It’s been a decade since we launched 18F with a “Hello, world” blog post about our vision for change, in the midst of the growth in national interest in government technology. We’ve come a long way since then, we’ve grown a lot, and we’ve learned a lot about how to build user-centered technology in government.
Over the years, numerous talented individuals have joined the ranks of 18F, with many alumni moving on to serve in other government agencies after their terms. 18F staff departures in 2023 found that 85% of people leaving 18F moved on to another government technology position.
Initiatives like United States Web Design System, cloud.gov and others began at 18F before spinning off into separate entities. Our methods and practices guides have been widely referenced and cited, driving improvements in government service delivery for the American public. The 18F model and lessons learned have inspired and informed how state and local governments have approached building their own digital services teams.
Our teammates past and present have worked on several hundred partner projects over these past ten years.
Here are just a few of the things we’ve had the privilege to work on:
- enhancing access to our nation’s forests
- publishing critical data about waterways across the nation
- improving website accessibility
- streamlining the browsing of federal election contributions
- partnering on projects supporting national defense and intelligence agencies
- facilitating easier access to mental health resources
- increasing transparency and usability of national crime data
- creating a new case management system for the judicial branch
- simplifying the process for states to apply for federal Medicare funds
We’re so glad to be working alongside amazing partners in other government agencies and industries doing the hard work to deliver high quality public service every day. To celebrate our decade of impact in public service we’ll be taking a look back over the course of this year at the projects we’ve worked on, people we’ve met, and lessons we’ve learned over our ten years of work on projects both large and small. We hope to continue this mission far into the future!