case studies: House
Client
The U.S. House of Representatives is one of Congress’ two chambers and part of the federal government’s legislative branch. Along with the Senate, the House makes and passes federal laws that affect the entire country.
Challenge
Take a cluttered website and turn it into a destination portal for learning about the U.S. House of Representatives.
Overarching goals Included:
- Improving visitor ability to find and act on information, such as local Representativs
- Creating a distinctive visual design that conveys an open and approachable feel
- Providing a comprehensive resource for disseminating official information about Members, Committees, official events, legislation, and the law.
Solution
User Research revealed that most visitors were looking for channels to communicate with their Representatives, but did not utilize any of the numerous other resources available on the site. To encourage deeper dives into the House's information, the new web design focused on:
- Intuitive navigation that exposes once buried materials
- Easy-to-use widgets for “Finding Your Representatives” and contacting them
- Expanded public disclosure section
- Interactive calendar of current and archived House schedules, floor proceedings, votes, bills, and reports
- Educational tools for learning about the House and Federal Government
The new website provides the House a direct channel to communicate with its constituents without the filter of the media to frame the conversation. A well-designed website for the House of Representatives will improve trust in the institution, encourage direct citizen engagement, and highlight the impacts its actions are having on people and the nation as a whole.
NavigationArts continues to work with the House on a mobile-optimized site to streamline the ability to contact your Representative.
For a more detailed look at our work with the U.S. House of Representatives, download the full case study.