Web design is very important. Good web design doesn’t only look pleasing to the eyes, it’s easy for people to comprehend and therefore, navigate.
Government websites aren’t really on everyone’s bookmarks, but it should go without saying that websites belonging to the different departments of our local government are not only updated and working but also informative and transparent. Our taxes do sustain these different departments and therefore their digital assets right? According to the .gov.ph domain registry website, root authority belongs to the Department of Science and Technology BUT responsibility for taking care of the domain depends on department that owns it.
With that said, there are a number of websites that look like relics of the internet age. In the Internet, time goes faster. Some of our government websites look like living fossils.
1. The Social Security System Website
How is it that the SSS has Pinterest (which by the way, looks pretty cool) but still prompts you to get Internet Explorer? Why? Why should I go back to Internet Explorer? Is it 2003?
2. Judiciary.gov.ph
That mirrored text. Those little icons when you hover on the links. The Angelfire/Geocities era of website making comes to mind when looking at this. The only thing we need is flame text. Or a heart instead of the usual cursor.
3. The website of the city of Mandaluyong
Aside from looking like one of those websites the characters investigate on CSI: Miami, the page doesn’t look that bad, right?
And then this was at the bottom:
The last time I saw that letter-on-a-rotating-globe gif, I was in grade school. The whole website feels like a Multiply page mixed with a little bit of those old-school internet forums a la tipidpc.com and Neogaf, but without the funny posts.
4. The Local Government Of Quezon City
If the URL won’t tell you that this is the website of the local government of QC, the buildings in the background will. And there’s so many things going on at the same time it’s like going through a digital labyrinth. Also, try visiting the website and check the icon on the tab.
5. Official Website of the Government Arsenal, Department of National Defense
Dude. What is this? Those poses are a staple in our local army’s photos, but the speeding bullet? And those various swatches of blue all around. What is the Government Arsenal all about?
I clicked on some link on the site and got directed to this:
The bullets lined up like that mean business. On what business, I don’t know. So I clicked “Profile” and got redirected to this:
Oh. By “Profile,” it meant the profile of the person who runs the whole thing. Glad to know the names of your two siblings, sir. But I still don’t know what the Government Arsenal does. Do you supply arms or do you just keep them? What’s going on? Where is the pertinent information? There are a lot of broken links too. I can’t click “Home” when I get there. Is that supposed to be symbolic? What if this whole website was an experimental art project?
To the people responsible for maintaining these websites, please don’t take any offense. We’re just here to give you a little nudge. So let’s update our websites, yeah? Maybe get a good and well-paid web designer and a graphic artist to help you guys out. Good design and good web development are worthy of our taxes.
Illustration by Aaron Silao
