Shawnzia Thomas, Georgia CIO

“Do the right thing and do the thing right.” That motto is driving Georgia’s efforts to ensure that citizens are able to access state information and services without any digital and usability barriers. Success begins with making it easier for state agencies to do the right thing when it comes to designing and developing services that align to standards and guidelines based on best practices. That’s why GovHub, Georgia’s content publishing system, includes important built-ins like accessibility, structured content and mobile first. Our digital services team is currently working on a design system — “Orchard” — aimed at creating a consistent user experience across multiple digital properties while lightening the load on designers and developers. Having pre-designed and ready-to-use digital components reduces effort and cost while boosting the maturity of disparate digital systems across state government.