Justin Bell | 3/22/2022The Federal Government has renewed its focus on how they engage with the public by emphasizing citizen needs to be put first. President Joe Biden signed Executive Order 14058 in December of 2021 creating new mandates for agencies to transform their citizen experience in order to rebuild trust in government. This has created a need for our government partners to rethink how they are connecting with and serving citizens.
To meet these new mandates agencies must:
- Create more efficient processes and interfaces
- Ensure people of all abilities can navigate them
- Continually improve their understanding of customers
- Coordinate service delivery to provide a consistent customer experience
As digital service providers supporting the Federal Government, we at Analytica can aid in meeting these requirements through three key areas: Human Centered Design, accessibility, and Design Thinking.
Human Centered Design
Direct engagement with end users provides an insightful perspective on the interaction experience they are having with Federal Government Agencies. Understanding the needs of the citizens who will be using the applications and interfaces which we build and iterating through possible solutions addresses the core needs of those experiencing problems and inefficiencies. By presenting different solutions to end users, we continually incorporate their feedback while refining the design.
Key benefits of HCD:
- Increased innovation through discovery and collaboration
- Decreased risk of user rejection
- Maximized ROI by faster user acceptance and utilization
Accessibility
Putting a focus on creating interfaces that are intuitive to use and without barriers to interact with creates a better experience for all. In addition to being the smart way to design, accessibility is the law as outlined in Section 508 of the Americans with disabilities act. Many designers and developers understand the basics of 508 compliance and why we must meet the standards, however, it is commonly overlooked that an interface that is accessible is also more robust, dynamic, and usable. Creating applications that accommodate all abilities enhances the overall citizen experience.
Key benefits of accessibility:
- Creates positive public relations
- Avoids discrimination
- Increases access to information
Design Thinking
To rebuild trust in how our government interacts with citizens we must change our way of approaching problems. Employing Design Thinking means incorporating human centered design practices in all we do and adapting a mindset that puts citizen needs first. Establishing systemic change in how we research and resolve problems with a focus on creating consistent and efficient experiences in our digital solutions allows a common language to form resulting in better collaboration. An organization that values design thinking will continually adapt to changing user needs and have a greater understanding of their customers.
Key benefits of design thinking:
- Increased understanding of the customer
- Makes collaboration more efficient
- Enables continual expansion of knowledge
New Focus, Established Methods
As digital service providers, we have been following these methods and procedures in our work for years. This places us in a perfect position to jump in and help our government partners address their immediate needs. We understand any application is only useful when it provides a satisfactory experience, and that experience allows customers to put trust in the services they receive.
