Redesigning with users in mind means always keeping users in mind
Clunky. Confusing. Bland. We could be describing the current state of Boston.gov or the Request for Proposal (RFP) we were drafting to redesign it.
Like most RFPs, ours in Boston have long been filled with 30-year-old text and uninspired jargon that gets copied and pasted from one procurement to the next. Not only are these RPFs unpleasant to look at -- they're also difficult for readers to get through and understand. Need proof? Check out our video posted below.
Through our discussions about breaking with tradition to redesign Boston.gov with an unwavering commitment to our end users, it dawned on us that we needed to demonstrate that commitment from the start. We would attempt to create an RFP that doesn't suck.
The process of starting fresh proved to be a great primer for the web redesign we are about to undergo. We pulled resources from far and wide to shape our idea of how an improved RFP could sound, look, and how users might interact with it.
Our mission statement has set the tone for the project going forward: We believe Boston.gov can be beautifully designed, delightful to use, and thoroughly useful.
And so can a government RFP.
We invite you to view or bid on the proposal. Responses to the Boston.gov design RFP are due by May 13, 2015.
