As the American public continues to rely on federal websites as their primary source of government information and services, these digital properties must evolve to meet the demands of the future. 

Initiatives like the National Design Studio (NDStudio) are paving the way for a new era of federal website design, emphasizing the importance of design in creating digital interfaces that keep pace with user expectations, which are set by major private-sector apps and websites.  

The goal of any future initiative should be to modernize the interfaces that serve everyday citizens.

Many federal web applications underwent initial digital transformations in the 2010s, but are aging rapidly in a fast-moving technological landscape. The rapid pace of change means agencies can’t afford to wait for perfect solutions. Websites are dynamic platforms that require continuous evolution — over time, even small, strategic changes can yield significant improvements. 

Five Strategic Principles for Federal Digital Transformation

1. Invest in Seamless Interoperability and Consolidation

Many Federal IT departments, including those at the Departments of Interior (DOI) and Transportation (DOT), are currently undergoing large-scale IT consolidation and modernization initiatives. This presents a critical opportunity to not only retire outdated, legacy systems and platforms but also to standardize and centralize various digital properties. By consolidating systems and platforms, agencies can achieve significant reductions in technical debt and operational complexity. This strategic approach to rationalizing IT infrastructure allows agencies to build a more resilient, scalable, and cost-effective digital foundation for the future. For example, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) successfully executed a similar modernization effort years ago, consolidating numerous disparate websites onto a standardized Drupal platform and a shared, modern hosting infrastructure, which led to improved security and reduced long-term maintenance overhead.

Our ongoing work with the Department of the Interior (DOI) further exemplifies the benefits of this unified approach. Rather than having each of DOI’s many bureaus and offices maintain separate, siloed Drupal systems on potentially diverse hosting environments, we are actively consolidating their extensive portfolio of web properties onto a single, secure Acquia platform. This strategic move will enable seamless and secure data sharing between bureaus, which is vital for cross-cutting missions like land management, conservation, and resource protection. Furthermore, centralizing operations and maintenance on a standardized platform will drastically reduce long-term maintenance costs, lower the attack surface for cyber threats, and free up bureau-level IT staff to focus on mission-specific content and features rather than platform management.

2. Embrace Human-Centered Design

Understanding users’ needs, preferences, and pain points is the foundation of human-centered design. We conduct rigorous user research to inform the design of user-centric interfaces and interactions. For example, our work involves extensive user testing and iterative design to create an intuitive, accessible website that effectively serves a diverse audience. By prioritizing human-centered design, we ensure that federal websites remain relevant and engaging for years to come.

Human-centered design isn’t just about making websites more aesthetically pleasing or easier to navigate, though those improvements matter. It’s about fundamentally aligning digital services with citizens’ goals and mental models. For instance, when we conduct user research for federal agencies, we consistently discover gaps between how agencies organize information internally and how citizens actually seek and process that same information.

Current OMB guidelines allow agencies to conduct usability testing more rapidly without lengthy approval processes. This creates opportunities for agencies to embed continuous user feedback into their development cycles, iterating quickly based on real citizen behavior rather than internal assumptions.

The most effective approach combines qualitative insights from user interviews and usability testing with quantitative data from analytics and user behavior tracking. This dual approach reveals both what citizens are trying to accomplish and where current systems create barriers to success.

3. Adapt Continuously

As citizens get more and more answers directly from AI summaries on search results pages, agencies can no longer rely solely on organic search to drive traffic to their digital properties.

Federal websites must be able to adapt quickly to changing user needs and technological advancements. We’re working with clients to update their content and data structures to support discovery by large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. By optimizing content for machine learning algorithms, we’re helping agencies ensure their information remains easily accessible and relevant in the era of conversational AI. This focus on continuous evolution is critical for staying ahead of the curve in the next decade.

4. Do More with Less

Efficient use of resources is essential for federal agencies facing budget constraints. We’re proud to take over contracts from previous large vendors and deliver more value for the money. 

By leveraging open-source tools, cloud platforms, and agile development practices, we help agencies reduce costs while improving the quality and speed of delivery. This approach ensures that federal websites can continue to evolve and improve, even with limited resources.

The key lies in making strategic technology choices that provide flexibility and longevity. Rather than proprietary solutions that create vendor lock-in and limited customization options, agencies benefit from platforms that can grow and adapt as their needs evolve. This approach not only reduces costs but also ensures that digital investments remain valuable as organizational priorities shift.

5. Adopt an Agile Mindset and Practices

The final principle underlying successful federal digital transformation is embracing agile methodologies that enable rapid response to changing citizen needs and organizational priorities. Many agencies already do this, but not very well, or it’s inefficient. 

Agile practices enable agencies to deliver value incrementally while gathering feedback and adjusting direction based on real-world usage patterns. Rather than spending years developing comprehensive solutions that may miss the mark, agencies can launch core functionality quickly and enhance it based on citizen feedback and changing requirements.

This approach requires a cultural shift within agencies toward collaborative, cross-functional teams empowered to make decisions and adapt quickly to new information.

The Path Forward: Strategic Integration

These five principles work together to create digital ecosystems that can thrive regardless of future technological disruptions. Unified platforms provide the technical foundation for agile delivery. Human-centered design ensures that continuous evolution serves citizen needs. Resource optimization makes sustainable improvement possible within realistic budget constraints.

Federal agencies that embrace this integrated approach position themselves not just to meet current citizen expectations, but to adapt quickly as those expectations continue to evolve. In a digital landscape where artificial intelligence, changing demographics, and new interaction paradigms constantly reshape user behavior, this adaptability represents the difference between thriving and struggling to remain relevant. 

Ready to build future-ready digital services that can adapt to whatever technological shifts lie ahead? Forum One combines deep technical expertise with a strategic understanding of the unique challenges facing federal agencies. Contact usto discuss how we can help your agency create digital experiences that will serve citizens effectively well into the next decade.