We’re building a new website for San Francisco.
Right now, we have 210 websites across the City with over 300,000 pages. But getting services from the City is frequently difficult and confusing. With so much information, residents don’t know which pages to trust. They might have to visit multiple sites to accomplish a task.
San Francisco offers more than 800 services, but only 20% of them can be done online. We can do better.
It’s time for San Francisco to join the digital world. We’re making it happen and here’s how.
It's very, very user-friendly
Our new website will make it easier for San Franciscans to get City services online, simply and directly. Every page offers a service in the fewest possible steps, carefully designed by experts who’ve spent their professional lives making it easier to get things done online.
It works for everyone, literally
The site will meet Federal standards for accessibility and readability. Our font is clear and legible and legally compliant with ADA and Section 508 for people with disabilities. Our writing guidelines ensure consistency and simplicity, so screenreaders and people can read faster. A 5th grade reading level means it’s easy for everyone to understand and translate.
It speaks your language
Every service page and department homepage will be translated into Chinese (traditional), Spanish, and Filipino, by human translators. All other pages will be translated by machine. We’re working with the Language Access team to make sure we have automatic, high-quality translations. Departments won’t need to procure separate translations for their web content. We are testing the translations and the site with people who don’t speak English as their first language.
It’s designed for much more than looks
The modern color palette was chosen for vivid contrasts, making them easier to visually interpret. Color blocks and a scalable color palette keep visuals fresh and fun without relying on photos. We limited photos because we don’t want to waste San Franciscan’s data plans on images.