Software Engineering on Digital.gov

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.

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.

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.

An introduction to ATOs

Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:39:00 -0500

What is an Authorization to Operate? Before you use software in government, you need to make sure it is allowed. You should know what an ATO is and when you need one.

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.

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.

Inclusive Design Patterns Research Report

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

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) is excited to provide a new library of guidance and examples focused on key digital interactions — what we call design patterns — that foster effective, inclusive, and equitable digital experiences. This online report has four pages; Summary, Findings, What’s Next, and Get Involved. It also links to the new patterns section, where you can learn how to help your users complete a complex form, identify and select a preferred language, or create a user profile.

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.

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.

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.

TTS Reflects: Why I Continue To Serve

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:29:00 -0500

For Veterans Day 2021, we asked members of TTS’s Veterans affinity group to write one or two paragraphs in response to the question, “Why do I continue to serve?”

Navigating ATOs

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

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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).

Spotlight Story: Pioneering Open Source at the CFPB

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

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

Tue, 07 Jul 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.

DevOps

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 19:00:00 -0500

The practice of operations and development staff participating in the entire service lifecycle to operate rapidly changing resilient systems at scale.

U.S. Web Design System

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 19:00:00 -0500

A community for anyone building federal websites with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) or considering it for a future project.

U.S. Web Design System

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 23:37:00 -0500

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 03:30:00 -0500

Working to advance the cause of APIs in the federal government.

Revised 508 Standards Roadmap

Tue, 30 Jan 2018 10:27:00 -0500

Follow the Revised 508 Standards to ensure your information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.

18F

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We help government agencies fix technical problems, build products, and improve how government serves the public through technology.

Presidential Innovation Fellows

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We help government agencies fix technical problems, build products, and improve how government serves the public through technology.

Resources.Data.gov

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

An online repository of policies, schema standards, tools, best practices, and case studies to provide agencies with resources for federal data management.

U.S. Digital Corps

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A two-year fellowship for early-career technologists to start careers in public service, with professional development and mentorship.

U.S. Digital Service

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We deploy small, responsive groups of designers, engineers, product managers, and bureaucracy specialists to work with and empower civil servants.

An introduction to GitHub

Thu, 18 Jun 2020 13:00:00 -0500

Steps for managing website content in GitHub.

An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 23:37:00 -0500

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.

Code.gov

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A collection of federal source code including open source software.

Data.gov

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Data, tools, and resources to conduct research, develop web and mobile applications.

DotGov Registry

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

We make it easy to register and manage a .gov domain for US-based government organizations.

USWDS Maturity Model

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

How to adopt the design system incrementally and design and build better digital experiences.

U.S. Web Design System

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

A toolkit of principles, guidance, and code that helps agency digital teams build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.

USWDS Monthly Call - June 2024

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System team will give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.

USWDS Monthly Call - May 2024

Thu, 16 May 2024 14:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will chat with Center for Civic Design co-founder Whitney Quesenbery about designing accessible civic spaces.

USWDS Monthly Call - April 2024

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will go over some basics of Web Components and how they apply to the design system.

USWDS Monthly Call - March 2024

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0500

Join the U.S. Web Design System team for a lesson on customizing and extending the design system.

USWDS Monthly Call - June 2022

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 14:00:00 -0500

What you need to know before contributing to USWDS.

USWDS Monthly Call - May 2022

Thu, 19 May 2022 14:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will show you how to reduce CSS size and optimize build time with the design system.

USWDS Monthly Call - January 2022

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 14:00:00 -0500

New resources for developers who are new to USWDS.

USWDS Monthly Call - December 2021

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 14:00:00 -0500

Get started with the design system and a how-to demo of template creation and a prototyping approach.

USWDS Monthly Call: October 2021

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 14:00:00 -0500

This month’s topic: Community, Connection & Contribution. How can our community help teams solve problems together?

Federal Source Code Summit: Towards a Source Code Community

Thu, 08 Oct 2020 08:30:00 -0500

This summit brings together the federal community to share success stories and best practices for utilizing federal source code and open source software, and examine the implementation of the Federal Source Code policy.

A Fresh Start With DevOps - Maybe

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0500

When legacy is used to define systems less than five years old, an agency can still encounter DevOps adoption challenges where you least expect them.

Operating Cloud Services Efficiently with Business-Driven IT

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Program managers, IT acquisitions leads, and business-minded IT professionals will receive in-depth guidance to improve cloud efficiency, optimization, and effective cost controls.

18F De-risking Guides

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 15:34:00 -0500

The Federal Field Guide to De-risk Government Technology offers guidance to federal agencies on how to structure software development teams, write contracts, and oversee agile software activities to reduce risks and improve outcomes for end-users.

The Continuous DevOps Dilemma with Andrew Clay Shafer

Tue, 04 Aug 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Using DevOps to help change entrenched behaviors in organizations.

USWDS Monthly Call: Form Components Update

Thu, 16 Jul 2020 14:30:00 -0500

For the July 2020 USWDS, Dan Williams, USWDS product lead, led a demonstration of several newly released USWDS components.

A Technical Overview of cloud.gov

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 14:00:00 -0500

In this webinar, we will provide a technical overview of cloud.gov including a visual representation of its architecture, marketplace services, content delivery networks, and how to engage with cloud.gov.

Air Force COOL and 18F: Partnership and Flight Operations Software Agile Lessons Learned

Tue, 23 Jun 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Highlights from the Air Force Materiel Command & 18F partnership and the importance of organizational structure, roles of the core team, and user outreach for military and government DevOps.

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.

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.

DevOps Lessons Learned from the Air Force’s Early Cloud Journey

Tue, 19 May 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Lessons learned in the areas of people, processes, and tools from early efforts in the Air Force’s journey to a multi-cloud environment.

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!

The Hero's Journey for Re-Skilling Talent (And Other Digital Adventures)

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:00:00 -0500

For those seeking ways to internally re-skill their workforce for digital transformation, a look at mythology reveals a recurring theme where those answering the call are involved in an iterative cycle of ’leveling-up’, a theme that may help change-agents set conditions for successful retention and growth of organic digital talent.

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!

Intro to Cloud Foundry on Cloud.gov

Tue, 31 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500

In this workshop, we demonstrate the basics of using the Cloud.gov platform as a developer.

Why I Love My Agile Team!

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 15:00:00 -0500

Join us as we meet with Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) who is utilizing an agile approach to assist in further updating their topographical information and data.

Moving From Agile Towards DevOps With a Small Team

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 14:00:00 -0500

In this webinar, Chris Lauer will share some of the successes and failures as the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has adopted Agile, and our gradual move towards DevOps.

Federal Crowdsourcing Webinar Series, Episode 7: Crowdsourcing for Code

Tue, 11 Feb 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Learn how the Code.gov team, and every day contributors, are helping the U.S. government to expand its repository—and application—of open-source code as part of Code.gov’s Open Tasks initiative.

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

How Agencies Are Spreading Best Practices

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 14:00:00 -0500

Join the DevOps Community of Practice in a panel discussion as different agencies share technical best practices in various offices.

USWDS Monthly Call: Using the USWDS Maturity Model

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 14:30:00 -0500

Join U.S. Web Design System Product Lead, Dan Williams, as we discuss the USWDS maturity model and answer your questions.

DevOps Holiday Special Event: Nicolas Chaillan

Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:00:00 -0500

Join the Chief Software Officer of the USAF to learn: How the DoD moved to Kubernetes and Istio.

Jez Humble: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations

Tue, 19 Nov 2019 13:00:00 -0500

This talk presents the findings from the latest State of DevOps report, including how to measure the performance of software teams, what capabilities organizations should invest in to drive higher performance, and how software leaders can apply these findings in their own organizations.

Intro to Kanban, Part II

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 14:30:00 -0500

Part two of an introduction to Kanban and how to use it to model any flow-based process.

Intro to Kanban, Part I

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Part one of an introduction to Kanban and how to use it to model any flow-based process.

Basics of Scrum, Part II

Tue, 12 Nov 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Scrum is the most widely used Agile software development methodology. This second session will go into more detail about what is happening during each of the Scrum ceremonies.

Basics of Scrum, Part I

Fri, 08 Nov 2019 13:30:00 -0500

Scrum is the most widely used Agile software development methodology. This session will cover the basics of Scrum at a very high level.

Foundations of Agile, Part II

Tue, 05 Nov 2019 15:30:00 -0500

Part two of exploring the fundamentals of the Agile methodology will look at the external view of producing customer value and the difficulty of adopting Agile methods.

Foundations of Agile, Part I

Mon, 04 Nov 2019 13:30:00 -0500

This is the first of two sessions that will explore the fundamentals of the Agile methodology.

October DevOps Community Meeting

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 15:00:00 -0500

An overview of multiple Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools followed by a deep-dive on how to setup a Gitlab Runner to perform GitOps functions including IaC deployments against multiple AWS environments.

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.

DevOps Community Monthly Meeting: DevOps for the Decennial Census

Tue, 24 Sep 2019 15:00:00 -0500

In this month’s Community meeting, we will hear from a Census team that is brand new to DevOps—failing fast and often, but learning lessons as they undergo a cultural transformation.

DevOps Community of Practice Monthly Meeting

Tue, 27 Aug 2019 15:00:00 -0500

In this talk, we will review how Recreation.gov is built and operated to achieve its uptime goal for millions of yearly transactions.

Machine Learning: How Bureau of Labor Statistics Did It

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 15:00:00 -0500

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has been on a journey to improve their data reporting, using and iterating on machine learning, from algorithms to deep neural networks with lessons for everyone on this path.

DevOps Community of Practice Monthly Meeting

Tue, 23 Jul 2019 15:00:00 -0500

Overview of the HUD Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) IT team, program, structure, and their shift to DevOps.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Getting Started with USWDS 2.0

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 13:00:00 -0500

The U.S. Web Design System team will show you how to get started with USWDS 2.0: how to set up your project colors, fonts, and more.

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.

Free & Open Source Software in Government with Code.mil

Tue, 05 Jun 2018 12:00:00 -0500

Join the Code.mil team for a discussion on open source in government and a look at the important work they have been doing on Code.mil to enable greater adoption of open source at the DoD.

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.

Conversations on Public Impact: How data trusts can preserve and protect your digital initiatives

Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:00:00 -0500

The Ethics Working Group in GSA’s Technology Transformation Service hosts a presentation about data trusts; a legal structure designed to manage data, code, and other digital assets.

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.

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.

Workshop: Making Government Websites with GitHub, Federalist & U.S. Web Design Standards

Tue, 12 Dec 2017 08:00:00 -0500

Come learn how to create a simple, compliant government website, using Federalist, GitHub and the U.S. Web Design Standards.

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.

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

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

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

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

Fractal and Federalist Join the U.S. Web Design Standards

Tue, 13 Jun 2017 10:25:06 -0400

We’ve recently added two powerful tools to the U.S. Web Design Standards development workflow that allow us to preview, test, and publish the Standards code more quickly and easily. Fractal Fractal is a powerful and flexible framework for building interactive component libraries. It’s similar to Jekyll (which we use to publish the Standards site) in

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Accessibility for teams

Wed, 01 Feb 2017 09:00:00 -0500

A ‘quick-start’ guide for embedding accessibility and inclusive design practices into your team’s workflow

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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 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

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

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: 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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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 or post-mortem; we’ll

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)

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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,

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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).

Three Teams Using the Draft U.S. Web Design Standards Talk about Their Experiences

Wed, 06 Apr 2016 14:46:02 -0400

In the five months since we launched the Draft U.S. Web Design Standards, over a dozen government websites have begun to use it.

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.

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.

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 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

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

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.

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

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 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 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.

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

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

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 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,

The Data Briefing: How Neuroscience and Communication Theory Inform Good User Experience Design

Wed, 25 Nov 2015 11:00:51 -0400

Standing on the corner, waiting in the rain, I swear I’ll never, ever, use that app again. Why? Because the bad user experience (UX) design was preventing me from determining when the Metrobus would arrive. UX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, DigitalGov

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

CitySDK: Helping Civic Hackers Deliver Local Solutions

Mon, 22 Jun 2015 13:00:02 -0400

Civic hackers are a special breed—their primary motivation is closely tied to the social issues closest to their hearts. Most attend hack-a-thons, engage in civic meetups, and show up at city hearings to champion their cause and push solutions at the societal, technology, and policy levels. On the technological front, creating civic city-based solutions has

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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: 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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. The group covered two topics: Highlights from challenge competitions run in 2013.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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).

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.