Work Plan Task 4.0 User Experience

Transcription

1 User Experience Task Force Work Plan Task 4.0 User Experience

2 Task 4.1. Review Best Practice and Industry Standards for Web Site Presentation Best practices of government websites HowTo.gov is a fantastic resource for agencies to create a great customer experience. The website provides many best practices and industry standards for government websites. Here are some we feel are important to note for the User Experience Task Force: Analytics - Collect metrics on: customer focus and experience; quality and compliance; and recognition, in accordance with privacy and other policies. Make changes to your website based on data, not opinion or "executive whimsy". Mobile - Design your site with mobile users in mind, and test your site on mobile browsers to ensure the public can access your information on the go. Usability and Design - Do regular user testing on your site with real customers, to ensure they can easily and successfully complete their tasks. Design and develop your site for a broad range of visitors and browsers, including mobile devices and those with lower-end hardware and software capabilities Implement a coherent information architecture (IA) and navigation scheme (including common labels), and use it consistently throughout your site. Managing Content - Regularly review your content (at least annually, and more often for popular content), and update or archive as appropriate. Ensure content is written for the web, using words familiar to the intended audience, so people can easily find what they need (usually via search), and understand what they need to do. Social Media - Include links to official social media channels Site Policies Page - Create a page entitled Site Policies that includes links to required information and important policies. Must more can be found on the Best Practices for Government Websites page on HowTo.gov:

3 Task 4.2 and 4.3 Review Approach Review of the PIRG and Sunshine Review assessments were utilized to select public sector transparency sites that ranged from the best to the worst. Multiple people with various professional backgrounds reviewed the same sites. Comments were combined. The information gathered was in two major categories : I. Data II. Functionality UETF Section 4.0 User Experience Evaluation of Transparency Information available on the site Functionality Supported by the site Review of public sector transparency sites and initiatives External review State Agencies Cities Counties School Districts Courts Universiti es Special Districts Is Data Sortable? # Entity Website U.S.PIRG Sunshine March 2013 Review 2013 report on Transparency access to Card government Overall Grade Spending spending data data Funding Data Data Center and Finance By Agency By Category Other Data Export/ Download? (Y/N) Tracking feature with e- mail alerts? (Y/N) Social Media Sharing? (Y/N) Single Website or multiple websites? User Friendly? One-click research Comments answers? (Y/N)

4 Example 1: Texas Site: TexasTransparency.org Collects user feedback thru survey Provides canned reports, data sets, and dashboards Routes to various sub sites for specific information in areas such as Health, Environment, Transportation, Education, Maps

5 Example 2: Illinois Site: Accountability.Illinois.gov Limited data download Standard look, feel and navigation for most pages

6 Example 3: Oregon Site: Oregon.gov/transparency Good data download functions Transfers to multiple sites with standard look, feel and navigation for most pages

7 Example 4: Michigan Site: Michigan.gov/OpenMichigan Clear, concise messaging Graphic representation of information Appears to be self contained with minimal hand offs Focused with defined reports available with download capability

8 Example 5: North Carolina Site: ncopenbook.gov Simple user interface Hub to access other transparency and agency sites with inconsistent look and feel

9 Example 6: Virginia Schools Site: doe.virginia.gov Cluttered Look and feel Standard navigation Good data download functions both pdf and Transfers to multiple sites with standard look, feel and navigation for most pages Centralized navigation Map for education information

10 Task 4.4 Recommend Usability Standards for Consistency and Intuitive Navigation Responsive Design - Designing websites responsively is the best way to ensure that the data we present will look as good as possible in whatever browser our citizens choose. Conduct User Testing - Before any new website is launched, user testing should be conducted with a sample of citizens that represent the larger population who will be accessing this data. Install Analytics - We can make all of the assumptions we want about how citizens will engage with the data we present, but ultimately, the data will give us the most honest and thorough picture of how citizens are actually accessing this materials. Free products like Google Analytics should be installed on all websites and reviews of pre-determined metrics should be conducted regularly. Browser Compatibility - Websites should be compatible with the following browsers: Google Chrome versions 24-current, Internet Explorer versions 8-current, Firefox versions 21-current and Safari versions 5.1- current. Consistent Navigation - Top navigation throughout the website where this data will be presented should remain consistent as citizens navigate from page to page. Professional Copywriting - Well thought-out copy will go a long way in ensuring that citizens understand the information we are presenting. Copywriting plays a critical role in the presentation of any website and should be done by the best writers we can find. Content Management - All copy should be regularly reviewed, updated and archived as appropriate. Feedback Forms - Wherever this data is presented, citizens should have the option to fill out a form to provide feedback on their experience using the website.

11 User Experience Recommendations: Audience Navigation Data Options Technology Other