The City of South Bend’s Department of Innovation & Technology launched a new City website on Monday, July 16. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Chief Innovation Officer Santiago Garces showcased the new website to the media at 10:00 a.m. in the Mayor’s Office.
The City also launched the 311 Service Portal (311.southbendin.gov) which contains information about City services, programs, and events. The informational articles found here come directly from City departments and are what is referenced by liaisons in the 311 Service Center when they answer calls.
The new website follows recommendations from research from the South Bend Code school, and previous work done in partnership with the Design program at the University of Notre Dame. Throughout the process the design team engaged over 200 community members though interviews, surveys, and other design research tools. The new website, developed by Pathfinders Advertising, makes the basics easy and prioritizes content the residents care about. The new website also enhances accessibility with more language options and tools for those with disabilities, and has a modern design that works well with mobile devices.