24 November 2014
The States of Jersey website has been redesigned and will now be easier to use on mobile devices. The new design, which was launched yesterday (Sunday 23 November 2014), makes www.gov.je easier to navigate using touch, and removes the need to zoom to read the text.
Anyone using the site on a desktop PC or laptop should also find the site easier to use as the design team has made improvements based on a study of how users find information. Channel Islands weather forecasts from Jersey Met, which moved to www.gov.je/weather in January 2014, have also been given a new modern style.
Web Services Manager Marcus Ferbrache says research carried out by the Web Services Team shows that 60% of people browsing the States website are now using a tablet or a smartphone.
Easier to engage with government
The redesign is part of the wider e-Government programme which aims to make it as easy as possible for Islanders to engage with government departments and to find the information they need.
The Chief Minister, Senator Ian Gorst, said “We want Islanders to be able to deal with States departments online, where our services will be simpler, clearer, faster and, most importantly, designed around the needs of the user.
“We are working to ensure Islanders can interact with departments when and where they choose, using the device of their choice. Many people will be able to access all the content of gov.je using the technology they carry in their pocket.”
Major update
Web Services Manager, Marcus Ferbrache, said “This is our first major update since 2010, which was before Apple launched the iPad. We are now intending to continually improve the site with more frequent, smaller changes. We’re keen to hear suggestions for any further improvements.”
The gov.je website received more than 450,000 visits in September 2014, an increase of 87% since the previous year.
You can tell the web team what you think of the new design either by clicking on the ‘smiley faces’ that now appear on every page or by emailing webteam@gov.je.
Website improvements
easier to use on smartphones and tablets e.g. ‘finger friendly’
larger and more modern font - to make it easier to read
more prominent search box – so customers can search more easily
most popular items - so customers can get to our highest hit sections more quickly
prominent call to actions – so customers can ‘pay it’, ‘tell us’, ‘report it’ more quickly
clearer contact information
less cluttered pages
wider pages so you can see more of the page content
no left hand navigation – because most people don’t use it
more obvious breadcrumb
alphabetised landing pages – people find alphabetical lists easier to scan
‘on this page’ links to help with in-page navigation
6 day forecast for weather, improved layout and ability to change units of measure
improved layout for jobs in Jersey, search, consultations, reports
fewer images suffer ‘banner blindness’ when they see images and ignore related text
smiley face feedback
better accessibility i.e. for people with disabilities e.g. that use a screen reader
ability to easily share content on social media
The Web Services Team is part of the Chief Minister’s Department, based at Cyril Le Marquand House and is responsible for ensuring that the information on States websites is easy to find, easy to read, accurate and up to date.
gov.je