18F releases open-source web design guidelines, code library

By

Tony Ware

“18F builds effective, user-centric digital services focused on the interaction between government and the people and businesses it serves. We help agencies deliver on their mission through the development of digital and web services. Our newly formed organization, within the General Services Administration, encompasses the Presidential Innovation Fellows program and an in-house digital delivery team.”

18F, the General Services Administration’s tech incubator, has announced the release of the U.S. Web Design Standards — easy-to-implement, open-source code to allow government developers to quickly create or update websites.

Version 1.0 of the library includes guidelines for forms, typography, buttons, alerts and more to assist in the quick creation of “trustworthy, accessible and consistent digital government services” that sport a modern feel. Mobile performance-optimized and advanced components (like mapping and data visualization) are being evaluated for future builds. 

“The Standards are open source and free to use, but our team is also available to work closely with federal agencies to develop custom features or train teams on implementing the Standards,” said 18F’s Will Sullivan in a blog post.

Agencies interested in training or custom development can contact uswebdesignstandards@gsa.gov, or ask general questions in the public Slack channel for the standards.

About 

Tony Ware