“Mother should I trust the government?” – and its web usability?

Pink Floyd lyrics aside, we as web users utilize governmental websites on a regular basis. The public depends on governmental websites for a variety of services ranging from renewing a driver’s license or complaining to the Department of Transportation about the potholes craters found throughout the Michigan roadways.

However, just who exactly provides the usability guidelines to be followed when designing these websites?

According to Usability.gov:

Usability.gov is the primary government source for information on usability and user-centered design. It provides guidance and tools on how to make Web sites and other communication systems more usable and useful.

This site was developed to specifically assist Web managers, designers, usability specialists, and others create Web sites that are highly responsive, easy-to-use, and useful (About Us section, n.d.).

Additionally, management of the website falls under the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs.

Furthermore, Usability.gov contains a multitude of usability guideless pertaining to designing websites for the government. The website also contains templates and a blog relating to web usability within the government.

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(n.d.) About Us. Retrieved from http://www.usability.gov/about/index.html

Waters, R. (1979). Mother [Recorded by Pink Floyd]. On The Wall [CD]. Nice, France: EMI.