The U.S. Web Design System team is joined by the Federal Website Standards team to share more about the standards, their origin, the research backing them, and what standards are coming next.
Usability
How easily and effectively people can accomplish their goals using a product or system, while having a positive experience.
Usability refers to the measurement of how easily a user can accomplish their goals when using a service. This is usually measured through established research methodologies under the term “usability testing,” which includes success rates and customer satisfaction. Usability is one part of the larger user experience (UX) umbrella. While UX encompasses designing the overall experience of a product, usability focuses on the mechanics of making sure products work as well as possible for the user.
Related Policy
21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA) and M-23-22
Resources on Usability
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An introduction to content
Best practices for creating clear, useful, digital content for federal websites and digital services.
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Usability Testing with Steve Krug
Get started making usability fixes to your website or product.
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Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit
A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
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18F Methods
A collection of tools that describe how teams can put human-centered design into practice.
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Usability Starter Kit
Here are some tools and templates to help you create better user experiences.
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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
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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
Join a Community of Practice
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Join the Web Analytics
Make better decisions using web analytics and other optimization strategies.
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Join the Web Managers
Create a better online experience for the public alongside government web content managers.
Usability events
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025.
2024
The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system. event_organizer: Digital.gov
Watch Video
2024
Annual Gathering
Spring 2024 Community Summit
Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.
2024
Making sense: Cognition, perception, and design
Watch Video
2023
Usability news
Navigating digital acquisitions
Learn the best practices for agile acquisitions—from building and buying solutions, to overcoming common roadblocks.
Enhancing the customer-centricity of GSA websites
An overview of GSA’s website evaluation process, which combines qualitative and quantitative data to assess website management and performance.
Making targeted improvements to NPS.gov: A case study from the National Park Service
NPS enhances user experience on NPS.gov by integrating Digital Analytics Program web analytics data and customer feedback from GSA Touchpoints.
Uncovering impactful solutions through user research
Get an overview of what user research and user testing are in a federal context. Learn what policies apply and what resources are available.
10 years of the U.S. Digital Service: Transforming government for the digital age
Over the past decade, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has collaborated with more than 30 federal agencies to create user-friendly, reliable, and seamless digital experiences. Their work prioritizing human-centered design and engineering includes improving services for veterans with Veterans Affairs, launching the Internal Revenue Service Direct File Pilot, and supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, USDS remains committed to building trust, fostering innovation, and scaling digital capacity across the federal government, ensuring better service for all Americans.— via The White House
Resources on Usability
-
An introduction to content
Best practices for creating clear, useful, digital content for federal websites and digital services.
-
Usability Testing with Steve Krug
Get started making usability fixes to your website or product.
-
Department of Homeland Security: Usability Testing Kit
A resource with four approaches to help federal employees perform usability testing.
-
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
More News and Events on Usability
146 posts
The U.S. Web Design System team is joined by the Federal Website Standards team to share more about the standards, their origin, the research backing them, and what standards are coming next.
Navigating digital acquisitions
Learn the best practices for agile acquisitions—from building and buying solutions, to overcoming common roadblocks.
The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) team will share their vision for the design system as a product, including USWDS Web Components and other new things the team expects to deliver in 2025.
2024
Enhancing the customer-centricity of GSA websites
An overview of GSA’s website evaluation process, which combines qualitative and quantitative data to assess website management and performance.
The U.S. Web Design System team will share the product and engineering principles they’re using to guide the development of the design system. event_organizer: Digital.gov
Watch Video
2024
Making targeted improvements to NPS.gov: A case study from the National Park Service
NPS enhances user experience on NPS.gov by integrating Digital Analytics Program web analytics data and customer feedback from GSA Touchpoints.
Uncovering impactful solutions through user research
Get an overview of what user research and user testing are in a federal context. Learn what policies apply and what resources are available.
10 years of the U.S. Digital Service: Transforming government for the digital age
Over the past decade, the U.S. Digital Service (USDS) has collaborated with more than 30 federal agencies to create user-friendly, reliable, and seamless digital experiences. Their work prioritizing human-centered design and engineering includes improving services for veterans with Veterans Affairs, launching the Internal Revenue Service Direct File Pilot, and supporting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking ahead, USDS remains committed to building trust, fostering innovation, and scaling digital capacity across the federal government, ensuring better service for all Americans.— via The White House
Developing an easier way to recruit user research participants
USA.gov and 10x recently partnered to develop a new user research recruitment page. The page launched in February 2024 and has attracted hundreds of sign-ups. It allows participants to assist in testing government websites for compensation, and helps teams find participants that match needed demographics. By simplifying the process and expanding recruitment of diverse populations, the initiative aims to support and streamline user research. It plans to add recruitment opportunities in additional languages and recruit more specific audiences for future studies.— via USA.gov
Designing for people with disabilities
The User Experience (UX) team at USA.gov’s Public Experience Portfolio recently conducted a study to analyze the experiences of individuals who access USA.gov through assistive technology. The team partnered with a local organization to gather insights from a diverse group of participants, many of whom are blind or deaf. The study revealed various habits and challenges faced by these users, such as a preference for mobile sites, difficulty with website carousels, and a reliance on clear headings and action-oriented descriptions. These findings can guide improvements in accessibility, such as clever link labeling and better navigation aids for assistive technology users.— via USA.gov
A small team’s journey through digital maturity
As a small team, Digital.gov adopted user research and customer experience early. That foundation helps develop evidence-based strategies for today.
Case study: Removing barriers to applying for a presidential pardon
At the Department of Justice, Access DOJ and the Office of the Pardon Attorney (PARDON) partnered to simplify and streamline the presidential pardon application process. By conducting usability testing and gathering feedback, they identified key issues with the existing application, such as its complexity and length. See how redesigning the forms to be more accessible and understandable led to a more efficient process for both applicants and staff.— via Department of Justice
One year with the new USAGov
It has been a year since USA.gov and USAGov en Español were relaunched using human-centered design principles. Using task backlog, the USAGov team has addressed content gaps, improved discoverability, and implemented technical updates. Through usability tests, visitor comments, and click behavior the team was able to unravel and respond to user feedback and unmet needs, leading to noticeable increases in visitor satisfaction and task accomplishment. Moving forward, the focus will shift to enhancing public engagement with the government, improving the search for benefits-related content, and exploring interactive and personalized user experiences.— via USA.gov
Progress towards delivering a digital-first public experience
Each year, more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments get information and services from about 430 federal agencies and sub-agencies. The Biden-Harris administration is driving a bold vision for how government agencies serve their customers digitally with OMB’s ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. Agencies have already made significant strides. Learn about recent successes by the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA, and how OMB will continue to collaborate with agencies to ensure ongoing improvement in digital government services.— via The White House
Determining the true value of a website: A GSA case study
GSA has developed a composite indicator to visualize six key components of website success.
18F at ten
We’re celebrating all the ways we continue to realize our founding vision: bringing technologists into government, launching shared digital services, and helping partner agencies build user-centered technology.— via 18F
Search.gov year in review: 2023 report
Learn what types of information people searched for on federal websites in 2023, see emerging trends the team is exploring to improve customers’ search experience in 2024, and check out three new updates. The data tab provides insightful summaries for 13 popular topic areas—and lists the public’s top 25 search terms, in their own words, for each.— via Search.gov
Annual Gathering
Spring 2024 Community Summit
Digital service experts across the federal government will share case studies and best practices on delivering a digital-first public experience.
2024
Timeless top 10 best practices for great government websites
While the field of federal web management continues to evolve, the core best practices have remained essentially unchanged for two decades.
Accessibility testing: Creating digital services everyone can use
Making sure that USA.gov and USAGov en Español remain accessible to people with disabilities is essential. The product team shares four testing tips they’ve learned to help ensure that everyone has equal access to digital products and services.— via USA.gov
