Government Website Design Agency Delivers Fully Accessible, User-Friendly Digital Platform for Colorado Secretary of State

Key Deliverables & Outcomes: Raising the Bar for Government Digital Accessibility in Colorado

Context & Challenge

When the Colorado Secretary of State’s office approached us, they were managing an outdated, fragmented website—one that wasn’t meeting modern accessibility, usability, or transparency standards. The team needed more than just a redesign; they needed a partner who understood both the complexities of public sector digital transformation and the high-stakes requirements of government web accessibility.

We knew the site was a lifeline for Colorado’s citizens and businesses, handling everything from election information to business filings and public records. The challenge was enormous: deliver a complete overhaul—architecture, design system, UX/UI, branding, and content migration—while ensuring strict compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA and ADA accessibility standards. And we had to do it all without disrupting mission-critical services.

Approach & Strategy

We began by establishing a strong, collaborative partnership with the Colorado Secretary of State’s internal teams and outside stakeholders. Our approach was rooted in transparency, accountability, and shared goals—values at the heart of any successful public sector project.

Our first step was a comprehensive site audit and stakeholder workshop. We mapped out every user type, service flow, and technical pain point. Accessibility wasn’t just a checkbox—it was our north star, informing every design and development decision. We brought our best practices from previous government website design and digital accessibility consulting projects, blending Setsail’s core agency expertise with Colorado’s unique requirements.

Vision mapping was key: we aligned every technical, design, and policy goal across departments. This included input from accessibility experts, IT, communications, and—critically—real users, including citizens with disabilities who tested early concepts. These insights would become the backbone of our strategy and UX/UI direction.

Creative Process

We brought together our most experienced UX/UI designers, branding strategists, and web developers to translate requirements into an actionable plan. Early on, we knew a robust design system would be the project’s backbone. We set out to create a modular, scalable component library that could support not just the Secretary of State, but any future government web initiatives.

Our creative process focused on:

• Accessibility-First Colour and Typography:
  Every colour, typeface, and button was selected to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA contrast and readability requirements. We created a palette and typographic hierarchy that worked across all devices, with built-in flexibility for growth.
• Component-Driven Design:
  Buttons, cards, alerts, menus—over 200+ components—were built as reusable blocks, each with detailed usage guidelines and code snippets. This meant every new feature or page would be accessible and visually consistent, saving countless hours down the road.
• Mobile-Responsive, Content-First Layouts:
  We prioritized information hierarchy and task flows, making it easier for citizens to find services, forms, or information—whether they were on a phone, tablet, or desktop.

We shared working prototypes with stakeholders at every milestone. Feedback loops were short, and changes were rapid—allowing our team to fine-tune every detail while keeping project timelines tight.

Execution & Deliverables

Our execution phase was meticulous. Here’s what our team delivered:

• Complete Design System Documentation:
  A living library of 200+ tested and documented UI components, colour schemes, typography, and responsive grid layouts—ensuring ADA compliance and consistent user experience.
• Modern, Accessible Website Redesign:
  We launched a new public-facing site with an intuitive navigation system, advanced search, multi-language support, and contextual help built-in. Every page, from elections to business services, passed external accessibility audits and internal QA.
• Information Architecture & Content Migration:
  Thousands of documents and forms were audited, reorganized, and migrated to the new platform. We designed new search and filtering tools that reduced average citizen task completion times by 45%.
• Secure, Scalable Back-End:
  Our development team ensured real-time form validation, secure document management, and high-availability infrastructure. This is critical for government sites, especially during high-traffic periods (like elections or business deadlines).
• Continuous Stakeholder Engagement:
  Weekly workshops, user testing sessions (including citizens with disabilities), and regular government reviews kept the project aligned and compliant at every step.

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Tangible Outcomes (KPIs, Quotes, Business Impact)

• WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility achieved and verified by external auditors.
• Task completion times reduced by 45% due to streamlined information architecture.
• 200+ reusable design system components now available for future state projects.
• Improved citizen satisfaction: User testing feedback highlighted the new site’s clarity and ease of use.

Our approach went beyond design—it set a new standard for government digital transformation and accessibility best practice.

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Lessons Learned & Next Steps

Every government digital project brings unique complexity. For Colorado, the biggest lesson was the value of deep collaboration—across departments, with real users, and with outside experts. Accessibility isn’t a feature; it’s a foundation. Investing up front in a robust design system, detailed documentation, and continuous testing paid dividends in compliance, cost savings, and user satisfaction.

For Setsail, this project reaffirmed the importance of public sector partnerships rooted in trust, transparency, and results. We’re now helping other states and agencies adopt similar frameworks for accessible, secure digital platforms. We continue to enhance our UX/UI design and information architecture services, building on lessons from Colorado and raising the bar for every government website we touch.