Wed, 09 Apr 2014 10:00:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/09/usability-case-study-fda-consumer-graphics/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/04/heatmapping-tools-show-whats-hot-on-your-pages/ Fri, 04 Apr 2014 10:00:37 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/04/heatmapping-tools-show-whats-hot-on-your-pages/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/02/kids-gov-usability-case-study/ Wed, 02 Apr 2014 10:00:02 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/04/02/kids-gov-usability-case-study/ Launched back in 2001, Kids.gov has the unenviable task of trying to keep pace with the rapidly changing online habits of youngsters. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/26/measuring-user-experience-a-few-tips/ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:00:24 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/26/measuring-user-experience-a-few-tips/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/18/data-gov-usability-case-study/ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 08:42:54 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/03/18/data-gov-usability-case-study/ 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, /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/28/mobile-tester-usability-short-reads-learning-from-others-mistakes/ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 09:00:34 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2014/02/28/mobile-tester-usability-short-reads-learning-from-others-mistakes/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/digitalgov-user-experience-resources/digitalgov-user-experience-program-usability-starter-kit/ Thu, 16 Jan 2014 11:28:18 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/digitalgov-user-experience-resources/digitalgov-user-experience-program-usability-starter-kit/ Here are some tools and templates to help you create better user experiences. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/digitalgov-user-experience-resources/digitalgov-user-experience-program-results-and-case-studies/ Thu, 16 Jan 2014 11:01:12 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/resources/digitalgov-user-experience-resources/digitalgov-user-experience-program-results-and-case-studies/ Like any valid business decision, User Experience work should produce results and demonstrable impact. To see a list of screenshots from websites we’ve improved, visit the rest of our Usability Case Studies. Or see a more complete case study below. Case Study: Fueleconomy.gov Mobile Site In December of 2012 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/19/citizen-needs-come-first-for-uk-websites/ Thu, 19 Dec 2013 01:02:31 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/19/citizen-needs-come-first-for-uk-websites/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/05/u-s-census-bureau-dwellr-app/ Thu, 05 Dec 2013 12:51:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/12/05/u-s-census-bureau-dwellr-app/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/18/creating-cross-channel-experiences/ Mon, 18 Nov 2013 10:40:09 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/11/18/creating-cross-channel-experiences/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/30/usability-and-accessibility-looking-at-user-experience-through-two-lenses/ Fri, 30 Aug 2013 08:31:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/08/30/usability-and-accessibility-looking-at-user-experience-through-two-lenses/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/31/mobile-product-accessibility-testing-resources/ Wed, 31 Jul 2013 10:34:45 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/31/mobile-product-accessibility-testing-resources/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/30/improving-the-user-experience-with-the-usability-gov-reboot/ Tue, 30 Jul 2013 09:03:17 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/30/improving-the-user-experience-with-the-usability-gov-reboot/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/15/digital-metrics-for-federal-agencies/ Mon, 15 Jul 2013 11:41:47 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/15/digital-metrics-for-federal-agencies/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/business-usa-gov-usability-case-study/ Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:14:32 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/business-usa-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/fueleconomy-gov-usability-case-study/ Tue, 02 Jul 2013 11:08:48 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/07/02/fueleconomy-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/19/army-mil-usability-case-study/ Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:11:35 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/06/19/army-mil-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/29/atf-gov-usability-case-study/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:21:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/29/atf-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/26/how-to-do-usability-testing-with-kids/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:02:56 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/04/26/how-to-do-usability-testing-with-kids/ 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. /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/22/regulations-gov-usability-case-study/ Fri, 22 Mar 2013 11:29:33 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/22/regulations-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/21/saferbus-mobile-usability-case-study/ Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:51:29 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/03/21/saferbus-mobile-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/02/19/contractor-vehicle-navigator-usability-case-study/ Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:39:15 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/02/19/contractor-vehicle-navigator-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/01/23/commerce-departmental-library-usability-case-study/ Wed, 23 Jan 2013 11:37:08 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2013/01/23/commerce-departmental-library-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/17/sam-gov-usability-test-study/ Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:04:42 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/17/sam-gov-usability-test-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/14/irs-usability-case-study/ Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:05:59 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/14/irs-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/06/weather-gov-usability-case-study/ Thu, 06 Dec 2012 16:43:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/12/06/weather-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/13/government-as-an-information-franchise/ Tue, 13 Nov 2012 09:28:00 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/13/government-as-an-information-franchise/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/05/nsf-gov-usability-case-study/ Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:57:16 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/11/05/nsf-gov-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/gsa-intranet-insite-usability-case-study/ Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:21:03 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/gsa-intranet-insite-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/gsa-fedramp-usability-case-study/ Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:16:23 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/gsa-fedramp-usability-case-study/ 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 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/office-of-natural-resources-revenue-usability-case-study/ Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:01:22 -0400 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2012/10/15/office-of-natural-resources-revenue-usability-case-study/ 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.