If you’ve ever worked on a website project, you know one of the first questions a designer asks is: What are your favorite websites? But, it’s not always easy to come up with a list of the best websites. Great websites have to be memorable, modern, unique, and free of frustrating glitches—no small feat for mostRead… Read more »
Though government workers serve every day, September 11 is a special reason to give back to the community in a whole new way. The 9/11 National Day of Service and Remembrance is a way to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks and honor the remarkable community response that followed. Through the 9/11 Day of Service, AmericansRead… Read more »
Time is the one thing we will always have less of. That’s why there are so many books on time management, to-do lists, productivity, changing habits, and project planning. Some of those books are little more than self-help claptrap. Others contain enough useful points to make them worth flipping through, but are far from life changing. However, the best timeRead… Read more »
For four years, many have been eagerly awaiting cross-agency action on President Obama’s 2011 executive order streamlining service delivery and improving customer service. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently launched the pilot of Feedback USA to help agencies meet that goal. But, does Feedback USA look like it’s going to be worth the wait? Feedback USA is adding customerRead… Read more »
There can be a lot of stress at the end of summer. Fall’s coming on fast and that means the extra work of end-of-year campaigns and deadlines, year-end reviews, Election Day, and the holiday season. The blissful summertime quiet of your office is vanishing as your coworkers return from their vacations. And, perhaps your boss has suddenly stopped procrastinating about year-end planningRead… Read more »
Many Americans are really stressed about one thing right now, and that’s back to school. With about 70 million students expected in kindergarten through college in Fall 2015, everyone’s paying attention to back-to-school messages. Now’s the time to talk to your audiences about how your agency can help them during this hectic period. School administrators and teachers are looking forRead… Read more »
If you somehow haven’t heard of Yelp, it’s a website and app where anyone can review just about anything. People mostly seem to head to Yelp when they’re busting to share their glowing praise or their boiling rage. Now, as announced by DigitalGov, Yelp has a terms of service for official government use. Agencies can claim orRead… Read more »
New logos are far from easy. Government agencies may feel like they have it easier than global brands are so closely tied with their logos. In our online, social, attention-strapped world, a strong, memorable logo can help an agency connect with constituents, gain credibility, and accomplish its goals. A well-conceived, beautiful logo and a thoughtful process that makesRead… Read more »
As if giving a compelling presentation isn’t challenge enough, what do you do in a situation that makes it even harder for your presentation to be a success? You might have to present first thing in the morning or at the end of a long day. You unexpectedly have a lot less time than you plannedRead… Read more »
Lauded as the “last honest newsman” by some and decried as a tool of the Obama administration by others, whether you like him or not, Jon Stewart has long been one of the country’s most influential political comedians. Over the last 16 years, Jon Stewart has welcomed many government agency big shots into the interview hot seat on The Daily Show. ThoughRead… Read more »