Munimadrid, world’s best in usability

4/08/2008

The City of Madrid’s website (munimadrid.es) has been ranked the most usable of all municipal governance websites in the world in a study commissioned by United Nations and conducted by Rutgers University. Madrid also ranks very high in other categories, being the 5th best overall.

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This makes me very proud since I lead the team who made that possible. I guess I cannot disclose much of the information regarding the project, but I want to congratulate and thank the team who worked really hard to make it possible. We weren’t expecting such success.

Here is the press release and a link to a United Nations page with the full report.

Here is the overall ranking:

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This is the detail on the usability category:

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This is the paragraph where Madrid’s website is mentioned as one of the best practices all over the world:

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Working for the public administration is always dificult. There are many interests and stakeholders which sometimes conflict among themselves and you feel in the middle having to come up with something that compromises all parts and is also what you think it’s best for users. I don’t recall it as an easy project.

Besides, as a professional you have to deliver a plus when working in such projects. Why? For two main reasons:

1. You are being paid with everybody’s money
2. Your users are the Citizens. You work for the public good.

I remember recalling these principles when things used to get tough. It was our big motivation. Now I see it was worth the sacrifice.

There are 8 comments to this article:

  1. 4/08/2008Luiza Voll says:

    Wow, that’s a great achievement! Congratulations!

  2. 4/08/2008Julio Loayza says:

    Lo que me da miedo de logros exitosos como estos es que, y en determinados ámbitos, se pueda reforzar la idea de que en España se están haciendo las cosas bien en el campo de la web. Cuando en realidad, hitos como este, son auténticas excepciones, que se consiguen sin duda gracias a la unión de talento, esfuerzo y entrega de unos pocos, en medio de un panorama global bastante mediocre, en el que reina el analfabetismo digital galopante.

    Por supuesto, la lectura real puede, y debe de ser, totalmente contrapuesta, pero ya sabemos que la tendencia a la medallitis y a la demagogia es endémica en nuestro país.

    Muchas felicidades Javier, y a todos los que trabajaron en el proyecto.

  3. 4/08/2008Manuel Jesús Recena Soto says:

    Hola Javier:

    Enhorabuena a ti y todas las personas involucradas en el proyecto. Para que proyectos así tengan estos resultados sólo es posible si todas las partes (cliente incluido) hacen correctamente su trabajo y se fomenta el espíritu adecuado.

    En el lado opuesto nos encontramos con:
    http://www.citapreviadnie.es

    Un saludo

  4. 4/08/2008Belén says:

    Impossible is nothing.

    FELICIDADES!!!!!

  5. 5/08/2008Osquitar says:

    Pone muy contento de que este tipo de cosas sean reconocidas, más cuando se conocen a las personas que integran a los equipos de desarrollo.

    Enhorabuena a todos!!

  6. 6/08/2008Javier Cañada says:

    Thanks!
    Gracias!

  7. 12/08/2008ygneo says:

    Congratulations!

    I’ts possible to know what framework do you use to do the website? I’m very intested.

    Thanks!

  8. 2/12/2008links for 2008-12-02 | Amasijo says:

    [...] The Cosmonaut: Munimadrid, world’s best in usability The City of Madrid’s website (munimadrid.es) has been ranked the most usable of all municipal governance websites in the world in a study commissioned by United Nations and conducted by Rutgers University. Madrid also ranks very high in other categories, being the 5th best overall. (tags: usability munimadrid) [...]

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