Design thinking is so much more than a physical product. It is a way of thinking. For example, if you were asked to design a new vase, you might come up with myriad product designs. But if instead you were asked to design a new way to display flowers in your home, you would likely… Read more »
In the government, we circulate thousands of documents each year. The purposes of these documents vary from helping people apply for services to informing the public about new regulations. But, let’s be honest. The government is not known for disseminating easy to read documents. Fortunately, that is quickly changing as agencies are realizing that to… Read more »
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog arguing that everyone designs. In that post, I talked about how those of us with little to no design experience are still designers (just little “d” designers), as we work to improve situations and experiences around us. Big “D” Designers, on the other hand, are those individualsRead… 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 »
“The desire to bring new ways of thinking into government is like an insurgency,” said Joshua Marcuse, Senior Advisory for Policy Innovation at DoD. One of those ways of thinking is design thinking, also called human-centered design (HCD). To learn more about design thinking, we spoke with Zvika Krieger, Director of the Strategy Lab atRead… Read more »
This is the second installment of “Build Better Forms,” a series in which we review online government forms and suggest some improvements. As we discussed in our first post, a clear and intuitive form reaps many benefits: lower data processing costs, fewer support requests, higher completion rates, and greater citizen satisfaction. Let’s run through threeRead… Read more »
To create infographics, it used to be that you needed some intense skills with Adobe Creative Suite or the budget to hire a designer. Working with a professional designer still has its advantages, especially if your infographic project is complex or if you don’t have any talent for visual design. However, if you want to create your ownRead… Read more »
Just a few years ago, infographics seemed to be the hottest type of content online. Lately, the shine has worn off as bad infographics inundated the internet. High-quality infographics still can rise up from the flood of drivel. Infographics are not inherently bad. When infographics are designed well they simplify complex information and can make boring topics interesting. Eye-catching visualsRead… Read more »
Over the past half decade the shift in popular business thinking have been more user and customer focused than ever before. Designing immersive, engaging and useful experiences for a user acts as the ‘rising tide lifts all ships’ in solving problems when developing products for public use. After using the myMyki website this past weekendRead… Read more »
We’ve got a new twist this week, folks. Since I’ve been blogging mostly about accessibility, I wanted to talk with someone who approaches accessibility from a different perspective than a subject matter expert. I met with a designer who works for a federal government agency and has a refreshing outlook on design and accessibility. SheRead… Read more »