LAUREL, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aquilent, the recognized leading provider of Cloud, Web and Mobile solutions shaping the next generation of technology for the federal government, today announced the "re-boot" of Usability.gov from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), a site developed and re-designed with support from Aquilent. The enhanced site features increased opportunities for user experience (UX) professionals to collaborate, including a wealth of new content and interactive platforms.
The HHS-led Usability.gov is the premiere resource for UX best practices on a wide range of topics including content strategy, information architecture, user interface design, interaction design, visual design, project management, accessibility, analytics, and more. UX professionals from both the government and non-government sectors look to the site to collaborate and share information that helps further the value of a user-centered design.
Developed on a Drupal platform, the site was designed using tiles and a “mobile-first” model, focusing on “touch and swipe” ahead of the more traditional “click and scroll” navigation approach. The Usability.gov re-boot reflects the site's goal of making the interface even more interactive. Responsive design delivers a consistent user experience regardless of the device, including the latest mobile platforms. It also features a large UX glossary of more than 300 terms, and will soon be joined by a 75 title bookshelf. A wide array of templates and downloadable documents and government-specific "how-to and tools" help guide best practices for specific project needs.
The design was thoroughly tested, including focus groups, and features page-level surveys and a site-level survey to gauge the overall user experience and ensure continuous enhancements. The tile design underwent multiple laboratory testing sessions. Community building features include guest blogs and social media platforms such as @UsabilityGov. Launched at the 2013 User Experience Professional Association (UXPA) conference on July 10, Usability.gov is a premiere example of the Digital Government Strategy at work, delivering an actionable web experience.
"Being a part of Usability.gov is such an appropriate focus for Aquilent given our long history of technology innovation always guided by the compass of user experience," stated Aquilent CEO David Fout. "We give kudos to HHS for once again setting a new bar of excellence by sharing this UX community-wide site to strengthen best practices and ensure an ever evolving world of user-driven web development."
About Aquilent
Named the Government Contracting Firm of the Year by the Tech Council of MD, Aquilent is the recognized leading provider of Cloud, Web and Mobile solutions shaping the next generation of technology for the federal government in line with the Digital Government Strategy and Cloud First Policy. Aquilent delivers transformative solutions for our federal customers with an emphasis on cloud computing, mobile and digital strategy, web content management, user experience and portal & application development. Our commitment to deliver tangible, highly strategic results for our clients’ most pressing problems is underscored by our 4-Point Aquilent Advantage™. To learn more about Aquilent, four times recognized as one of the Top 50 Best Places to Work by the Washington Business Journal, visit www.aquilent.com, and follow us @Aquilent.
