Federal Web Design Standards

Does your web work have any ties to the federal government? It may have a connection without you realizing it. I learned this while working at a college that was receiving federal grants and that is also true of companies that have federal contracts. 

Recently (January 2020), there were some updates to the federal website design standards. I saw several posts about this including one at federalnewsnetwork.com and governmentciomedia.com. Even if your site is not required to adhere to these standards, they are worth looking at and considering for any website.

Here is a primer on the standards which requires that a website must be:

Accessible: be accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 508

Consistent: have a consistent appearance

Authoritative: not overlap with or duplicate existing websites

Searchable: contain a search function

Secure: be provided through a secure connection

User-centered: be designed around user needs with data-driven analysis

Customizable: provide an option for a more customized digital experience

Mobile-friendly: be functional and usable on mobile devices

All government agencies are required to modernize their websites to ensure that public websites’ user experience meets if not exceeds the expectations of the people each agency serves. 

The General Services Administration (GSA) developed the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) as a standardized platform for agencies to design modern websites.