The FDA’s Use of Widgets and Why Other Agencies Should Follow
While the Food and Drug Administration may have many internal issues, one thing they get right is how to use widgets effectively. The recent salmonella outbreak in peanut products has prompted the FDA to create a widget that has been embedded across the internet.
The approximately 250 by 425 pixel widget conains a plethora of information about individual recalls in certain products, and provides links to various Web sites of interest (including the FDA recall Twitter feed).
This is an excellent use of widgets — and a great way to get the word out about this major public health issue. Part of good government is keeping people informed about new developments, and this is exactly how to do it.
Here’s my wish list of what other agencies should use widgets for:
- 10 Most Wanted List/Crime Alerts (Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- What’s Pending in Congress (Senate and House)
- Airport Delays (Federal Aviation Administration)
- Weather Forecasts/Alerts (National Weather Service)
- Treasury Note Rates (Department of the Treasury)
- Latest Earthquakes (U.S. Geological Survey)
This is only a partial list — there are so many more ways to use widgets. Many of these agencies provide APIs (or at the very least some form of an XML data feed) that should facilitate the easy creation of the widgets.
One thing that widgets should not be is an RSS dumping ground. If there’s an RSS feed already available, which is likely, then the end user will likely embed the RSS in a way that fits better design-wise with their Web site. Widgets need to offer more than RSS.
Have any other ideas about what should be used for widgets? Comment on this article or drop us a line on Twitter — we’re at @socialgovt!
