-
Strategies for starting your own writing lab
on July 19, 2016
Interested in spinning up your own Writing Lab? Use these tips as your starting point.
-
6 ways a writing lab will help your organization
on June 30, 2016
Wondering if a writing lab might be right for your organization? Reviewing the benefits 18F has seen from our Writing Lab might help you figure out if starting your own is the way to go.
-
Taking an agile approach to content
on May 31, 2016
At 18F, we work in an agile way — in other words, we base our designs on user needs, conduct usability testing, iterate quickly, and release MVPs (minimum viable products) rather than highly finalized releases. We take an agile approach to content too.
-
Introducing 18F’s new visual identity
on May 12, 2016
If you’re a frequent visitor to our website, you may have noticed a few updates — most notably, that we’ve got a new logo. For the past few months, members of our visual design team have been crafting and refining our new visual identity, and we’re thrilled to introduce it.
-
A guide to the 18F Writing Lab
on April 28, 2016
The guide is designed to equip 18F staff with the information they need to quickly and easily request writing and editing help from the Lab, and also to provide our Lab editors with guidance on editing styles and workflows so we can provide a smooth experience for staff who request the Lab’s help.
-
Five questions for NASA's Chief Historian, Dr. Bill Barry
on March 3, 2016
Dr. Bill Barry — NASA’s Chief Historian since 2010 — will soon be visiting 18F to talk about the history of NASA’s logo. Here, read his insights on why “the meatball” is so popular, his advice to young folks considering careers in aeronautics, and more.
-
Lending a helping editorial hand: the 18F Writing Lab
on January 22, 2016
The Writing Lab is a virtual writing center where anyone at 18F can get personalized writing and editing help from members of the content and outreach teams.
-
The power of mindset: Normative’s Matthew Milan
on December 3, 2015
Matthew Milan, founder of and design leader at software design firm Normative, visited 18F’s main office to share his insights into the importance of the shared mindset and how your team can develop its own. Here are some of his takeaways.
-
In conversation with CFPB’s [Sweet Thrush]*
on November 6, 2015
Last month, content strategist and UX designer [Sweet Thrush]* from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau presented at 18F. Prior to her presentation, we had the chance to chat with [Thrush]* via email about her experience working with different types of content, her predictions for the field, and the collaborative approaches she recommends.
-
Content strategy for all: insights from CFPB’s [Sweet Thrush]*
on November 3, 2015
[Sweet Thrush]*, a content strategist at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, recently spoke at 18F about some best practices for creating and promoting digestible, user-friendly content.
-
You shared, we listened — updates to the 18F Content Guide
on October 8, 2015
After we launched the 18F Content Guide, we received all kinds of suggestions for updates and improvements. Here's a sampling of some of the improvements we've made recently based on your suggestions.
-
Building a better government design team
on October 2, 2015
Building a high-performing design team is tough under the best of circumstances. Add in governmental regulations, a distributed workforce, and rapid growth of the parent organization, and the process is even tougher.
-
Four questions with the CFPB design team
on September 21, 2015
Designers [Frightened Boar]* and [Pleasing Primate]* will be speaking tomorrow at 18F on their experience building the design team at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), as well as more generally on their approaches to user-centered design.
-
New citizenship resources demystify the naturalization process
on September 21, 2015
For many people, September conjures up happy memories of heading back to school, new backpack and supplies in tow. For new and aspiring citizens, September has additional significance: It’s when the federal government celebrates Constitution Week, a weeklong observance commemorating the adoption of the U.S. Constitution.
-
Making websites more like M&Ms
on August 26, 2015
Web standards and accessibility expert Aaron Gustafson recently came to 18F to speak about progressive enhancement and to challenge designers to improve user experience across browsers and devices.
-
The 18F content guide: working toward cleaner, more accessible communication
on July 6, 2015
We’re proud to announce the release of our 18F Content Guide, a comprehensive handbook to help content creators on our team (and, we hope, elsewhere) create more direct, accessible, and compelling written works.
-
Five questions with Dan Brown
on May 19, 2015
Dan Brown, co-founder of D.C.-based design firm EightShapes and author of Communicating Design and Designing Together, has spent years studying how and why conflict arises in the workplace, its centrality to good design, the differences between healthy and unhealthy conflict, and more. Dan will be speaking at 18F on Friday, May 22 at 1:30 PM.
-
Meet MyUSA: Your one account for government
on May 18, 2015
If you’re a small-business owner, a veteran, or simply a person interested in tracking the status of your tax return, you’ve likely interacted with multiple government websites, which can require you to fill out a lot of forms and juggle a lot of information. Soon, you’ll be able to use MyUSA — a service that makes government resources easier to access, and government tasks and processes easier to keep track of.
-
Hackathons: not just for folks who code
on April 21, 2015
A few members of the 18F team recently published an excellent guide on welcoming new coders to civic hackathons. In the same vein, we’d like to offer a list of strategies for including non-technical folks in your hackathons.
-
In case you missed it: #a11yhack, an accessibility hackathon
on April 7, 2015
Improving accessibility and 508 awareness is one of 18F’s ongoing goals. In support of this goal, we recently hosted a11yhack, a website accessibility hackathon.
-
GovTechHack: hacking for civic improvement
on April 2, 2015
On a recent breezy San Francisco evening, groups of developers, designers, marketing folks, and others convened for GovTechHack — a hackathon for civic good. The event’s premise was simple: To bring together people interested in improving the accessibility and transparency of federal digital resources for a two-day work session.
-
Focus on accessibility
on March 31, 2015
Accessibility is central to our work here at 18F. Read more about our accessibility efforts and how you can get involved.
-
18F by the numbers
on March 19, 2015
Today, we’re celebrating our first anniversary. We wanted to take a look at some of the numbers that have helped define 18F during our first year.
-
A day in the life of an 18F content designer
on March 12, 2015
In preparation for our one-year anniversary, we at 18F are introducing a new blog feature — our Day in the Life Series. Once a month, a different team member will share the details of their typical day in the office. Up first is a content designer.
-
Five ways to turn a bad idea into a great one: Steve Portigal event recap
on February 26, 2015
In February, consultant and author Steve Portigal left behind the California sunshine to speak at the 18F headquarters. Steve — principal at Portigal Consulting, author, podcaster, and ramen aficionado — expounded on the topic of bad ideas: Namely, how they add value to the creative process and why we should seek them out.
