The Atlantic posted a really great article on how the U.S. Government is improving their websites. Below is a short excerpt.
Last week, a consortium of government tech agencies—including the White House’s U.S. Digital Service and the government’s in-house tech consultancy, 18F—announced the U.S. Web Design Standards. They’re a set of colors, typefaces, button styles, and even footer-writing guidelines meant to guide future site design from federal agencies.
“Visually, we sought to achieve a style that conveys credibility, trust, and warmth,” says Mollie Ruskin, a U.S. Digital Service designer who led the development of the standards, in an email. “In selecting type pairings and color palettes, our aim was to create an aesthetic both on par with 21st-century consumer products, while also capturing a distinctly American style that places a premium on simplicity and usability.”
Ruskin said the standards were designed with “a laser focus on the needs of government’s users—the American people.”