PLAY 3

Make it simple and intuitive


"Using a government service shouldn’t be stressful, confusing, or daunting. It’s our job to build services that are simple and intuitive enough that users succeed the first time, unaided." - CIO Playbook

Take a moment and consider your favorite apps,  the ones you rely on every day.  My favorite apps all have a few things in common, they are simple, they get things done, they live on my mobile devices and I don't need to squint to use them.   Truly great applications are built around the user and around their life space.  

 Dozens of books have been written about the topic of user experience, yet few things are neglected more often than user-centric design.  Most failed apps fail here.  The focus of application design is not simply to please the eye but to be usable and usable means functional.  

As I have stated many times, the arbitrator of functionality is the user.   If you release an app without their feedback, it most often will not succeed.  Great app designers embrace user feedback as precious data.   Aesthetics are important but orientation is vital.  A great looking application that does not get things done is a short-lived app.  So, remember the old acronym we learned in grammar school and Keep it Simple Stupid (KISS).

From the playbook:

Checklist
1.    Use a simple and flexible design style guide for the service. Use the U.S. Web Design Standards as a default
2.   Use the design style guide consistently for related digital services
3.   Give users clear information about where they are in each step of the process
4.   Follow accessibility best practices to ensure all people can use the service
5.   Provide users with a way to exit and return later to complete the process
6.   Use language that is familiar to the user and easy to understand
7.   Use language and design consistently throughout the service, including online and offline touch points
Key Questions
1.    What primary tasks are the user trying to accomplish?
2.   Is the language as plain and universal as possible?
3.   What languages is your service offered in?
4.   If a user needs help while using the service, how do they go about getting it?
5.   How does the service’s design visually relate to other government services?

 - Robert (robert.rasmussen@agile6.com)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
Thoughts on the United Airlines Incident by Brian Derfer, CTO, Agile Six Applications, Inc. By now readers have almost certainly heard of United Airlines and the Chicago Police  forcibly removing a passenger , Dr. Dao, from a United Airlines flight in order to accommodate United crew members who needed to be transported to Louisville. Here are a few thoughts that I have had as I think about this incident from the perspective of a software developer: This is not about rights Framing the issue as a matter of rights completely misses the point, in my opinion. It seems pretty clear that United has the legal right to remove passengers to accommodate their employees. On the flip-side, travelers have the right to choose other airlines in the future, and stock-holders have the right to buy or sell United Airlines stock. To me the issue is whether removing Dr. Dao and the other passengers was a decision that was a) ethical, and b) served the best interests of the passengers
Read more

A Discussion of Agile Program Procurement

Image
Having managed dozens of projects over a period of 20 years, it is the opinion of the author that a there are two basic realities that must be embraced to fully benefit from Agile: “Something has to give” - Planning is important, but all successful projects leverage opportunities for elasticity, collaboration and resilience.  “Sharing is caring” - Sharing objectives and risk between a vendor and a client usually facilitate “win/win” relationships leading to great software. We believe that the best way for the Government and vendors to appropriately share risk under an Agile Development framework is to move away from a Fixed Firm Price/ Fixed Firm Scope system altogether, and instead move towards a model where Government buys fixed capacity in advance from a company (i.e. a team of a fixed size) and then assigns that team with tasks as projects arise. Read more in our new white paper  - A Discussion of Agile ProgramProcurement. 
Read more

At Team Six serving together builds purpose.

Image
Thanks to Team Six for Serving our Vets! Friday the 17th of July, the team at Agile Six was honored to pick up trash at the annual Veteran Stand Down in San Diego. Homeless veterans and their families receive food, clothing, showers, medical and dental care at Stand Down, and can take advantage of a special court for the homeless, recovery services, employment referrals, counseling and chaplain services.  Serving the community together, builds stronger teams.  Thanks to our nation's Veterans!  WE'VE GOT YOUR SIX! - Robert  -  (robert.rasmussen@agile6.com)
Read more