The U.S. General Services Administration unveiled a new human-centered design for the government’s central knowledge repository for cloud computing — the Cloud Information Center (CIC). The enhanced CIC follows web design best practices codified in the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, styling and organizing information so that it is:
- accessible to those with disabilities
- based around user needs and tasks
- consistent in appearance
- securely hosted and connected
- original, not duplicating existing content
- searchable
- mobile-friendly
“Modernization is not static, and neither is the CIC,” said GSA Assistant Commissioner of Information Technology Category, Bill Zielinski. “The government’s one-stop-shop for all things cloud now offers an enhanced digital experience that organizes complex information from a variety of authoritative sources into a format that is more accessible and digestible.”
The CIC was launched in May of 2019 as part of OMB’s Cloud Smart Strategy (Cloud Smart) to help educate the federal workforce on the complexities of migration and how to support a cloud environment once fully deployed. It consolidated valuable GSA resources such as the market research as a service (M-RAS) tool, training documents from across the government, acquisition guidance, and ready-to-use templates. Users of the enhanced CIC will enjoy an improved user experience: a cleaner interface, more intuitive navigation, and content organized in sequence of the cloud adoption lifecycle, making it easier to read and remember.
The enhanced CIC joins 18F, Centers of Excellence and FedRAMP in leveraging the Federalist platform and U.S. Web Design System to deliver rapid deployment and modern design.
“The next iteration of the CIC puts people at the center of technology,” said Cloud Program Manager, John Radziszewski. “By improving its design and upgrading its platform, it will be much easier for the GSA Cloud Team to publish information and for stakeholders to act on it.”
The GSA Cloud Team, in collaboration with government and industry, will be continually updating the CIC to keep it current with federal policies, cloud technologies, and best practices. Click here to visit GSA’s Cloud Information Center.
