Government agencies offer critical information and services that influence people’s everyday lives. They are responsible for responding to their residents’ demands and providing timely and accurate information to the users. By putting people first and adopting a user-centric approach, organizations increase the quality of their information and services, making them more valuable and usable, while also saving money in the long run via incremental changes. Let’s dig a bit deeper so that you get an idea of the key advantages of the user-centered design approach as well as the policies that help agencies embrace UX.
Advantages of Changing Government Culture
Сitizens seeking information and services, when using government systems. Creating a user-centered culture requires government agencies to hold themselves to a higher standard by ensuring that the information given is accessible, usable, and easy to digest. It also implies that users may complete tasks, provide feedback, and be certain that their suggestions are heard.
By integrating the user-centered design process and user experience (UX) best practices, agencies may save money in the long run while also increasing their reputation. Thus, a user-centric strategy allows agencies to achieve the following targets:
• Identify and react to user needs by doing user research while still meeting their corporate objectives;
• Deliver information that can be simply comprehended and implemented;
• Create mechanisms that improve transactional efficiency, both internally and externally;
• Deliver information so that it may be accessible from anywhere and via a variety of channels and technologies.
All these goals are easy to achieve when you order professional design services for government. They help you map out the gray zones for improvement.
People Making Use of E-Gov
According to PEW’s Government Online study site exit disclaimer from 2022, 61% of people searched for information or performed transactions on a government website during the previous year. PEW also discovered that 31% used social media, such as blogs, text messaging, social networking sites, e-mail, and video, to get government information. This means that people are not only getting involved with the government in new and interesting ways, but they are also using these tools to share their views with others and contribute to the broader discussion around government policies. That’s why it is critically important for governments to ensure that they offer quality and user-friendly solutions to their target audience.
Creating a user-centered environment is vital for increasing transparency, enhancing content delivery, and saving money. In order to make this happen, organizations should identify and address key issues, such as:
• Government websites should serve large audiences.
• UX should not be overlooked.
• User journey should be put first when developing government solutions and websites.
It is also critical to understand the scope. Given the influence on people’s everyday lives, delivering usable and helpful information and services as a part of government solutions is critical.
Policies to Help Agencies Embrace UX
Despite the advantages, PEW’s 2010 research on The Impact of the Internet on Institutions in the Future showed that many technology professionals are worried about government organizations’ resistance to change. Some rules that assist organizations in adopting UX principles and best practices to enhance site performance include, but are not limited to:
• The Digital Government Strategy urges federal agencies to use technology to significantly enhance service to the American people.
• OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites to assist agencies in complying with federal information resource management legislation and policy.
• Section 207 of the E-Government Act of 2003 demands the efficient and consistent use of Federal agency public websites to promote a more citizen-centered government.
• The Plain Writing Act of 2010 compels the federal government to create all new publications, forms, and publicly disseminated documents in a “clear, concise, and well-organized” format.
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act mandates all federal agencies to make electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities.
There are also some government-specific materials and guidelines for implementing best practices.
Final Say!
Regardless of the rules and regulations, it is critically important for government agencies to ensure following a user-centered approach in their solutions. This way, citizens can easily find the target information and digest it.