In a request for information (RFI) released Feb. 9, the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) wants to hear from IT companies capable of potentially assisting it with a “website redesign.” The department, which assists employers around the state in complying with labor laws, also “administers and enforces laws governing wages, hours and breaks, overtime, retaliation, workplace safety and health, apprenticeship training programs, and medical care and other benefits for injured workers,” per its website. Among the takeaways:
- DIR’s goals and objectives include creating a redesigned website capable of offering the “latest best practices” in design, search engine optimization and performance optimization, it said in the RFI. The site should also enhance visitors’ abilities to locate information and resources intuitively, offer stakeholders the “easy-to-use tools for future site optimization and content updates” that they need; and empower the future creation of a mobile-friendly app.
- The project, DIR said in the RFI, “will result in a fully redesigned website that enhances user experience (front end and back end) using best design practices,” as well as the adoption of new tools and processes that boost utilization of DIR programs and services. Existing issues with the website include visually disconnected and disparate sites with different color palettes and formats; difficulty in finding content and a search function that needs to be more helpful; outdated information; and a large number of indexed pages. The existing website doesn’t support multilingual or low literacy audiences. Aspirational aspects of a new site include a “modernized collective and individual online presence” across the department’s divisions starting with the most critical ones, as well as simplified language and a more cohesive look and feel. The new site should also deliver a “consistent and common user experience” designed from the point of view of the user with “human-centric design principles,” and enhanced navigation with content that’s prioritized and easy to find.
- Design guidelines include having the website be accessible to users with disabilities, i.e., compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; offering “clear and simple navigation” with a consistent design; and connecting with multilingual or low literacy audiences. The new site should have a “clear hierarchy of information” that makes important content easy to find and uses clear and concise language. It should also be mobile-responsive and optimized across a variety of devices; employ security best practices such as secure connections; and safeguard sensitive information.
- Precise costs and timing aren’t provided in the RFI; however, DIR indicates it would be interested in a “fixed price, deliverable-based contract” and would like to learn what is “feasible in terms of cost and time” with the goal of completing as soon as possible. While the RFI is not a procurement, DIR indicates it “will [ultimately] produce a procurement solicitation.” Questions are due by 5 p.m. Monday; responses will come by 12 p.m. Wednesday. RFI responses are due by 9 a.m. March 1.
