This is a discussion about governmental sites. I don't use them because I want to but because I have to. So, current fashion and appeal are second to usability.

This is a discussion about governmental sites. I don't use them because I want to but because I have to. So, current fashion and appeal are second to usability. There are some fundamental laws and limitations on how people process the presented information and that SHOULD be taken into account in designing a public service. Ideally, there is an interest in both parties (state and citizen) that their interaction is correct in order to fulfill their obligations and ensure their rights. Also many of the interactions with governmental digital services happen only once a year. I've been in helpdesk supporting people on a webapp with an obnoxious interface that they had to use 3 to 4 times a year to fulfill their project report in order to get paid for their project work. The UX was so out of the conventions that people hated it with passion and I had to help the laggards to use the application.