The Importance of Usability + Plain Language
USA.gov, the GSA Office of Citizen Services and Communications, PlainLanguage.gov, and the Center for Plain Language's World Usability Day 2009 Event:
The Importance of Usability + Plain Language.
What It Is
World Usability Day is an annual event highlighting the importance of good design and ease–of–use in everyday products and services, including government websites. Last year's celebration included over 200 activities in 43 countries.
Why It's Important
Our theme for World Usability Day 2009 is "The Importance of Usability + Plain Language."
Simple, well–written documents and websites are the foundation of effective, transparent government. With plain language and usability principles working together, government regulations, policies, websites, and online forms become more usable, and government becomes more efficient, effective, and accountable.
How to Implement
- Register to attend a FREE in–person plain language course, "Learn to Write Anything in Plain Language" taught by Plain Language expert, Michael Schwartz. Thursday, Nov. 12, 9:00–11:30 am in Washington, DC near Union Station
- Sign up for a FREE "mini–consultation" by phone with a usability or plain language expert to improve your government web page or document. Thursday, Nov. 12, 1:00–4:00 pm ET. Email your telephone number and preferred time to Kristal.Byrd@gsa.gov. Include "WUD Consultation" in the Subject line.
- Use our Plain Language + Usability Resource List to conduct a World Usability Day activity at your agency and improve your website
Resources
- Check out at WorldUsabilityDay.org for hundreds of other usability activities
- Explore the newly–redesigned Usability.gov
- Read a Usability + Plain Language GovGab blog by usability expert, Whitney Quesenbury, on Monday, November 9, 2009
- Follow the latest announcements on Twitter at #WUD and #WorldUsabilityDay
- Find more Plain Language resources at WebContent.gov, PlainLanguage.gov and CenterforPlainLanguage.org
Previous World Usability Day Events and Resources
- World Usability Day 2008: "Create Great Usability Requirements"
- World Usability Day 2007: "Government Careers in Usability"
