Creative Projects and Compatible File Types Built for Government

Posted on by Gary Reburn

Accessibility and Compliance within the Public Sector

When designing creative projects for Government entities, there are many angles that need to be taken into consideration to ensure that your creative work can be accessed and distributed throughout as many channels as possible, with as few restrictions as possible. Depending on the type of work, this can range from closed captioning on promotional videos, to accessibility on 508 compliant documents. In the proper context, ensuring that your work is compatible for distribution can be even more important than the project itself. Focus points such as readability, interactivity, tracking, and platform distribution are paramount to making your work excel in a regulated government space. Now, let’s discuss some of the best file types for different types of projects.

Working with Portable Document Formats

Let’s start with one of the most adaptable types of multipage documents: the PDF (Portable Document Format). When creating accessible work documents, the PDF is by far one of the easiest documents to create. However, in terms of design there are many options to consider. PDF documents can be modified and converted to the EPUB format, which is essentially a document type that turns a standard digital file into a variant that is more interactive. EPUB files allow digital documents to excel and provides freedom to include videos, animated shortcuts and buttons, integrated website content and even audio tracks. In terms of expression and design freedom, an interactive EPUB can be very appealing. However, many government bodies require documents to be properly accessibly (i.e., 508 compliant). This directly refers to the document’s content being appropriately tagged, determine an assigned reading order, as well as assigning figures for the appropriate alternative tags. PDFs still excel in being able to cover all the categories in question, however sometimes a straightforward design and filetype can be the better choice depending on the audience and distribution.

Color Modes and File Types for Print and Digital Media

Visual content can be a complicated space for a new designer. Working with images may seem relatively straightforward but there are many variations of image file types and settings to consider. A classic choice is the decision between color profiles for print: RGB and CMYK. RGB is a color profile that primarily provides a higher density of contrast when mixed with light, while being viewed on a monitor or device. CMYK provides a wider range of color distribution making it the better choice for any color document being sent to print. Therefore, image quality and color profile needs to be considered first and foremost when design content. Depending on the situation images should primarily be used in the PNG format as opposed to JPEG. PNG image formatting allows content to have transparent backgrounds, which allows for more creative freedom. PNG files are also lossless in terms of reformatting, meaning they will keep their resolution over multiple saves, unlike JPEG files. This simply means that over multiple instances your images will not slowly become more and more pixelated, which is something to look out for with JPEG. WEBP files are an excellent type to use for images hosted in an online environment. While SVG files allow for use of vector images, which can scale to an infinite degree. Understanding these options will allow you to take your work to the next level in terms of productivity and compatibility.

Make Your Vision Move with Video Formats

And finally, we cannot discuss efficient file types without venturing into video production. Video files are truly where content and compatibility can become very complicated, since they are usually both large and contain audio. Fortunately, there are many options available to creators in terms of rendering out video projects and your options will vary based on what platform you will be sharing the project on. Video resolution, framerate, and size aside should all be considered when setting up a final render. In terms of output for IOS devices, the MOV video format is still one of the best options and works well with Apple’s QuickTime player. WMV is the file extension for Windows Media Video and can be thought of as the alternative platform option. MP4 video files are a standard and can encompass many different settings and are still a standard adaptable type for your projects in case its final distribution method is unknown. However, regarding video output on the web, you should consider the H264 file format. The H264 moniker refers to the compression used during the rendering stage and is popular for high-definition video. This is the file format used for most HDTV, HD DVD, and Blu-Ray. Please note that while the H264 compression can be used, it is still generally referring to an MP4 video file.

Our access to all these options is truly what allows creatives to curate quality projects for the government space. We have all the tools necessary to succeed, but we need to understand the breadth of our options in terms of what we can output. I recommend reading up on file options that are relevant to your own workflows as the knowledge will only allow you to create better and more stable content for distribution in the future.

Additionally, if you or anyone you know would like to dive deeper into the Adobe creative applications and how they can be applied to current government projects, watch the on-demand recordings from our 8-part webinar series, Reimagine Creativity through Optimized Digital Collaboration. Explore how Adobe is inspiring government agencies nationwide to elevate their use of creativity and design through state of the art digital solutions. Our product specialists take a deep dive into the newest tools, features, and upgrades, in efforts to increase productivity and ramp up your existing creative workspace.

Turning Vision into Reality: How Agencies Can Forever Improve

Posted on by The Carahsoft Team

In the past two years, agencies have taken a hard look in the mirror. Often on short deadlines, they had to stand up new IT systems, design innovative customer experiences, collect and manage hordes of data, provide tools for a newly remote workforce, and evaluate funding and other resources. Some agencies managed with what they had; others were exceptionally ill-prepared. The immediate challenge was a health care crisis that had overwhelmed much of society. But now that we’ve entered what’s known as the post-peak phase of the pandemic, it’s time for agencies to consider, “What next?” The purpose of this guide is not to help organizations prepare for the next disaster. The purpose is to go beyond that — to explore how agencies can take a broader, more overarching and continuous approach to self-improvement. Download the guide to read more about how to institute continuous modernization to exceed your goals.

Digital Transformation Starts with Strategy

“For many people, the first and only interactions they have with a government agency are through its website, and good first impressions can go a long way. It’s not just having an exciting color palette, cool graphics and boxes that flip over when you hover your cursor on them. It’s about building a site, a platform, that appeals to and serves the public and is intuitive, quick and secure. It needs to highlight the work an agency does, the services it offers consumers and the resources it makes available.”

Read more insights from Mobomo’s Chief Executive Officer, Brian Lacey.

Videoconferencing: Modernizing How Employees Connect and Collaborate

“At the intersection of all the types of reforms we cover in this guide — people, technology, innovations and budgets — lies one that has reimagined what it means to communicate: videoconferencing. Indeed, when agency offices temporarily closed nearly two years ago, employees who knew little about their laptop cameras suddenly became webinar proficionados. They scheduled video meetings, learned to read body language from the chest up, and got a peek into coworkers’ home lives. And many agencies discovered that video technology not only made remote work a viable long-term option, but it allowed organizations to expand their customer services in a forward-looking, energized way — akin to what the private sector often provides.”

Read more insights from Zoom’s SLG Industry Marketing Manager, Elijo “Leo” Martinez.

How to Cross the Analytic Divide and Democratize Data

“In one of America’s largest counties, a public health agency struggled with collecting and interpreting COVID-19 test results quickly and accurately because of data quality issues requiring hours of manual review. Analytic automation made a difference. This technology unified processes across analytics workflows by analyzing data quality and format before notifying relevant parties about potential compliance issues. Ultimately, analytic automation saved the agency five full-time equivalent employees manually reviewing data quality and notifying reporting labs about errors in this information. Reducing the amount of manual labor also accelerated the time needed to map COVID-19’s spread and address related public health challenges.”

Read more insights from Alteryx’s Director of Solutions Marketing, Public Sector, Andy MacIsaac.

Are People at the Center of Your Modernization Efforts?

“Agencies have to be mindful of the narrative that people believe about the nature of government work. They must be skilled at cutting through the noise and using language that speaks to the heart of what government does and why that work is critical. ‘Government matters, and we have seen that very dramatically for the past two years,’ Heimbrock said. ‘Not only is government’s ability to respond to crises the difference between people living and dying, but our government institutions are under attack.’ Agencies can’t afford to be stymied by bureaucratic entanglements and dated technologies, which are steep prices of not paying attention to modernization.”

Read more insights from Qualtrics’ Chief Industry Advisor for Government, Sydney Heimbrock, Ph.D.

Making a Case for Continuous Improvement

“Home improvement shows are something of a metaphor for government modernization. You can superficially update an old home for quick sale and profit, or you can do more intensive and long-term improvements that require additional time, talent and, of course, money. And as outdated as the home may look, it’s worth remembering it probably was impressive in its day — kind of like the bygone technology that still supports many government agencies. That’s the parallel Brandon Shopp with SolarWinds drew when asked about the need for continuous agency modernization. ‘Technology is evolving constantly,’ he said, ‘and so unless you want to end up with something like a house that looks very dated and old, you need to stay on top of things.’”

Read more insights from SolarWinds’ Group Vice President of Product, Brandon Shopp.

USAID Learns New Tricks of Training Trade

“Officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) were on a path to harmonizing numerous data-related training when COVID-19 made virtual work a necessity. For USAID, this proved the perfect opportunity to roll out a training curriculum that worked for employees who were working remotely. Before the pandemic, USAID leaned heavily on classroom-based instruction. In exploring options for virtual training, it recognized an opportunity to rethink instructional design, said Julie Warner Packett, a Data Scientist at USAID who helps lead training on data use and governance.”

Read more insights from USAID’s Data Scientist, Julie Warner Packett.

A Federal Vision for Enterprisewide IT

“The state of Connecticut has launched a new “Information Technology Optimization Process” to replace the state’s disparate approach to agency IT. The yearlong initiative aims to deliver coordinated, modern solutions for agencies and the public alike — and recognizes that nearly 50% of the state’s IT workforce is older than 55. The new strategy has three overarching goals to improve state operations now and into the future. First, the plan aims to optimize existing technology by completely rethinking the structure of Connecticut’ IT delivery system. Second, the plan will accelerate efforts to deliver more digital government services. Using enterprise technology, officials aim to hide the “seams” between agency operations and user interactions. And third, the state will enhance its cybersecurity protections.”

Read more insights from OPM’s Chief Information Officer, Guy Cavallo.

Empowering Frontline Employees to Lead a Culture of Innovation

“Within the Veterans Affairs Department (VA), the Veterans Health Administration’s Innovators Network (iNET) stands out as a leader for several reasons. High on that list is the reality that innovation is just as much a mindset as it is concrete actions, and Allison Amrhein, Director of Operations for iNET, has the kind of growth mindset that’s needed to sustain and expand new ways of working. The program launched in 2015 in response to VA’s annual employee survey, which found that some employees did not feel encouraged to try new things at work. Today, the program operates across 34 VHA sites, but all sites may participate.”

Read more insights from iNet Director of Operations, Allison Amrhein.

Wayne County Is Making Funding Last

“After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, New York City received Community Development Block Grant funding from the federal government to help rebuild storm-ravaged neighborhoods. Nearly a decade later, many of those projects — and the contracts that support them — are still going strong, said Rachel Laiserin, Chief Financial Officer of the city’s Department of Design and Construction. The key to those projects’ success has been a commitment to including contracting officers, procurement staff, legal teams and finance team members early in the process and maintaining a long-term perspective.”

Read more insights from Wayne County Michigan’s Chief Financial Officer, Hughey Newsome.

Download the full GovLoop Guide for more insights from these modernization thought leaders and additional government interviews, historical perspectives and industry research on the future of modernization.

How Facial Recognition Can Keep Flexible Workplaces Safe

Posted on by Joseph Santucci

As state and federal agencies begin exploring hybrid workplace models and planning on how to keep employees safe as the COVID pandemic continues to evolve, compliance is a critical piece of the puzzle. Office reopening plans are only as successful as their implementation, and government organizations must be able to ensure that whatever precautions they put into place—from requiring masks and social distancing to keeping remote or revolving workstations secure—are effective.

One emerging solution employs facial recognition software to ensure that COVID-era guidelines are being followed. This low-budget solution takes advantage of existing cameras within the workspace and emerging facial recognition technology that distinguishes individual faces with and without masks, providing users with automated reports and insights on the safety of their workspaces.

Monitor mask compliance

Wearing masks in an office environment is one key to facilitate the safe return to in-person operations, but monitoring and compliance is critical to ensuring the policy is effective, especially in large government buildings. Establishing checkpoints is one way to demonstrate compliance, but that approach isn’t necessarily efficient or effective—it requires manned stations throughout the facility, and employees can still remove their masks once they’ve passed the checkpoint.

Instead, workplaces can turn to cutting-edge facial recognition software—which, in the time of COVID, has been adapted to recognize masks as objects and can differentiate individuals both with and without masks. This technology can extract valuable information from the video feeds of existing cameras and can operate around the clock without the need for additional personnel.

Such software enables users to compile reports on mask-wearing within the workplace, pinpoint areas or situations where employees are more likely to remove their masks, and identify individuals who repeatedly remove their face coverings. These insights allow organizations to shape and strengthen their mask-wearing policies and demonstrates compliance within the workplace.

Ensure social distancing

Another key COVID-era workplace policy is social distancing, which presents its own challenges in bustling hallways, conference rooms, and other communal areas. Proper distancing can be especially hard to enforce in situations where employees are moving about or passing through.

Software automation can be used to identify infractions and bottlenecks by analyzing the camera feeds for reoccurring instances of congregating. Workplaces can use this insight to pinpoint areas where social distancing is hard to maintain and implement changes to reduce bottlenecks or manage the number of people in one part of the facility.

Identify remote workers

While state and federal organizations are working towards bringing more of the workforce back into the office, flexible and remote work will continue to be critical for keeping employees safe and healthy. Most organizations have implemented telework policies including a VPN and secure authentication, but facial recognition software can ensure that only the authorized individual is sitting at the terminal for the duration of the session.

While a user is logged into a secure session, the software can use the computer’s camera to send regular images of the user to the server for automated monitoring. If the user steps away from the computer and there is no face detected in the images, the software can automatically terminate the session. Similarly, if the user steps away and another person takes their place, the software can identify the switch and end the session as well, ensuring that only the authorized user has access to the VPN.

Like many organizations, government agencies have had to pivot their operations to keep employees safe during COVID. As workplaces start figuring out how safely bring more employees back into the office, policies and compliance must work in tandem to reduce the spread of COVID as much as possible. Facial recognition software is an easy way to use existing infrastructure to assess just how safe the workplace is—whether it’s in office or remote—and adjust policies if needed.

Software company piXlogic has adapted its facial recognition technology to overcome the challenge of detecting masked faces and can identify individuals, with or without masks, at a high degree of reliability and accuracy. piXlogic has structured its software to seamlessly count masked and unmasked individuals and provide reports on compliance with COVID precautions within the workplace.

Learn more about how piXlogic is helping organizations return to work safely.

| Carahsoft

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