A website refresh in 3 months
A website redesign doesn’t have to be a big project. By approaching it as a process of iteration, we launched a refreshed site in the span of several weeks. — via 18F
News and Updates
Innovative work, news, and ideas from people and teams in government
Creating a functional inventory database for website content audits
The Office of Natural Resources Revenue recently completed a site-wide content inventory and audit. Here is how they modified an existing content inventory spreadsheet to act as a functional database for enhancing content throughout the site. — via Office of Natural Resources Revenue
User Experience
Cultivating a dynamic career in UX
Join us for a discussion on how to adapt your career in user experience (UX) to a quickly changing world.
2023
6 lessons from a project handoff
Project handoffs are not simple. Teams have their own cultures and work styles. Without planning, a project could lose institutional memory, time, quality, and funding when it passes from one team to the next. Here are 6 lessons we learned as a recent project changed hands. — via USA.gov
NASA Releases First Season of Spanish-language Podcast
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, NASA is releasing new content for Universo curioso de la NASA, the agency’s first Spanish-language podcast. A five-episode season will start Tuesday, September 19, with new episodes released weekly. In each episode, Universo curioso will highlight the contributions of NASA’s Hispanic and Latino workforce to the agency’s groundbreaking work in Earth and space exploration. The season features interviews with NASA experts, including an astronaut, a space weather scientist, an astrochemist, and oceanographers. Episodes focus on some of NASA’s top missions, bringing the wonder of exploration, space technology, and scientific discoveries to Spanish-speaking audiences around the world. — via National Aeronautics and Space Administration
From pageviews to progress
A 10-year recap of GSA’s Digital Analytics Program (DAP) highlights its impact on federal government agencies and the public, high-level observations using government-wide website analytics and trends, and new goals set for the next decade to help generate useful answers to meaningful questions to make government websites better.
A conversation about content audits
Content audits can be tedious. Two content designers discuss why we do them anyway, and how to get started.
Catching up with the TANF Data Portal project
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. — via 18F
Infrastructure as a (public) service
Over the next few months, CISA will initiate major changes to the .gov top-level domain (TLD) tech infrastructure, laying a foundation for the services we will offer in the coming years. — via DotGov Registry
Infrastructure as a (public) service
In fall 2023, we’ll launch a new registrar: a better way to get and manage a .gov domain. — via DotGov Registry
First, do no harm: mistakes to avoid in creating accessible user experiences
Accessible design and development practices help us build inclusive experiences. But we can lose sight of the people we serve if we don’t steadily work to better understand our users. To create accessible experiences, avoid these mistakes. — via 18F
Making the case for sentence case on USAGov’s websites
What is the best case style to use for titles and headings? For the new USAGov websites, we discuss the decision to use sentence case on USAGov products. — via USA.gov
Quarterly PMA Updates Lead the Way for Improved Service Delivery and Trust-Building
Today, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released its latest updates to the President’s Management Agenda (PMA). This quarter, the Implementation Leads for Customer Experience (Priority 2) share updates on where we are with this PMA priority. — via Performance.gov
Inclusivity and automation
Bots can help us improve our inclusivity by gently nudging us to use more appropriate language, explaining why some terms are offensive, and prompting us to consider others.
Blind Veterans can now read decision letters
VA now offers accessibility to blind Veterans so they can independently read decision letters online. — via U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Seven tips on facilitating unplanned topics in meetings
Facilitating a workshop can feel like a daunting task. Here at 18F, we’ve identified seven tips to keep your workshop organized and flowing, despite unplanned scenarios. — via 18F
Advanced Section 508 compliance testing: moving beyond automated testing and screen readers
Members of the Office of Natural Resources Revenue team recently completed the free, six-course Trusted Tester accessibility compliance training and certification from the Department of Homeland Security. Here’s what they learned, and how they applied this new knowledge to the two websites they manage. — via Office of Natural Resources Revenue
USWDS product roadmap updates
USWDS Monthly Call - August 2023
What’s in the newest iteration of the U.S. Web Design System’s product roadmap.
Watch Video
2023
4 steps writers and editors can take to demonstrate value
As plain language writers and editors, we need to demonstrate the value we bring to projects. This writeup explains how to calculate the costs of our work and articulate its value.
Fact Sheet: Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities
The Department of Justice published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) explaining how they propose updating the regulations for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to add more specific requirements about web and mobile application (app) accessibility. — via Department of Justice
