We have received a lot of feedback from users about the new website and we wanted to be sure that you know we ARE listening to the recommendations you are giving us. Below are a few of the recent changes we have made to address feedback we have received.
Every feedback request is logged. Feedback about outdated content, missing features, requests for new forms and data feeds will be shared with Metro departments so that they are aware of these requests.
Site Updates for 9/16/2021
Added Functional Maps on Council District Pages
PROBLEM:
Council District pages previously only had an image of the district shape and location. Users requested the ability to view an actual map on Council District pages.
SOLUTION:
Added searchable map that shows district outlines. Map can be zoomed and is mobile-friendly.
Various Performance and Search Improvements
Addressed minor site performance and search issues.
Site Updates for 8/20/2021
Added Related Pages to Taxonomy (Tag) Pages
PROBLEM:
Taxonomy pages (pages that have titles that begin with "Tag:") allow users to see content that has been linked to a specific tag name across the website. Related pages were not initially included which resulted in some Tag pages having no content.
SOLUTION:
The related pages content has now been added to these taxonomy pages.
Confusion with Filtering on Department List and the Boards and Commission List Due to Mislabeling
PROBLEM:
Keyword search box on the department list page and the Boards and Commission list page was labeled "Search" when, in fact, it is a "Filter" function of items that exist on the page.
SOLUTION:
Changed labeling to match actual function.
Links to External Services (NOT Hosted on Nashville.gov) on Services Pages Not Highly Visible
PROBLEM:
When searching for a service on the site, some services take the user to a page on Nashville.gov that provides a link to that service on another website. These links were not well distinguished from other content on the page and users felt they had landed at a dead-end.
SOLUTION:
Changes styling of link to make them more visible.
Site Updates for 8/18/2021
Confusion with Filtering on Services, News and Events Due to Mislabeling
PROBLEM:
Keyword search box on the Services, News and Events pages was labeled "Search" when, in fact, it is a "Filter" function of items that exist on the page.
SOLUTION:
Changed labeling to match actual function.
Confusion with Filtering on Services, News and Events Due to "Programs" and "Initiative" Options
PROBLEM:
The "Initiatives" and "Programs" filter options rely on content tagging that has not yet matured on the site and would often return no results.
SOLUTION:
Removed these option until a future date when content tagging will better support them. "Department" filter option remains where appropriate.
Site Updates for 8/16/2021
Confusion with Department Navigation and Content
PROBLEM:
One of the biggest areas of feedback that we have received appears to be that people feel a lot of content is missing. With the new site the navigation within a department is initially collapsed when a user enters the page. Additionally, that navigation button was being allowed to scroll off the top of the page. We believe this was causing desktop users to miss the side navigation completely and therefore not see how to access to the rest of a department’s content.
SOLUTION:
We changed the name of the navigation bar from “Menu" to "Navigation” and have updated the side navigation to prevent it from scrolling off the page for desktop users. We are reviewing other options to further improve this menu on desktop view.
Text Color Contrast
PROBLEM:
While we took great care to try to pick colors that meet ADA contrast compliance, some users felt the grey color for the text was still too light.
SOLUTION:
We made that grey color significantly darker across the site including where it was used in forms. This should make those elements more visible to the user.
Missing Meeting Information
PROBLEM:
The site was initially launched with meeting information for Boards, Committees and Metro Council dating back to only January 1, 2021.
SOLUTION:
While this was a known consideration at launch, we are working to add the older historical meeting information and documentation back to the site. There is a lot of historical data involved and we plan on bringing it all back into the site as quickly as possible.
Incorrect Date Filtering
PROBLEM:
Pages with date filters were not working properly.
SOLUTION:
This issue has been corrected
Incorrect Date Filtering
PROBLEM:
Event lists show events starting with the following day.
SOLUTION:
This issue has been corrected
Missing COVID Information and Resources
PROBLEM:
Most of Nashville’s COVID information is contained on Metro’s Covid Response website hosted externally, rather than in Nashville.gov. This meant that information was not searchable on Nashville.gov.
SOLUTION:
We are now indexing that site with our Search Engine and users may now find that content using the Nashville.gov search Engine. We also added a new Service button specifically for COVID to make it quicker for users to get to that information.
Page Whitespace
PROBLEM:
While good whitespace makes a page easier to read and view, some pages had too much open space creating issues for smaller screens.
SOLUTION:
We have eliminated some of that space to areas of pages to make them display better on smaller screens.