November 30, 2012

Capitol Campus Update

OLYMPIA – Access Washington (http://access.wa.gov), Washington State’s information and services web portal, has been redesigned in response to customer feedback. The purpose of the redesign is to increase functionality, improve navigation, and enhance search features.

The new site design will also streamline maintenance. A new open source content management solution (software whose source code is published and made available to the public, enabling anyone to copy, modify and redistribute the source code without paying royalties or fees) is included in the redesign, saving about $1,600 per month previously required for licensing costs of the former content management system.

According to a recent survey of Access Washington users, navigation and functionality were the areas in most need of refinement. The new design is straightforward — using modern trends and a simplistic approach to create a positive first impression and user experience.

To further assist Access Washington customers find what they are looking for, the Help Center continues to provide contact information for government entities, email and a live chat feature.

Initially launched in 1998, Access Washington has had three major redesigns, the last of which was in 2008.

Questions?

Contact Jennifer Reynolds at (360) 407-8436.