building a responsive government (website)
DESCRIPTION
What do you really need from a government's website? And how do you navigate the politics and red tape to make a truly user-focused solution? To find out, we'll be using the newly launched Business Victoria website as a case study of how to do things right. We'll also take a look at a few other websites from governments around the world to see what's working... and what's not. Originally presented for the Melbourne Be Responsive meetup 8 April 2014. Audio (and video) here: http://vimeo.com/91573472 More tech-related info about the build available here: https://gist.github.com/sawks/10087371TRANSCRIPT
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Building a responsive government (website)
Be Responsive 8 April 2014
450%
Customer quotes, verbatim (2012)
Overwhelming.
The website is jumbled - there’s too much
information.
Went straight to helpline, wasn’t sure where to look
Too much information, wasn't sure where to look
and what to look for.
Too much info - was easier to call.
Too much information, couldn’t see obvious link to
public holidays.
Too much info - a bit complex.
Very busy, too cluttered and the links send you
around in circles.
Confusing.
✓ Increase access, usage and accessibility
✓Simplification of information
✓Streamlining business process
What are other notable governments doing around the world? None of them are perfect, but there’s things we can learn from them
Acknowledges this may not be exactly the right place, considering people can land from lots of different places (not just following a taxonomy)
Modality
Let me navigate the page on my own if I want to...
...but take me through what I need to know, from the start
Steps things out in a clear language, with meaningful links, supporting explanations and ‘discs’ that break the flow of scanning
Subtle, suggestive design cues
Guide me onwards
Indicate recency
Useful things in the same category
Behave like a helpful person
Suggest an helpful alternative
Tie off with a tip
Ask for feedback
Hit me with the highlights
Design to the demand (design with data)
Nice visual design (clear language, good typographic hierarchy etc), but less helpful than it should be.
An example of getting the visual design right, and missing the mark on the UX design.
nyc.gov
Behave like a helpful person
Get to the popular stuff quickly
Doing too much
They’re not here to hang out
Not so great
Disconnection
Not so great
Broken flow
Not so great
Buried search
Not so great
Bad affordance
Good design is as little design as possible Less, but better – because it concentrates on the essential aspects, and the products are not burdened with non-essentials.
Back to purity, back to simplicity.
What we design shouldn’t draw attention to itself, it should allow people to accomplish their tasks with a minimum of fuss and in the most efficient manner possible. At its best, it will be invisible.
Ok, so what did we do?
We talked to real business people.
We listened to the data.
450% increase in mobile traffic !Google Analytics
04:26 min time on site !Google Analytics
61% of traffic from search !Google Analytics
We made it easy.
✓Simple
✓Relevant
✓Clear
✓Human
✓Efficient
✓ Inevitable
✓Fast
✓Easy
Far fewer decisions to make
We co-designed with the government.
Choosing a business name
Starting a business infographic
Protecting your name
Search
Registering a business name
BusinessVictoria
Research and apply for a new business name in Australia.Australian businesses are required to register their business name.
is available
isn’t already registered as a company
isn’t already a registered trade mark
Make sure your business name... Not what you’re looking for?
No more confusion.
Choosing a business name
Starting a business infographic
Protecting your name
Cancelling a business name
How I began my business – Gardenworld Nursery
What I wish I knew: Three entrepeneurs tell all
Taking time to be an overnight success
Search
Registering a business name
BusinessVictoria
Research and apply for a new business name in Australia.Australian businesses are required to register their business name.
Before you start
an individual and the business name is your name (first name and surname)a registered company and the business name is the company’s name
a partnership and the business name consists of all of the partners’ names.
You do not need to register your business name if you are:
Related Case StudiesTip
When using your personal name for your business, you must use your exact name .
For example, if your name is Jane Smith and you want to call your business 'Jane Smith & Co', this would need to be registered.
Read some helpful tips on choosing a business name.
!
is available
isn’t already registered as a company
isn’t already a registered trade mark
is available as a website
Make sure your business name... Not what you’re looking for? Err, I think I’m in the wrong spot...
Whatever, government Internet machine. What about real people?
What can I do on this page?
Why is it important?
Page title
What do I need to do
A tip
Before you start
We made it actionable.
All content is actionable
We talk your language.
Content principlesAll content must be:
a) simple b) clear c) relevant
!
We want users to understand what to do and why, quickly.
We made it accessible for all.
We made it fast.We’re now 72% faster
We made it work, everywhere.
Anywhere, anytime, any device
