About

How the public can participate in USWDS research

Help shape the future of U.S. government websites.

The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) provides basic common elements for federal websites, and we value the public’s opinions and insights. Join our usability research program to play a crucial role in making government websites more accessible and user-friendly.

What is usability research?

Usability research is the process of learning about people’s needs and observing how they interact with websites so we can make improvements that will improve the many government sites that use USWDS. For example, we might ask someone to use a not-yet-published website so we can see which parts might be confusing. Then, we can make changes based on what we learned.

How to get involved

Right now, we’d like to talk with people who have disabilities to help us understand your needs. For example, if you’re blind or have low vision, or a cognitive disability, and have a device with a web browser (a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone), and an internet connection, we would love to hear from you! You don’t need to be tech savvy or any kind of expert in using websites to participate.

Sign up: Fill out this brief sign up form or email us at uswds@gsa.gov to tell us you’re interested. We’ll then reach out when we have a research opportunity for you.

Your participation is completely voluntary, and you can decide to be taken off our list of possible participants at any time by emailing us at uswds@gsa.gov.

What to expect if we contact you to participate

Information

A member of our team will email details about the research effort so you know what to expect. You might be asked to fill out a brief consent form.

Time

Sessions usually take one hour. We will provide a few date and time options to schedule with you.

Payment

We generally pay $75 per session, depending on the length of the session.

Technology needed

You typically will need a laptop, tablet, or phone, and internet access.

Privacy

Your privacy is important to us, and we follow strict data security and privacy protocols. We keep all information you share confidential and use it only for research purposes. We securely store any personal information you share. You can see more details about our privacy protocols on 18F’s Privacy page.

Questions?

Feel free to contact us anytime at uswds@gsa.gov.

Latest updates

Meaningful code and guidance updates are listed in the following table:

Date	Description
2024-01-10	Page created. More information: uswds-site#2424