Federal Website Modernization in 2026: What the America by Design Overhaul Means for Agency Websites

Federal website modernization has moved from a long-running goal to a White House priority. In August 2025, the Trump administration launched America by Design, a plan to overhaul the government's huge collection of websites. Agencies had until July 4, 2026 to show first results. Meanwhile, the National Design Studio that leads the work is set to run through 2028.

So why should you care? If you manage, fund, or build a federal website, this changes your roadmap. And if you work for a state, city, county, or tribal government, it gives you a free playbook to borrow. This guide covers what changed, what the law already required, where early projects went wrong, and the steps your team can take now.

What is America by Design?

America by Design is the effort created by the executive order "Improving Our Nation Through Better Design," signed on August 21, 2025, according to FedScoop. The order did four main things:

• Created the National Design Studio and a Chief Design Officer role, filled by Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia.
• Told agencies to improve their highest-impact websites and public spaces first.
• Directed the General Services Administration (GSA) to update the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) with the new design office.
• Required agencies to follow the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA).

In addition, the order set July 4, 2026 as the date for initial results. The National Design Studio itself is temporary, however. Under the order, it closes three years after it was created, in 2028.

Why federal website modernization is happening now

The numbers explain the urgency. According to the White House fact sheet, summarized by Government Market News and Federal News Network:

• There are roughly 26,000 to 27,000 federal websites.
• Only 6% were rated "good" for mobile performance, and about 45% were not mobile friendly.
• Fewer than 20% use the U.S. Web Design System.
• Federal sites get more than 160 million visits a month, according to FedTech Magazine.

In other words, millions of people depend on sites that are hard to use on a phone. Too many standalone sites also make government information harder to find. That is why IT consolidation is part of the plan. For example, Federal News Network reported that the 24 largest agencies had already cut about 330 unneeded or duplicate sites out of 7,200 reviewed.

The rules were already on the books

America by Design did not invent new standards for federal website modernization. Instead, it put pressure behind rules that already existed.

21st Century IDEA

Congress passed 21st Century IDEA in 2018. According to CIO.gov, the office of the federal CIO, new and redesigned federal websites must:

1. Work fully on mobile devices
2. Be accessible to people with disabilities
3. Look consistent
4. Include a search function
5. Be designed around data on user needs
6. Use web-based forms where they help users
7. Be tested often and delivered over secure connections
8. Avoid duplicate content

Still, compliance has been uneven. A 2024 Government Accountability Office report found that only about one-third of the 24 large agencies it reviewed met all eight requirements in their 2023 reports.

Section 508

Federal websites must also meet Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. This law requires digital accessibility for government technology, and today's standard lines up with WCAG 2.0 Level AA. You can find guidance and testing tools at Section508.gov.

What the U.S. Web Design System is, and why it matters now

The U.S. Web Design System is a free, open-source library of code and design guidance. It is a product of GSA's Technology Transformation Services. In short, it gives agencies tested building blocks such as headers, forms, alerts, and navigation, with accessibility built in.

Until now, many agencies treated USWDS as optional. Under America by Design, however, it is becoming a shared set of federal website standards. FedTech Magazine calls this a "one government approach," where every federal site looks and works the same way no matter which agency runs it.

As a result, custom themes and one-off layouts will face more questions. For vendors, building on USWDS is now the expected starting point, not a nice extra. In practice, USWDS sits at the center of federal website modernization.

Lessons from the first wave of redesigns

Moving fast has not always meant moving well. In December 2025, NOTUS reported that accessibility experts reviewed several early National Design Studio sites and found problems:

• Low color contrast and missing heading structure, which make pages harder to use for people with low vision or screen readers.
• Very large page downloads that load slowly or cost more on older phones and limited data plans.
• Code quality issues and little sign of review before launch.

The takeaway for any federal website modernization project is simple: a modern look does not equal a modern website. After all, a redesign that fails WCAG or loads slowly on a rural cell signal still fails the public. It can also create legal risk under Section 508.

A practical federal website modernization checklist

Whether your agency is mid-redesign or just starting, these steps line up with 21st Century IDEA, Section 508, and America by Design.

1. Inventory your sites. List every domain and subdomain, who owns it, and how much traffic it gets. Then retire or merge the duplicates.
2. Rank by impact. Find the tasks people do most, such as applications, payments, and status checks. Fix those first.
3. Adopt USWDS early. New builds should start on USWDS components rather than retrofit them later. This saves design time and brings accessibility patterns with it.
4. Test on real phones. Try your top tasks on older Android and iOS devices and on slow connections, not just a desktop browser.
5. Test with people and tools. Automated scanners catch only part of the problems, so add keyboard and screen reader testing to every release.
6. Watch page weight. Compress images, limit heavy scripts, and set a performance budget so pages stay fast.
7. Write in plain language. Follow plainlanguage.gov so people know what to do on the first read.
8. Fix your forms. Where you can, replace PDF forms with accessible web forms, as 21st Century IDEA encourages.
9. Make search work. Your site search should return useful results for the words people actually type.
10. Document and review before launch. A record of accessibility and security checks protects your agency and makes future updates easier.

Above all, keep the focus on user-centered design. Every step should make it easier for people to finish a task, not just make the site look new.

Download the free checklist

Want this list on paper? Download our free, two-page Federal Website Modernization Checklist (PDF). It includes all 10 steps, the key rules and deadlines, and questions to ask your web vendor. No email required.

What state, local, and tribal governments can borrow

America by Design applies to federal agencies, but the lessons travel. USWDS is free for anyone to use, so it can serve as a tested foundation for city, county, school district, and tribal websites.

States are already moving in this direction. For instance, in June 2026 Texas launched the Texas Design System, a library of accessible components for state agency websites. StateScoop reported that Texas became the 19th state with a live, centralized design system.

This matters because state and local governments face their own deadline. Under the Justice Department's updated ADA Title II rule, governments serving 50,000 or more people must meet WCAG 2.1 AA by April 26, 2027. Smaller governments have until April 26, 2028. We covered what did not change in our guide to the ADA website deadline for Oklahoma cities and towns.

Even with limited resources, a local government that follows the checklist above will be in a much stronger position when its deadline arrives.

How Digital Venture helps government teams

Digital Venture is a Tulsa-area web design and development firm with federal past performance supporting the Department of Defense Washington Headquarters Services. We help federal, state, local, and tribal teams build websites that are accessible, fast, and easy to use. We also document the work so your team can maintain it.

Planning a redesign, or want a second set of eyes on accessibility and performance? Contact our team or learn more about our government services.

Federal website modernization FAQ

What is the America by Design executive order?

It is the executive order "Improving Our Nation Through Better Design," signed August 21, 2025. The order created the National Design Studio and directed agencies to modernize their most important websites, adopt USWDS, and comply with 21st Century IDEA.

Do federal websites have to use the U.S. Web Design System?

21st Century IDEA requires federal websites to look consistent, and OMB guidance points agencies to USWDS. America by Design pushes it further toward one standard for all federal sites.

What is the deadline for federal website modernization?

Agencies were asked to show initial results by July 4, 2026. However, the requirements of 21st Century IDEA and Section 508 apply now and on an ongoing basis.

Can state and local governments use USWDS?

Yes. USWDS is free and open source, so any organization can use it. It can also help local governments meet ADA Title II accessibility requirements.

Does a redesign automatically make a website accessible?

No. Accessibility has to be designed, built, and tested. Early reviews of some federal redesigns found contrast, structure, and speed problems, which shows why testing matters on every project.

Sources

• FedScoop: Trump targets federal web design in new executive order
• Federal News Network: National Design Studio looks to overhaul 27,000 federal websites
• Government Market News: White House launches America by Design
• FedTech Magazine: What the America by Design order sets in motion
• CIO.gov: 21st Century IDEA
• U.S. GAO: Digital Experience: Agency Compliance with Statutory Requirements
• NOTUS: The trouble with the National Design Studio
• StateScoop: Texas launches accessible, standardized web design system
• U.S. Web Design System: designsystem.digital.gov
• Section508.gov: Section 508 guidance