The Obama administration’s open government website, data.gov, revealed Jan. 12 some front-end and back-end changes.
The website will now be mobile compatible. It will adapt to users’ phone or tablet screen size, instead of showing a smaller desktop version of the website.
The designers have also given the website a simpler look with more white space.
Part of the simpler website redesign is a change in the data.gov logo. Replacing the globe with a magnifying glass is a flag of the United States next to the word data.gov.
Additionally, data set topics are now more emphasized on the home page.
“The updated site now has icons representing the subject areas that we’ve heard are most important to you,” Marion Royal, program director for data.gov, said in a statement. “The new approach helps you quickly get to relevant datasets and examples.”
Data.gov has changed the way it develops its site as well. Previously, it was built on proprietary and open systems and the development was not open to the public. Data.gov is now only using open source systems such as WordPress and CKAN. The process is also on GitHub, so the development community can offer suggestions for the website.
Data.gov was created in May 2009 as part of the Obama administrations attempt to release agency data sets online to the public.
The post Data.gov gets a makeover appeared first on FedScoop.