Author: rebecca@deptofcivicthings.com

Permit guides help people do things

It’s hard to create content for local government permits. There’s a myriad of rules and processes. Things get muddled with if/then circumstances and special cases. This leads to confusion and sets the wrong expectations. A process that may in fact be simple appears overly burdensome. Or a complex process seems more simple than it is. … Continued

Clear Creek Recreation launches new website

Clear Creek Recreation recently launched a new website using the ProudCity platform. The new site organizes information so people can easily find classes and activities. Department of Civic Things supported their project team with: Content strategy and design Developing content Building out the site Online forms Check our their new website.

Government websites and the cautionary tale of the Library of Babel

We often visit a local government website for a simple purpose: find street sweeping hours, pay a parking ticket. Instead of clarity, we’re met with a labyrinth of links, random information, and dead-end pages. The Library of Babel is a 1940s absurdist short story about overwhelming knowledge and the search for something meaningful. Its author, … Continued

The elephant in the new accessibility law: PDFs

Local government agencies need to soon comply with a new federal web accessibility law. This includes making sure documents, like PDFs, are accessible. If your government agency is typical, you have a lot of PDFs. Probably thousands. They are probably not accessible. It’s expensive to make PDFs accessible through remediation services. The underlying goal of … Continued

Buying software and technology for your local government

Buying things for your government agency can be intimidating. There are opaque and strict rules to follow. Sometimes we are tasked with buying something we don’t know much about. This is often the case when it comes to software and technology. I’ve been on both sides of procurement, once as a local government buyer and … Continued

Santa Ana Zoo launches new website

The Santa Ana Zoo recently launched a new website using the ProudCity platform. The content on the new website prioritizes the most common topics, including tickets, events, and educational information. Department of Civic Things supported their project team with: Content strategy and design Plain language training Web accessibility training Developing and editing content Online forms Check … Continued

Government content during disasters

Written in partnership with ProudCity. Communication is critical to emergency management. When disaster strikes, government must share content in ways that meet the moment. Why it matters Effective disaster communications: Lets you update faster, frequently Builds trust in government Removes confusion Keeps people safe How they get it People get disaster updates from many sources: … Continued

Clear and approachable local election content for candidates

There’s a big election in November. While the news focuses on the presidential election, you most likely have local ballot measures and open seats on your City Council. Our communities are stronger when more people run for local office. But getting people interested in running for City Council can be hard. The process can feel … Continued

What local governments need to know about the new accessibility law

Local government agencies need to soon comply with a new federal web accessibility law. This means all government web content needs to be accessible to people with disabilities. Learn how this applies to your agency and what you can start doing to make sure you comply. What this applies to This law applies to more … Continued

How AI can help you stop wasting everyone’s time

Most people learn about your government services and programs online. They don’t typically start on your homepage – they start with a Google search. This now means, they start with Gemini. AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are answering questions about your services. Are they getting them right? This depends on how good your … Continued

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