A small team’s journey through digital maturity
As a small team, Digital.gov adopted user research and customer experience early. That foundation helps develop evidence-based strategies for today.
User Centered Design
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A team of designers with diverse backgrounds that help agencies address complex challenges and build human-centered design capacity across the federal government.
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News and Events on User Centered Design
64 posts
Bridge the gap between policy and implementation: Impactful solutions and strategies for success from Digital.gov’s spring 2024 summit
The summit highlighted digital transformation, emphasizing the significance of recent OMB memos for improving accessibility and customer experience.
Digital front door: Expanding access to VA
More Veterans are turning to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for healthcare and benefits, accessing these services online through tools like the VA Health and Benefits mobile app and VA.gov. With over 2.28 million app downloads and 17.8 million monthly visitors on VA.gov, these digital tools provide faster, easier, and more inclusive access to VA services. Learn more about how these technologies are often Veterans’ first interaction with VA by watching their latest video, Digital Front Door: Expanding Access to VA.— via U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. Web Design System team will give an update on their work developing web components for the design system.
2024
Case study: Increasing access to required bankruptcy meetings
The Department of Justice’s U.S. Trustee Program (USTP) oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases and private trustees. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual Section 341 bankruptcy meetings lead to more participation from both consumers and creditors, minimized delays, and saved time and money for all. Learn about USTP’s human-centered design process for a pilot program in three states to increase public access to these virtual meetings.— via Department of Justice
Case study: Removing barriers to applying for a presidential pardon
At the Department of Justice, Access DOJ and the Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) partnered to simplify and streamline the presidential pardon application process. By conducting usability testing and gathering feedback, they identified key issues with the existing application, such as its complexity and length. See how redesigning the forms to be more accessible and understandable led to a more efficient process for both applicants and staff.— via Department of Justice
Federal customer experience: OMB has taken actions to implement cross-agency priority goals
In 2021, the President’s Management Agenda identified federal customer experience as a priority area for improvement. To implement this priority area, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) set two long-term, cross-agency priority (CAP) goals. In this study, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) reviews OMB and selected federal agencies’ efforts towards these CAP goals. Learn about actions taken by OMB and selected High Impact Service Providers (HISPs), how OMB has facilitated interagency collaboration, and the extent to which OMB has overseen and assessed progress on these CAP goals.— via Government Accountability Office
Equity study reaches 4,000 participants
Launched last fall, the General Services Administration equity study on remote identity proofing aims to determine if biases exist in the algorithms used for online identity verification. The study has now reached its goal of recruiting 4,000 participants from diverse communities, and experts are ready to begin analysis of the data. Learn how the team at GSA plans to conduct this data analysis, and how their findings will lead to improved equitable services delivery in technology across the government.— via General Services Administration
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will chat with Center for Civic Design co-founder Whitney Quesenbery about designing accessible civic spaces.
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2024
One year with the new USAGov
It has been a year since USA.gov and USAGov en Español were relaunched using human-centered design principles. Using task backlog, the USAGov team has addressed content gaps, improved discoverability, and implemented technical updates. Through usability tests, visitor comments, and click behavior the team was able to unravel and respond to user feedback and unmet needs, leading to noticeable increases in visitor satisfaction and task accomplishment. Moving forward, the focus will shift to enhancing public engagement with the government, improving the search for benefits-related content, and exploring interactive and personalized user experiences.— via USA.gov
FEMA National Summit on Risk Communications, Crisis Communications, and Community Engagement
The Federal Emergency Management Agency Office of External Affairs is convening risk and crisis communicators and community leaders who are on the front-line of the climate and emerging hazard crises. Attend the free, June 10, 2024, summit virtually, or in Washington, DC. The agenda includes: the sharing invaluable tools and insights, how to implement culturally competent and accessible communications, how to integrate behavior change strategies, and more. An ASL interpreter will be provided.— via Federal Emergency Management Agency
Creating a blueprint for quality: How the PX Contact Center helps agents grow their skills
Every day, live agents at USA.gov’s Public Experience (PX) Contact Center answer questions from the public about government benefits and services. Learn how the PX Contact Center develops a workforce of excellent agents, using immersive onboarding, tailored and continuous training, feedback loops, and calibration meetings to empower their agents to deliver accurate information. USA.gov’s system for employee and contact center management ensures that every customer interaction leaves a lasting impact.— via USA.gov
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will go over some basics of Web Components and how they apply to the design system.
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2024
Progress towards delivering a digital-first public experience
Each year, more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments get information and services from about 430 federal agencies and sub-agencies. The Biden-Harris administration is driving a bold vision for how government agencies serve their customers digitally with OMB’s ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. Agencies have already made significant strides. Learn about recent successes by the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA, and how OMB will continue to collaborate with agencies to ensure ongoing improvement in digital government services.— via The White House
Now available: Trusted Tester for Web Certification courses, version 5.1.3
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has updated its Trusted Tester program courses. It features six improvements, including accessible plain language, adjusted exam requirements, and enhanced course design. The updated curriculum aligns with the latest Trusted Tester Conformance Test Process for Web, offering a more efficient learning experience. Enrollment is open via the Training Portal, and inquires can be directed to the DHS Accessibility Helpdesk for assistance.— via Section508.gov
Calling All Americans! The federal government is seeking your input
The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) wants your thoughts on how federal agencies can more broadly and meaningfully engage with you and your communities. Share your ideas by May 17, 2024 to help build a more inclusive, responsive, transparent, and accountable government.— via Performance.gov
18F practices in action (spoiler: this stuff works)
How well do 18F software development practices work? The 18F team reflected on a recent project for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) .gov registry to gauge the effectiveness of six recommendations aligned with what they actually did.— via 18F
Reconsidering the consent form: the least user-friendly aspect of UX research
The Open Data, Design, and Development (ODDD) team has replaced signed consent forms with a more accessible user research agreement process, offering multiple opt-in points. This ensures informed consent and participant autonomy. Explore why and how the ODDD team implemented this comprehensive participant consent process in their user research.— via Office of Natural Resources Revenue
How USAGov uses data to improve content
Each month, USAGov’s content designers spend many hours ensuring that the content on USA.gov and USAGov en Español is up-to-date, accurate, and meets user needs. Learn how their team does holistic reviews of each topic section based on a rolling calendar with the goal of updating all content at least every 6 months.— via USA.gov
Join the U.S. Web Design System team for a lesson on customizing and extending the design system.
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2024
