| Using wireframe or prototypes to create | | | | app before its development is essential to its |
| E-government applications would help engaging | | | | success, and this is probably even truer when it |
| more citizens in the business of politics. | | | | comes to online citizen participation. On the one |
| According to UN's last E-Government survey | | | | hand, apps have to answer the needs of citizens. |
| 2010, governments all over the world have made | | | | On the other hand, these programs have to be |
| significant efforts to increase citizen participation | | | | comprehensive and easy to use, so that users |
| and access to political affairs through the internet. | | | | can understand what to do right away. |
| The survey states that during the last 2 years | | | | Involving citizens as users in the wireframing and |
| (the last survey dating back to 2008), | | | | prototyping process could thus benefit both |
| E-participation has increased everywhere, even in | | | | citizens and governments. Publishing functional |
| least developed countries. Authors further argue | | | | prototypes would let the very final users (citizens) |
| that in the current context of world financial and | | | | test and comment a future app. The very |
| economic crisis, governments can take advantage | | | | citizens, the targeted audience, would be the ones |
| of new technologies like the internet to gain | | | | defining and validating apps of their public |
| transparency by sharing freely their data bases | | | | institutions. This system would show a true |
| with the public. Following the same idea, | | | | e-democracy as institutions are supposed to be |
| e-government can be significantly more efficient | | | | working for the people. |
| when it comes to public services, thus helping | | | | Communication between institutions and citizens |
| governments to respond and react more quickly. | | | | would thus become more "agile" and the public |
| The usability of governments' applications is thus | | | | would regain trust in political institutions, often |
| fundamental to increase the public access and | | | | seen as oblivious of the people's reality. But more |
| participation. One way to achieve it could be to | | | | than just improving political participation and |
| involve citizens in the definition process like when | | | | communication, the use of prototype would also |
| making wireframe or prototypes of apps, as they | | | | increase productivity by avoiding long and |
| will be the final users. | | | | expensive rework loads. |
| Gathering user feedback on the usability of an | | | | |