Designing VA Websites
In recent years, more individuals access websites through mobile devices and use mobile as their main method for receiving information from a variety of channels.
Recognizing the need to provide mobile-friendly information, VA is using a mobile first approach to content and design.
What exactly is mobile?
Mobile can be divided into three distinct categories:
- Website adoption to recognize the importance of mobile–Content is written to be easily read on a mobile device, implementing a bite-snack-meal approach to present information, where information is presented in small bites to form a snack. Usually, 3-4 lines of text representing the most important information are placed at the top of the page (above the fold of the screen), allowing site visitors to access the most important information quickly without scrolling down. Avoid using PDF documents. Instead, produce PDF contents as a web page. This creates a responsive site allowing visitors to access all content using their preferred language and device.
- Responsive Web Design (RWD)–A web design approach aimed at allowing desktop web pages to automatically resized based on to the screen size or web browser being used (e.g., tablet or smart phone). VA has used RWD on its desktop web pages since 2014.
- Mobile tactics to reach people via their mobile devices–Some popular ways to reach individuals through their mobile devices include:
- Text (SMS), both one-way (receiving text messages) and two-way (text in word to code to receive custom content
- Apps on smartphones
- Voice: one-way voice (eg. celebrity voice mail) or two-way voice (traditional phone call)
- Location-based services, including maps and social applications, such as foursquare, to check-in by location
- Photo or video, including barcodes, photo lookup, translation, digital watermarks
VA mobile initiatives
VA Mobile aims to improve Veteran health by providing technologies that expand clinical care beyond the traditional office visit.
VA Mobile underscores VA’s commitment to transform the way care is delivered and to improve health care coordination between Veterans and their care teams. VA recognizes mobile health is emerging as an essential health care element and aims to provide the most up-to-date technologies to enhance patient experiences.
VA Mobile regularly releases new apps for Veterans.
Trending apps
Resources
There are a variety of resources on mobile government initiatives, and VA is involved in many groups that promote usability and mobile government practices.
- VA Content Style Guide
- MobileGov Community of Practice–A network of federal employees who work across agencies to create anytime, anywhere government resources and solutions for today and tomorrow.
- DigitalGov Mobile – Any time, any where, any device. Now that’s truly mobile.
- Federal CrowdSource Mobile Testing Program – A no-cost service provided for federal agencies by federal employees.
