Member Article

Big Lovie online for Manchester site

Manchester City Council’s website has been voted the best government site in an international competition.

The re-designed website topped the public vote as the best website in the government category of The People’s Lovie Awards, beating off two other contenders after two weeks of frantic voting.

Aside from the public vote, impressed Lovie judges also bestowed the website a silver award - the highest classification given to any site in the category.

Chosen from a list of more than 1,500 entries from 20 European countries, the website was also shortlisted in the ‘best homepage’ category in The Lovie Awards.

Hailed as “a prestigious competition for websites, tablet apps, mobile sites and digital video” by The Sunday Times, the third annual Lovie Awards, presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), is the leading European award honouring excellence on the Internet.

The new-look Manchester website – built in collaboration with web management company Jadu – went online earlier this year after a complete review of how people asked for services, reported problems and paid council bills. It’s modern, friendly design puts the user first by making the most common tasks easy to find and easy to complete.

It’s been specially designed to work as well on mobile phones and tablets as on desktop computers, making it easier than ever to tap into council services on the move.

The website was tested thoroughly by Manchester-based company, Keep It Usable. They asked ordinary local people from a range of backgrounds and ages to perform various tasks on different devices to see how easily they could do things.

The site was also tested by accessibility-experts and organisations representing blind or partially-sighted people to make sure it is useable by everyone.

Cllr Nigel Murphy, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Environment, said: “This is a fantastic achievement that gives testimony to the quality and success of the new website. That it has been judged by industry experts as one of Europe’s top government sites, while also being voted for by users of the website, is a huge accolade.

“Unsurpassed in its design and functionality, our new look site has become the benchmark of local government websites – making ease of use the main priority for our users in an era when the internet is gearing increasingly towards tablets and smart phones.”

Nik Roope, Executive Chair of IADAS, said: “The re-designed Manchester City Council website has excelled in its category, showing fantastic prowess in digital innovation and creativity. This award is a testament to the skill, ingenuity, and vision of its creators.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .