A playbook for digital services from the U.S. government, I find many principles and guidelines useful for general digital project too.

Here’re some highlights from the playbook—key questions to ask while building a digital project as an indie maker.

Understand what people need

  • Who are your primary users?
  • What user needs will this service address?
  • Why does the user want or need this service?
  • Which people will have the most difficulty with the service?

Address the whole experience, from start to finish

  • What are the different ways (both online and offline) that people currently accomplish the task the digital service is designed to help with?
  • Where does this specific project fit into the larger way people currently obtain the service being offered?
  • What metrics will best indicate how well the service is working for its users?

Make it simple and intuitive

  • What primary tasks are the user trying to accomplish?
  • If a user needs help while using the service, how do they go about getting it?

Manage security and privacy through reusable processes

  • Does the service collect personal information from the user? How is the user notified of this collection?
  • Does it collect more information than necessary? Could the data be used in ways an average user wouldn’t expect?