The scope and scale of government services is expanding in many different areas. The onset of e-governance measures has completely transformed the nature of governance and has widened its operational ambit in many respects. In this article, we will look at the art of designing the perfect website for government agencies and we will also discuss a few good examples of government website design that can be used as reference.
There are a few important elements that government websites should keep in mind such as ease of navigation, mobile optimization, as well as ADA accessibility. The main purpose of government websites can be summed up under the following points :
- Offering streamlined delivery of services to residents ‘
- Focusing on improving public perception and reputation through branding-based activities
- Creating effective community engagement and feedback mechanisms to enhance citizen participation
- Understand the requirements of residents and provide effective solutions to problems
The right web design elements can help a government create an attractive, engaging, and functional website that can significantly boost the government; image and perception among the general public. Websites can also help government agencies to focus their resources on the most urgent requirements by automatizing various aspects of service and information delivery systems.
Let us now look at some good examples of government websites that are well crafted and manage to perform the tasks that citizens come to expect with the highest degree of efficiency.
WhiteHouse.Gov
We all know that the White House is perhaps one of the most important offices and institutions all over the world. Its website is owned and managed by the Govt. of the United States and it can be considered a great example of a simple yet effective website. Using a single streamlined column layout, the site manages to break down information into bite-sized linear structures that are easy to read and understand.
Website navigation mechanisms are easy to follow and it has separate sections for all essential aspects related to governance and policy of the United States Government. This website is the perfect embodiment of how less can sometimes truly be more when it comes to government website design.
Dmv.CA.Gov
This is the official website of the Department of Motor Vehicles for the state of California and is another fine example of how a government website should look like. It offers a variety of services such as licensing drivers, registration of vehicles, issuing of ID cards, etc.
This website offers a great combination of clear information and content that is well structured for the convenience of visitors. They also offer visually attractive interface graphics and adopt a conversational approach to information sharing and communication that makes things easy to follow. It also manages to effectively align users’ mental models with regular updates in design elements and thus is a great example of Government Web Design.
City of Amarillo, Texas
If you are looking for ideas and reference websites in order to understand the requirements of web design for local government, then make sure to check this one out. This one has a contemporary feel to it and manages to incorporate all of the essential services right up front for the viewers to see.
The usage of a gradient manages to highlight the services and it also offers effective navigation mechanisms through a “find a service” button. The major takeaway from this one is that government web design should focus on reducing the number of clicks visitor has to go through before they find what they are looking for. The website manages to bring all of the essential services to the fingertips of visitors.
City of San Jose
Another great example of a website that manages to attract traffic with a focus on attractive web design, the website belonging to the city of San Jose was originally drafted to bring economic development to the city by encouraging investments and provisioning a platform for public-private engagement.
The website clearly outlines some of the differentiators that might be able to attract the attention of investors and business owners. These are further reinforced through imagery and a bold design that gives off the impression that San Jose is a dynamic, innovative, and evolving market that offers plenty of opportunities.
Gov.UK.
Next, we have decided to add the official website of the UK Government as a great example of how effective navigation can transform a website from good to great. This website does the glorious task of listing out various government departments and agencies. It also features lightning-fast loading times and good-quality content that is spaced out and structured for the most optimal user experience.
The whole homepage essentially allows visitors to navigate to their area of interest by dividing information into simple yet logical categories. Another one of its highlighted aspects is that it offers step-by-step action points for users to undertake whatever activity or process they wish. When it comes to highly functional government website examples, this one is right up there as one of the best.
Conclusion
Based on the examples shared above, it should be clear to our readers that the ideal government website consists of a combination of well-optimized web design elements. It's important to ensure that government websites have clarity and simplicity in terms of their usage in order to benefit the maximum number of visitors possible who might not have a lot of knowledge when it comes to software and digital operations.
If you are looking for a website design company that understands the main requirements of government website design, then make sure to check out JanBask Digital Design. The company has a lot of experience in designing websites for various government agencies and outlets and will be able to use this experience to diagnose and solve the problems plaguing any government website.
