Public-Government Interactivity: An Example for the Future
19 12 2009In the midst of partisan bickering and intra-party squabbling over major policy issues such as health care reform and the federal budget, it isn’t surprising some people are deeply upset over the current direction –or lack there of– of the United States government. However, I will not be weighing in on either of these political hot potato issues.
Instead, attention should be paid to an encouraging sign of the government actively soliciting public insights for greater transparency and interactivity. Luckily, I came across this awesome endeavor and felt it very worthy of passing along.
Following the lead of President Obama’s initiative for greater government transparency with the release of the Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies earlier this year, work is underway to increase public input on Data.gov’s future growth. For those unfamiliar with Data.gov, this website serves as a central nerve center of sorts for accessing a plethora of government information presented in one place online. The idea behind such a website is a strong one but it is clear that work remains to make the site more user friendly.
A promising step towards this feat comes through a collaborative effort between the Chief Information Officers Council 
and several other government groups to shape Data.gov based upon user suggestions. This attempt is being carried out now at the Evolving Data.gov With You website. Here, users can propose ideas for greater government transparency and efficiency that are then viewed by other visitors who can vote in favor of ideas they find most beneficial. The voting concept demonstrated here is very similar to the type of social ranking systems utilized by popular websites like Digg.com that rely upon user input to determine the popularity of user submitted stories.
You may be wondering:
- Why is this important?
- Why should I care that about this?
- What’s in it for me?
For one, the idea that the government is actively working to make an easily accessible platform for visitors to shape how the future of Data.gov evolves is a rather new concept. This is especially relevant when considering it is not just a concept, it is actually being undertaken through actions.
Secondly, as citizens complain about the government turning a deaf ear towards what the people want this should serve as a demonstration of a changing mindset it Washington, D.C. President Obama proposed rather sweeping changes through the aforementioned Memorandum earlier this year to force government entities to tackle ways of making government more responsive to the people it is meant to serve.
Thirdly, the open forum for idea sharing and user contributions at Data.gov provides a free idea generator to the government. By soliciting insights from visitors who perhaps come from a wide range of professional backgrounds, the government can benefit greatly through the variety of different perspectives towards usability these citizens provide.
Along those lines, the website interface of the voting platform used with Data.gov is easy on the eyes and easy to navigate. The structure of each page on the site is consistent so as to limit the chances of a visitor getting lost with no way to retrace their steps. Also, the information presented is clearly separated into different categories allowing users to access the material they are most interested in without wadding through pages of unrelated material.
I have already voted for the ideas which I feel would be most beneficial to citizens trying to access and use information provided from the government. There are many ideas presently waiting for your vote. If you want government to be more responsive, you have to speak up. Here is a great opportunity to do just that. Encourage these initiatives to assist the government in order to help us. I did my part today in this process. Question is, will you do yours?
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Tags: interactivity, government, citizens, information, public, transparency, voting, Data.gov, Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, public input, databaes, responsiveness
Categories : Interactivity and general insights
Has Apple gone crazy or is the company now trying to influence customer health?
30 11 2009Good question.
Although I cannot lay claim to having a definitive answer on their motivations, Apple recently made waves with regards to computer warranties. According to reports from Apple customers, the company is sticking to their claim that smoking (cigarettes, pipes, cigars etc) within the vicinity of their laptop and desktop computers nullifies the computer warranties.
Does this make sense? Is Steve Jobs trying to be funny and nobody has realized the joke yet?
Before going any further, I should preface that I myself am not a smoker and am using my own personal Macbook Pro to write this post. Therefore, I have not developed a nervous tick while writing AND taking a drag for a nicotine fix. However, with that said, I think Apple is wadding into dangerous waters with this mysterious warrant voiding policy. I have elaborated on my reasoning below:
> Where is the evidence of a DIRECT link between smoke (casual, not as in a building fire) damage and Apple product destruction?
> As indicated by Apple owners who have contacted Apple, why is there no mention of this policy in the warrant materials?
> If smoke is so harmful towards Apple computers, why aren’t a plethora of other substances cited in warranty material as being capable of nullifying warranties?
(When was the last time you read a car warranty stating the radio, navigation system or the power door locks would be harmed by the act of smoking AND consequently nullify the warranty??)
> If Apple begins enacting and enforcing this mysterious policy, will it set a precedent for all computer manufacturers?
Smoking is harmful to humans, this has been scientifically proven through numerous scientific outlets. Computers however are not made of flesh and blood. I am wary of Apple’s motivations behind such a policy that seems to be cloaked in mystery. The company is not needing to pinch pennies by voided warranties as Apple’s profits have been riding high recently. So what gives? Is this an attempt to send a statement to their customers that they should change some of the choices they make, such as lighting up? I am curious for an answer. I am not Steve Jobs and neither can I try to formulate the exact motivations behind Apple’s decision to enforce this move. As an Apple customer, the move seems misguided as the intent is unclear and potentially invasive on customers personal lives and the decisions they chose to make.
I hope the air will be cleared on this topic when Apple is more forthcoming about the influence of smoking on its products.
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Tags: Apple, biohazard, Macbook, public health, smoke, smoking, void, warranty
Categories : COM 530 Theory and Audience Analysis
Advice on website design…….from the government?!?
21 11 2009Perhaps you are as surprised as I was when I stumbled across a unique website created by the United States government that provides useful advice on website design tips, tricks and tools?
Who would have thunk.
The website is Usability.gov, which is run by the United States Department of Health 
and Human Services. I knew this website was a break from the norm when the first title on the homepage reads, “Please don’t make me think!” Along similar lines, the color scheme is vastly different from other government websites I have seen. Instead of relying upon blue hues and shades of white, which tends to be standard government website fare, there is an abundance of orange, raspberry purple, teal, yellow and white. Certainly this is not what I would have expected to see prior to visiting this site.
I find this website encouraging for a variety of reasons.
The Mission: to serve as a hub of resources for government website designers to construct more user-friendly websites
The Content: numerous documents, lessons and pointers of design processes
The Resources: various case studies of improved government websites, free design templates and additional educational tools to further design study
Needless to say, this website is a great resource for presenting and understanding basic website design principles. What really surprises me, besides the fact this information is coming from the United States government, is that this website is not more prominently marketed. I for one had no idea this resource existed online. Did you?
There are many websites that could benefit from the principles and resources discussed on this site, regardless if they are public or private sector related.
The wealth of information presented is impressive and for good reason. Instead of simply stating things should be done one particular way, Usability.gov presents actual case studies conducted by government agencies. Under the Methods section on the homepage, you can view several clearly defined categories of ways to approach website design. The categories are as follows:
> Planning the Project
> Analyze Current Site
> Design New Site
> Test & Refine the Site
> Methods at a Glance
I clicked on the Analyze Current Site option and was presented with six sub-topics, each presented in short one or two sentence summations with an accompanying link for further information. This is designed well as it is easy to read and does not represent a cognitive overload.
At this point, I decided to explore the Personas sub-topic. Clicking on the link loads a page with short but clear explanation of key aspects related to analyzing online user personas. At the bottom of the page, a real example of a user persona is presented 
from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Additionally, the side bar contains several additional real government agency examples of user personas that can be downloaded as Microsoft Word documents.
The information contained on this page alone is insightful and very relevant. Many people complain or assume that the government operates under a veil or secrecy and the public has no idea what really is going on within the halls of power. To that I say, explore Usability.gov. Here there are not just examples outlining how government entities establish and refine their online presence to better serve constituents but great tools that private individuals can use to make their own personal website more user friendly.
As mentioned earlier, I hope this website gets more publicity, it certainly has earned it. Hopefully, my blog post will divert some folks to look into this resource.
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Tags: advice, citizens, design, government, public, resources, tools, United States Department of Health & Human Services, Usability.gov, user centered design, websites
Categories : COM 540B Interactive Writing and Design (weekly)
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