Testing digital interfaces helps create government websites and applications that work for everyone. Teams start with simple sketches or clickable mockups to show how online services will work, testing them with real users before building expensive systems.

When Vermont's benefits team tested their document upload system with residents, they uncovered navigation problems and fixed them early, cutting processing time by 44%. This saved time and money compared to fixing problems after launch.

Practical steps for testing:

• Start with paper sketches that are quick to change
• Test one feature at a time
• Use real content instead of placeholder text
• Record where users get stuck
• Ask users to think aloud while navigating
• Test with different devices and screen sizes
• Include people with different digital skills
• Check that error messages make sense^[1]