18F’s Methods is a digital resource that provides practical guidance for applying human-centred design to government work. It’s aimed at helping teams within the U.S. federal government to make their services more effective and accessible. The resource is divided into three categories: Discover, Decide, and Make.
The ‘Discover’ section encourages teams to understand the people they’re designing for and the problem they’re trying to solve. Techniques include stakeholder interviews, usability testing, and heuristic evaluations.
The ‘Decide’ section offers guidance on making informed decisions based on the insights gathered during the discovery process. This involves the use of affinity diagramming, dot voting, and decision matrices.
The ‘Make’ section provides advice on turning ideas into tangible products. Prototyping, content guides, and visual design are key aspects of this process.
18F’s Methods emphasises the importance of iteration, allowing teams to learn from their mistakes and improve their designs over time. It also encourages collaboration, with the belief that the best solutions come from diverse perspectives.
The resource is open to the public, allowing anyone to contribute and improve its content. It’s a living document, continually updated to reflect the latest best practices in human-centred design.
Go to source article: https://methods.18f.gov/