Guides and Resources

Federal IT Dashboard

Enables the government and the public to understand the value of their federal IT portfolios, manage the health of their IT investments, and make better IT planning decisions.
USWDS Maturity Model

How to adopt the design system incrementally and design and build better digital experiences.
An introduction to accessibility

An overview of how to design and deliver accessible digital products and services in the federal government
Making the big move: Search in support of federal web modernization

In this special report, we discuss a website redesign’s nine phases and their impact on search.
An introduction to design systems

If your organization needs to ensure compliance with a design standard or align to a brand, a design system can help you achieve those goals more easily than building a site from scratch. Learn how a design system can help you and what you need to know to get started.
How to Test Websites for Accessibility

Use both manual and automated testing methods to create accessible websites.
An introduction to digital governance

Learn why governance is essential to digital experience.
An introduction to search

Learn why search functionality is an important component of federal websites, and discover how to add a search function to your website.
Best Practices for Writing for the Accessible Web

Tips for making online information accessible for those with auditory and visual needs.
The website standards

As defined in 21st Century IDEA, the Design System incorporates federal standards to improve federal websites and digital services.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An introduction to accessibility

An overview of how to design and deliver accessible digital products and services in the federal government
Accessibility for Teams

A guide to making products more accessible for everyone.
18F Accessibility Guide

A resource for developing accessible products.
Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides

Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Find Your Section 508 Program Manager

Agency Section 508 Program Managers (PMs) are your first point of contact for questions about IT accessibility.
Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The primary regulation for use by all executive agencies in their acquisition of supplies and services with appropriated funds. The FAR also contains standard solicitation provisions and contract clauses and the various agency FAR supplements.

Foundations of Agile, Part I

18F’s Alan Atlas and Alan Brouilette cover the fundamentals of Agile.
Foundations of Agile, Part II

18F’s Alan Atlas and Alan Brouilette cover the fundamentals of Agile.
18F De-risking Guides

The Federal Field Guide to De-risk Government Technology offers guidance to federal agencies on how to structure software development teams, write contracts, and oversee agile software activities to reduce risks and improve outcomes for end-users.
18F Guide to Product Management

Best practices on doing product management well
18F Methods

A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
An introduction to analytics

Learn how to set performance goals, and identify specific KPIs and targets to measure and meet them, using web analytics.
Introduction to QR codes

What is a QR code and how can you create one? What are some alternatives to using QR codes? This introductory resource will help you explore your options.
How to Build an Analytics Strategy

A case study using Digital.gov as an example of how to assess, report, and take action using web analytics as part of an analytics strategy.

Guidelines for Digital.gov event presenters

A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.
How to start and sustain a federal podcast

Discover how to create and maintain a successful podcast at your federal agency.
How to Present Like a Pro

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government

This guidance calls for the increased use of challenges and prizes to develop new tools and approaches to improve open government, and highlights for agencies policy and legal issues related to the use of prizes and challenges as tools for promoting open government, innovation, and other national priorities.

U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An introduction to GitHub

Steps for managing website content in GitHub.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
USWDS Maturity Model

How to adopt the design system incrementally and design and build better digital experiences.

Tips for Starting Your Customer Experience Journey

Low-cost, low-lift actions that any federal employee can take to improve customer experience.
Contact Center Operation and Management

Many things can impact the service quality, economics, and sustainability of your government contact center. This section provides insight on various aspects of operating and managing a contact center to help you improve its performance.
Contact Center Technologies

A contact center is supported by many technologies designed to enhance the customer experience, improve the operating and management efficiency, or lower the overall costs of running a contact center.
Getting Started with your Contact Center

This guide provides you with the information to get a governement contact center started
Contact Center Guidelines

The Contact Center is no longer viewed as only a center to receive complaints, but as a valued operation in an agency’s strategy to deliver a quality customer experience.

Content

An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides

Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation

In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.
Revised 508 Standards Roadmap

Follow the Revised 508 Standards to ensure your information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.
PlainLanguage.gov

A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
Making the big move: Search in support of federal web modernization

In this special report, we discuss a website redesign’s nine phases and their impact on search.
Introduction to translation technology

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
18F Methods

A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.

Content Strategy

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
Introduction to translation technology

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation

In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.
Content Management Systems Used by Government Agencies

A list of Content Management Systems (CMS) used by government agencies.
An introduction to structured content

Publishing content as modular pieces of information that are tagged with machine-readable descriptions can transform how people find, understand, share, use, and reuse government information.
An introduction to trust

Guidance on how to build government websites that people can trust.
Making the big move: Search in support of federal web modernization

In this special report, we discuss a website redesign’s nine phases and their impact on search.
18F Methods

A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.

Crowdsourcing Toolkit for Federal Agencies

What is a Challenge? In a challenge, a “seeker” challenges “solvers” to identify a solution to a particular problem, or rewards contestants for accomplishing a goal.

Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
Customer Experience Toolkit

This Toolkit is intended to help government agencies improve how we deliver services and information to the public.
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit

A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
OMB Circular A-11 Section 280: Managing Customer Experience and Improving Service Delivery

Guidance on how to measure customer experience, including questions on satisfaction and confidence and trust in section 280.7
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Tips for Starting Your Customer Experience Journey

Low-cost, low-lift actions that any federal employee can take to improve customer experience.
Embedding Equity in Civic Design to Transform Customer Experience

This case study describes how two civic designers at different agencies embed equity in civic design to transform federal customer experience.
Executive Order 14058: Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government

A more simple, seamless, and secure customer experience for the American public.
How to Present Like a Pro

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

How to Build an Analytics Strategy

A case study using Digital.gov as an example of how to assess, report, and take action using web analytics as part of an analytics strategy.
Privacy-Preserving Collaboration Using Cryptography

In conjunction with her May 2020 presentation, Dr. Emily Shen outlines her work on Secure multi-party computation (MPC), a type of cryptography that allows parties to jointly analyze their data without disclosing it.
Inventory.data.gov Guide

Introduction Features Using inventory.data.gov Creating a User Account Using inventory.data.gov to manage datasets Adding a Dataset Exporting Data.json Automating data.json downloads by agencies Dataset Hosting Webinar on inventory.data.gov Introduction Inventory.data.gov is a data management tool established in 2013 by the Data.gov Program Management Office (PMO) in what is now the Technology Transformation Service of the
How to Get Your Open Data on Data.gov

Find out below how federal, federal geospatial, and non-federal data is funneled to Data.gov and how you can get your data federated on Data.gov for greater discoverability and and impact.

U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
USWDS Maturity Model

How to adopt the design system incrementally and design and build better digital experiences.
Accessibility for Teams

A guide to making products more accessible for everyone.
18F Accessibility Guide

A resource for developing accessible products.
An introduction to design

How to design government websites that meet customer needs, work well on any device, and follow federal web requirements.
Deceptive Design: How to Identify and Combat Consequence Design

Consequence design is part of everyday life. Deceptive techniques like “dark patterns” and “hostile design” trick people into taking unintended actions — learn how to prevent them from sneaking into our design work.
Addressing Barriers to User-Centered Design

An overview of the most common barriers and how federal agencies might address them.
The basics of human-centered design in government

How the Lab at OPM drives innovation through design education
Revised 508 Standards Roadmap

Follow the Revised 508 Standards to ensure your information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
An introduction to analytics

Learn how to set performance goals, and identify specific KPIs and targets to measure and meet them, using web analytics.
An introduction to digital governance

Learn why governance is essential to digital experience.
An introduction to trust

Guidance on how to build government websites that people can trust.

An introduction to accessibility

An overview of how to design and deliver accessible digital products and services in the federal government
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.

Domain Management

Moving to .gov

If you’re moving to .gov from another top-level domain, like .com, .org, or .us, here are some best practices to help you plan that transition.
M-23-10: The Registration and Use of .gov Domains in the Federal Government

Provides guidance to all federal agencies on the acceptable use and registration of Internet domain names as required by the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2020.
DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2020

Title IX of Public Law No. 116-260, §§ 901-907 (DOTGOV Act of 2020), which outlines responsibilities, authorities, duties, strategies, and requirements related to the process of creating top-level .gov domains, authorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to manage the domain registration process for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
Checklist of requirements for federal websites and digital services

Links to relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
OMB Circular A-130

Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
An introduction to digital governance

Learn why governance is essential to digital experience.
An introduction to trust

Guidance on how to build government websites that people can trust.
2012 Digital Government Strategy

The 2012 Digital Government Strategy mission drives agencies, and the need to deliver better services to customers at a lower cost.

Web Analytics Playbook

Use these plays to help strategize how your team can most effectively use web analytics for your website and target audience.
How to Build an Analytics Strategy

A case study using Digital.gov as an example of how to assess, report, and take action using web analytics as part of an analytics strategy.

U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
Eight Principles of Mobile-Friendliness

Following these principles will help you make your site more usable and user-friendly.
Introduction to QR codes

What is a QR code and how can you create one? What are some alternatives to using QR codes? This introductory resource will help you explore your options.
How to track performance

A step-by-step guide to picking metrics and tools for tracking performance on your site.
Mobile Development Strategies

The following is a list of the most common mobile development strategies.
A Guide to Creating Mobile-Friendly Websites

Based on a recent six-month study, this guide outlines the top five practices needed to improve the mobile-friendliness of federal websites: the optimization of JavaScript, CSS, and images, caching, and pop-ups.
Connected Government Act

Resources to help your agency comply with the Connected Government Act.
Mobile User Experience Guidelines

These mobile user experience guidelines were distilled from community feedback about mobile UX practices.
Mobile SOW and Developer Qualifications

Structuring a Statement of Work (SOW) for the development or modification of mobile products should be similar to any SOW your government organization issues for IT products and services.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides

Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
Introduction to translation technology

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation

In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.
Improving Access to Services for People with Limited English Proficiency (Executive Order 13166)

EO 13166 requires federal agencies to examine the services they provide, identify any need for services to those with limited English proficiency (LEP), and develop and implement a system to provide those services so LEP persons can have meaningful access to them.
Department of Justice 2022 Memo Reaffirming the Mandates of EO 13166

Executive Order 13166 was issued in August of 2000 and this memorandum reaffirms its mandate.
Top 10 Best Practices for Multilingual Websites

Ten tips for creating and managing multilingual government websites.
Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Spanish Health Care Terms in the United States

A list of common English health care and medical terms, and their Spanish translations.
Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Internet Resources

A list of additional Internet resources to help standardize the use of Spanish across government.
Spanish Language Style Guide and Glossaries: Information Technology Terms

A list of common English information technology terms, and their Spanish translations.

Inventory.data.gov Guide

Introduction Features Using inventory.data.gov Creating a User Account Using inventory.data.gov to manage datasets Adding a Dataset Exporting Data.json Automating data.json downloads by agencies Dataset Hosting Webinar on inventory.data.gov Introduction Inventory.data.gov is a data management tool established in 2013 by the Data.gov Program Management Office (PMO) in what is now the Technology Transformation Service of the
How to Get Your Open Data on Data.gov

Find out below how federal, federal geospatial, and non-federal data is funneled to Data.gov and how you can get your data federated on Data.gov for greater discoverability and and impact.

Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.)

The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 requires that agencies obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before requesting most types of information from the public.
Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act

This memo clarifies when and how the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA) applies to federal agency use of social media and web-based interactive technologies.
M-11-26 New Fast-Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback Under the Paperwork Reduction Act

The new Paperwork Reduction Act Fast Track Process will allow agencies to obtain timely feedback on service delivery while ensuring that the information collected is useful and minimally burdensome for the public, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
Paperwork Reduction Act Fast Track Process

Protect Your Customer’s Privacy Federal agencies must follow various laws and regulations, including the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and the Privacy Act, when collecting information from the public. You should also be familiar with SORN (Systems of Records Notice), as well as rules around personally identifiable information, and laws that relate to your specific method of feedback collection

How to Build an Analytics Strategy

A case study using Digital.gov as an example of how to assess, report, and take action using web analytics as part of an analytics strategy.
How to track performance

A step-by-step guide to picking metrics and tools for tracking performance on your site.

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Bilingual Glossaries, Dictionaries, and Style Guides

Multilingual resources to standardize the use of various languages across government.
An introduction to trust

Guidance on how to build government websites that people can trust.
An introduction to plain language

Understand how and why to use plain language on government websites and other digital services
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Multilingual Huddle: Designing for Translation

In this webinar, Laura Godfrey and Fedora Braverman share tips for translating content in the digital context.
PlainLanguage.gov

A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
Style Guides by Government Agencies

This page is a collection of style guides created by government agencies.
OMB Final Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (M-11-15)

Provides final guidance on implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and is designed to promote the goals of the president’s Open Government Initiative.

OMB Circular A-130

Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
Checklist of requirements for federal websites and digital services

Links to relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.
OMB Memos, Circulars, Executive Orders and Other Policies

Tech- and digital-related policies, memos, circulars and executive orders.
M-19-17 Enabling Mission Delivery through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management

This 2019 memorandum sets forth the federal government’s Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) policy.
Chief Information Officer (CIO) Handbook

This handbook aims to give CIOs important information needed to be a technology leader at their respective agency.
OMB M-20-19

Harnessing Technology to Support Mission Continuity
OMB Circular A-11 Section 280: Managing Customer Experience and Improving Service Delivery

Guidance on how to measure customer experience, including questions on satisfaction and confidence and trust in section 280.7
Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2020

Title IX of Public Law No. 116-260, §§ 901-907 (DOTGOV Act of 2020), which outlines responsibilities, authorities, duties, strategies, and requirements related to the process of creating top-level .gov domains, authorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to manage the domain registration process for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

Guidelines for Digital.gov event presenters

A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.
An introduction to pronouns

A guide for government employees and contractors to understand and use pronouns in the workplace.
Introduction to self-description

Help create inclusive digital spaces with these tips for using self-descriptions in virtual meetings or conference calls.
How to Present Like a Pro

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

Privacy-Preserving Collaboration Using Cryptography

In conjunction with her May 2020 presentation, Dr. Emily Shen outlines her work on Secure multi-party computation (MPC), a type of cryptography that allows parties to jointly analyze their data without disclosing it.
Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E–Government Act of 2002 (M-03–22)

This guidance provides information to agencies on implementing the privacy provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. It addresses privacy protections when Americans interact with their government. The guidance directs agencies to conduct reviews of how information about individuals is handled within their agency when they use information technology (IT) to collect new information, or when

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
OMB M-20-19

Harnessing Technology to Support Mission Continuity
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
Checklist of requirements for federal websites and digital services

Links to relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.
Eight Principles of Mobile-Friendliness

Following these principles will help you make your site more usable and user-friendly.
OMB Circular A-130

Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
Tips for Starting Your Customer Experience Journey

Low-cost, low-lift actions that any federal employee can take to improve customer experience.
Foundations of Agile, Part I

18F’s Alan Atlas and Alan Brouilette cover the fundamentals of Agile.

How to Present Like a Pro

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

Moving to .gov

If you’re moving to .gov from another top-level domain, like .com, .org, or .us, here are some best practices to help you plan that transition.
How to Build an Analytics Strategy

A case study using Digital.gov as an example of how to assess, report, and take action using web analytics as part of an analytics strategy.
Foundations of Agile, Part I

18F’s Alan Atlas and Alan Brouilette cover the fundamentals of Agile.
Foundations of Agile, Part II

18F’s Alan Atlas and Alan Brouilette cover the fundamentals of Agile.
18F De-risking Guides

The Federal Field Guide to De-risk Government Technology offers guidance to federal agencies on how to structure software development teams, write contracts, and oversee agile software activities to reduce risks and improve outcomes for end-users.
18F Guide to Product Management

Best practices on doing product management well

Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
Addressing Barriers to User-Centered Design

An overview of the most common barriers and how federal agencies might address them.
Managing Research Projects Remotely

Best practices for distributed teams.
The basics of human-centered design in government

How the Lab at OPM drives innovation through design education
Stakeholder and User Interview Checklist

Key interview moments and how to navigate them.
Usability Testing with Steve Krug

Get started making usability fixes to your website or product.
18F Research Guidelines

Covers the basic principles research: informing and getting consent, and managing personally identifiable information (PII)
Tips for capturing the best data from user interviews

How to ensure the most useful information makes its way back to your team for further analysis
18F Methods

A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.

Making the big move: Search in support of federal web modernization

In this special report, we discuss a website redesign’s nine phases and their impact on search.

M-19-17 Enabling Mission Delivery through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management

This 2019 memorandum sets forth the federal government’s Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) policy.
OMB Circular A-130

Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
An introduction to ATOs

What is an Authorization to Operate? Before you use software in government, you need to make sure it is allowed. You should know what an ATO is and when you need one.
An introduction to security and privacy controls

What do the control families of NIST 800-53 mean? Here’s an overview of the control families that create the foundation of federal security compliance.
Privacy-Preserving Collaboration Using Cryptography

In conjunction with her May 2020 presentation, Dr. Emily Shen outlines her work on Secure multi-party computation (MPC), a type of cryptography that allows parties to jointly analyze their data without disclosing it.
How to Prevent Security Certificates From Expiring During a Lapse in Operations

These are the steps that people in government can take to avoid having security certificates expire during a lapse in operations.
Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 – Presentation to the 2003 FISSEA Conference

The head of the agency delegates to the CIO a number of information security responsibilities. The CIO in turn designates a senior agency information security officer. View Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 Presentation to the 2003 FISSEA Conference Related Links OMB M-04-25 Reporting Instructions for the Federal Information Security Management Act (PDF, 269
Social Media Cyber-Vandalism Toolkit

Cyber-vandalism presents a serious challenge to online-based communication tools. This document provides guidance and security practices to federal, state, and local government employees. Suggestions and resources prepare users to respond to cyber-hijacking.

How to start and sustain a federal podcast

Discover how to create and maintain a successful podcast at your federal agency.
Introduction to QR codes

What is a QR code and how can you create one? What are some alternatives to using QR codes? This introductory resource will help you explore your options.
Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media

Guidelines and recommendations for using social media technologies in a manner that minimizes risks are analyzed and presented in this document.
NARA guidance on Managing Social Media Records

National Archives Bulletin 2014-02 provides high-level record keeping requirements and best practices for capturing records created when federal agencies use social media.
Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act

This memo clarifies when and how the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (the PRA) applies to federal agency use of social media and web-based interactive technologies.
Social Media Cyber-Vandalism Toolkit

Cyber-vandalism presents a serious challenge to online-based communication tools. This document provides guidance and security practices to federal, state, and local government employees. Suggestions and resources prepare users to respond to cyber-hijacking.
Improving the Accessibility of Social Media in Government

Government agencies are increasingly using social media to engage with citizens, share information and deliver services more quickly and effectively than ever before. But as social content, data and platforms become more diverse, agencies have a responsibility to ensure these digital services are accessible to all citizens, including people with disabilities.
Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit Hackpad

The following contains the shared document for the development of the Social Media Policy Toolkit, a shared service of the Federal Social Media Community of Practice lead by teams including The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Guidance for Social Media Providers

GSA welcomes interest from providers that want to offer, for the federal government’s consideration, social media products that are free of charge. If you are such a provider, please email GSA and include the following information: Explanation of the

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
An introduction to ATOs

What is an Authorization to Operate? Before you use software in government, you need to make sure it is allowed. You should know what an ATO is and when you need one.
Revised 508 Standards Roadmap

Follow the Revised 508 Standards to ensure your information and communication technology (ICT) is accessible and usable by individuals with disabilities.

Tips for Starting Your Customer Experience Journey

Low-cost, low-lift actions that any federal employee can take to improve customer experience.
Moving to .gov

If you’re moving to .gov from another top-level domain, like .com, .org, or .us, here are some best practices to help you plan that transition.
Embedding Equity in Civic Design to Transform Customer Experience

This case study describes how two civic designers at different agencies embed equity in civic design to transform federal customer experience.
18F De-risking Guides

The Federal Field Guide to De-risk Government Technology offers guidance to federal agencies on how to structure software development teams, write contracts, and oversee agile software activities to reduce risks and improve outcomes for end-users.
18F Guide to Product Management

Best practices on doing product management well
Mobile Development Strategies

The following is a list of the most common mobile development strategies.
A Guide to Creating Mobile-Friendly Websites

Based on a recent six-month study, this guide outlines the top five practices needed to improve the mobile-friendliness of federal websites: the optimization of JavaScript, CSS, and images, caching, and pop-ups.
Open Data Policy (M-13-13)

This Memorandum establishes a framework to help institutionalize the principles of effective information management at each stage of the information’s life cycle to promote interoperability and openness.

An introduction to GitHub

Steps for managing website content in GitHub.

U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
USWDS Maturity Model

How to adopt the design system incrementally and design and build better digital experiences.
An introduction to design systems

If your organization needs to ensure compliance with a design standard or align to a brand, a design system can help you achieve those goals more easily than building a site from scratch. Learn how a design system can help you and what you need to know to get started.
Deceptive Design: How to Identify and Combat Consequence Design

Consequence design is part of everyday life. Deceptive techniques like “dark patterns” and “hostile design” trick people into taking unintended actions — learn how to prevent them from sneaking into our design work.
Best Practices for Writing for the Accessible Web

Tips for making online information accessible for those with auditory and visual needs.
The website standards

As defined in 21st Century IDEA, the Design System incorporates federal standards to improve federal websites and digital services.
How to track performance

A step-by-step guide to picking metrics and tools for tracking performance on your site.

Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit

A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
Usability Testing with Steve Krug

Get started making usability fixes to your website or product.
18F Methods

A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.
Usability Starter Kit

Here are some tools and templates to help you create better user experiences.
Fueleconomy.gov – Extended Case Study

Like any valid business decision, User Experience work should produce results and demonstrable impact. To see a list of screenshots from websites we’ve improved, visit the rest of our Usability Case Studies. Or see a more complete case study below. Case Study: Fueleconomy.gov Mobile Site In December of 2012
Government Usability Case Studies

This list of government usability case studies shows how government sites, mobile apps and other products become more effective, more coherent and more usable by focusing on the User Experience of their customers. Want to be featured here? Just email us. National Cancer Institute Persona

Requirements for delivering a digital-first public experience

Learn how to implement 21st Century IDEA to design and deliver better websites and digital services.
U.S. Web Design System

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
18F Accessibility Guide

A resource for developing accessible products.
Accessibility for Teams

A guide to making products more accessible for everyone.
An Introduction to USWDS 3.0

A design system for the federal government that makes it easier to build accessible, mobile-friendly government websites for the American public.
Required web content and links

Various policies require you to have certain content—or provide links to content—from specific places on your website.
Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit

A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
An advanced approach to accessibility

A deeper look at accessibility: what to do, how to do it, and why it matters.
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Deceptive Design: How to Identify and Combat Consequence Design

Consequence design is part of everyday life. Deceptive techniques like “dark patterns” and “hostile design” trick people into taking unintended actions — learn how to prevent them from sneaking into our design work.

Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit

A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
Tips for Starting Your Customer Experience Journey

Low-cost, low-lift actions that any federal employee can take to improve customer experience.
Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
18F Research Guidelines

Covers the basic principles research: informing and getting consent, and managing personally identifiable information (PII)
Stakeholder and User Interview Checklist

Key interview moments and how to navigate them.
Usability Testing with Steve Krug

Get started making usability fixes to your website or product.
The basics of human-centered design in government

How the Lab at OPM drives innovation through design education
Managing Research Projects Remotely

Best practices for distributed teams.
Addressing Barriers to User-Centered Design

An overview of the most common barriers and how federal agencies might address them.
Tips for capturing the best data from user interviews

How to ensure the most useful information makes its way back to your team for further analysis

Guidelines for Digital.gov event presenters

A checklist of requirements for people who are presenting at a Digital.gov event.
How to Present Like a Pro

Wendy Wagner-Smith of the Small Business Administration (SBA) shares her tips and tricks for presenting virtually.

PlainLanguage.gov

A resource to help federal employees write in plain language and comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010.
Introduction to translation technology

What is translation technology? This introductory resource will help you understand how and when to use translation technology to provide meaningful access for people with limited English proficiency.
An introduction to plain language

Understand how and why to use plain language on government websites and other digital services
Lessons from the 2021 Federal Plain Language Report Card

This event recap highlights best practices, a short case study video, and examples of federal web content that received both high and low scores in the 2021 Plain Language Report Card.
Style Guides by Government Agencies

This page is a collection of style guides created by government agencies.
Plain Language Web Writing Tips

Help your readers complete their tasks with these Plain Language writing tips.

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