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UX Design

“User experience design most frequently defines a sequence of interactions between a user (individual person) and a system, virtual or physical, designed to meet or support user needs and goals, primarily, while also satisfying systems requirements and organizational objectives (Wikipedia).”

UX Designers focus on meeting with the end users and trying to understand the world through the user’s eyes as they wish to interact with a system. The CTO’s office has largely been using UX Design to create personas and wireframes although there are many more ways to get to end user needs (see 18F’s design methods).

As we mature our Digital Service and modern development practices, we will continue to add more content here with instructions on how to carry-out UX design in the organization. No doubt a much needed service to address end user needs and the representations of such needs with front-end development.

One thing to check out is the GSA-maintained U.S. Web Design System, which enhance user experiences on government sites by offering a consistent, and trusted, look and feel. The Standards offer open-source, quick-to-download code and assets that comply with Section 508 guidance, support mobile first practices, and adhere to current OMB guidance. The Standards are currently operating on hundreds of government sites, with a combined monthly audience of more than 26 million users! If you have requests for features or find bugs, please submit them to the GitHub repo, and join the conversation and community on our public Slack channel.

tech.gsa.gov / Office of the CTO

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