{
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    "title" : "An introduction to design |Digital.gov",
    "description": "An introduction to design",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/resources/an-introduction-to-design/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"An introduction to design","deck" : "Understand how to implement a design-driven user experience","summary" : "How to design government websites that meet customer needs, work well on any device, and follow federal web requirements.","date" : "2023-08-30T15:32:00-05:00","date_modified" : "2024-07-05T22:14:24-04:00","topics" : {
        
            "design" : "Design"
            },"branch" : "cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings",
      "filename" :"an-introduction-to-design.md",
      
      "filepath" :"resources/an-introduction-to-design.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/content/resources/an-introduction-to-design.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/content/resources/an-introduction-to-design.md","slug" : "an-introduction-to-design","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/cms/news/2024/07/2024-07-02-case-study-increasing-access-to-required-bankruptcy-meetings/resources/an-introduction-to-design/","weight" : "1","content" :"\u003ch2 id=\"what-is-design\"\u003eWhat is design?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://www.loc.gov/exhibits/eames/bio.html\"\u003eAmerican designer Charles Eames\u003c/a\u003e has described design as “a plan for arranging elements to accomplish a particular purpose.”\u003csup\u003e\u003ca aria-describedby=\"footnote-label\" href=\"#fn1\" id=\"footnotes-ref1\"\u003e[1]\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e This can easily be applied to government websites, as the purpose of most agency websites is to enable users to accomplish specific tasks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"why-does-design-matter\"\u003eWhy does design matter?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike a tour guide or museum docent, well-designed websites are helpful, courteous, informational, and relevant, escorting people through their journey to a successful outcome. When agencies deliver customer-centric digital services that work well, it increases satisfaction, confidence, and trust in government.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePoorly-designed websites often present information from an organizational (rather than customer-centric) viewpoint. This results in websites that don’t communicate clearly, and leave users stranded without answering their questions. When users are forced to abandon a website, they often call or email for help instead, which can be significantly more expensive for agencies than providing the self-service solutions preferred by most people.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-to-design-websites-that-work-well-for-users\"\u003eHow to design websites that work well for users\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are four key pillars to meet the \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/resources/checklist-of-requirements-for-federal-digital-services\"\u003efederal web requirements\u003c/a\u003e related to design and user experience (UX).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign a consistent user experience\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContinually test products and services to ensure they meet user needs\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eListen to and act on customer feedback\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBe device-agnostic\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat websites are rooted in customer understanding, so learn what your customers really need, and observe how they interact with your products in the real world, including on different devices, to identify and address design issues that cause confusion or impede the customer journey.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"resources\"\u003eResources\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://designsystem.digital.gov/design-principles/#start-with-real-user-needs-2\"\u003eStart with real user needs\u003c/a\u003e - Follow USWDS design principles\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://methods.18f.gov/\"\u003eMethods\u003c/a\u003e - Employ the appropriate method to meet your research goals\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://pra.digital.gov\"\u003ePaperwork Reduction Act (PRA)\u003c/a\u003e - Comply with PRA rules when collecting feedback from ten or more people (non-feds)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://designsystem.digital.gov/patterns/\"\u003eUSWDS Patterns\u003c/a\u003e - Employ patterns to provide a m.ore consistent user experience\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/guides/mobile-principles\"\u003eEight principles of mobile-friendliness\u003c/a\u003e - Test your site to ensure it works well on any size of screen\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2022/10/14/sunrise-to-sunset-building-a-customer-centric-digital-ecosystem/\"\u003eSunrise to Sunset: Building a Customer-centric Digital Ecosystem\u003c/a\u003e - Learn how GSA built the Digital Lifecycle Program to help GSA web teams manage a website throughout its entire lifecycle.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://blog-nrrd.doi.gov/USWDS/\"\u003eThe U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) and onrr.gov\u003c/a\u003e - Read this USWDS case study from Dept. of Interior\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://18f.gsa.gov/2019/11/07/barriers-to-governments-adoption-of-user-centered-design-and-how-to-address-them\"\u003eBarriers to Government’s Adoption of User-centered Design — And How To Address Them\u003c/a\u003e - Practical advice to help government agencies get started with user research\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"connect-with-others-interested-in-design\"\u003eConnect with others interested in design\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWant to learn more? Join our communities of practice.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe UX Community of Practice is a group of managers, subject matter experts, designers, developers, writers and others interested in creating efficient, effective and useful technologies. \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/communities/user-experience/\"\u003eJoin the UX Community\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Web Managers Community of Practice is a group of government employees who manage government websites and digital services. They work to create a trusted, seamless online experience for all. \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/communities/web-content-managers/\"\u003eJoin the Web Managers Community\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDeveloped in collaboration with GSA’s Service Design Program, Office of Customer Experience.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cfooter\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"footnote-label\"\u003eFootnotes\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli id=\"fn1\"\u003eEditors, The. n.d. Review of \u003cem\u003eDesign Q \u0026 A: Charles and Ray Eames\u003c/em\u003e. Herman Miller. WHY Magazine. \u003ca href=\"https://www.hermanmiller.com/stories/why-magazine/design-q-and-a-charles-and-ray-eames/\"\u003e https://www.hermanmiller.com/stories/why-magazine/design-q-and-a-charles-and-ray-eames/\u003c/a\u003e \u003ca href=\"#footnotes-ref1\" aria-label=\"Back to content\"\u003e↩\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/footer\u003e\n"}
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}