design_docs/principles.md
# Design Principles
Ideas that guide decision making on this project.
1. *Focus on enabling actions that citizens want to take and access to the knowledge that they are looking for*. Reduce the cost of them taking action. The action is the important bit. Citizens don't need to understand the bureaucracy in order to use and access government.
2. Assume people are *smart & busy*—present the important information up front and put detail within reach.
3. Strive for *universal accessibility*.
4. Design and implement with *Progressive Enhancement*.
5. *Create change by doing*. Implement ideas quickly and assess—don't be frozen by documentation and proposal.
6. *Maintainability* is crucial, this project should last and evolve long into the future.