We’ve redesigned the City of Mississauga website to improve access to our services and information.
To help guide our work, we created a ‘Digital Service Standard’, which contains key principles that shape our approach in building the City’s new site.
This standard ensures we produce better digital services that are easy to understand and accessible for everyone.
1. Start with user needs instead of our own
We need to understand who is using our digital services and what they need to do in order to build something that works for them.
2. Make it simple and intuitive
We need to build digital services that are simple and intuitive enough that people can find what they need and accomplish their task on the first try.
3. Make it accessible
We must make all of our digital services accessible to everyone regardless of their ability level and environment.
4. Use a consistent and responsive design
We build services using our design principles, pattern library, brand guidelines and content style guide to give people a consistent experience online.
5. Use data to measure performance and drive decisions
We set key performance indicators (KPIs) to help us make decisions on how to prioritize changes and improvements to our digital services.
6. Bring in the right people
Bringing together all of the necessary skillsets into one multidisciplinary team helps us to design, build and operate effective digital services.
7. Work collaboratively
We need to collaborate within our own digital team, as well as with different departments across the City to work in a more agile way.
8. Make it secure
Identify what data and information a digital service will use or create and consult with staff experts to put the City’s legal, privacy and security measures in place.
9. Use open standards
Build services using open standards and open source software whenever possible.
Choose software solutions that are flexible, sustainable and support change.
10. Make a plan for being offline
Have a plan in place in the event that a digital service is temporarily offline.