Website Style Standard

This standard together with the Website Visual Design and Functional Standard, establishes clear design and style standards for WA public sector agencies websites to support a “one government” user experience.

The objective of this standard is to:

• assist agencies align to the one government user experience design
• ensure WA government websites look and operate consistently in order to improve usability and learnability, and enable a better user experience for users of WA Government websites
• simplify the user experience and make government digital services easier to use.

This standard is part of the Digital Services Policy Framework that underpins the Digital Services Policy.

Standards Statement

The WA Government Website Style Standard (this document), together with the Website Visual Design and Functional Standard, describes the approved one government website user experience (UX) design, and is a mandatory component of the Digital Services Policy Framework. 

The WA Government Website Style Standard, together with the Website Visual Design and Functional Standard, replace the Common Website Element standards.  It will assist agencies to align to the one government website UX design. 

Scope

The WA Government Website Style Standard is mandatory for all WA public sector agency websites under the Digital Services Policy. Agencies will be required to apply the standard to: 

• all new public facing website projects; 
• all significant redevelopment work including rebranding, restructure or major enhancements to websites; and 
• all website projects involving transition to a new platform or new content management system. 

This is to enable agencies to accommodate compliance with this standard within the normal planning or update cycle for their websites and web infrastructure. 

Agencies seeking exemption from complying with this standard will require approval from the Directors General (DG) Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Council.

The WA Government Website Style Standard is recommended but optional for Government advertising campaigns and Government Trading Enterprise (GTE) websites.

Objectives

• Assist agencies align to the one government user experience design.
• Ensure WA government websites look and operate consistently in order to improve usability and learnability, and enable a better user experience for users of WA Government websites.
• Simplify the user experience and make government digital services easier to use.

Additional Requirements

All agencies should apply the Western Australian Digital Service Design Principles when planning or updating websites to ensure services meet the needs of the community.

WA Government Website Style Standard

The WA Government Website Style Standard establishes mandatory visual and functional requirements that must be adopted and fully complied with on all WA Government agency websites that fall within the scope.