About One Franklin County
Simple, intuitive, and welcoming
These words guided our decisions throughout the website redesign project that we call One Franklin County that launches on May 14th, 2025. We want to take some of the burden off of navigating government services for you. So we're starting by consolidating over 25 websites into one. Now, you don't have to know which agencies can help you with what services and then find their websites. We are working on expanding to include more offices and agencies in the county, but we are proud of this start.
To that end, we want to highlight a few of the benefits of this redesign we're excited for you to experience. This website is a work in progress, so you’ll continue to see improvements. But they’re all aligned to the goals below.
Make it easier to find what you need
We organized the pages by the services you're looking for, not just which agency provides them. This way, you can find information on similar types of services across many agencies. For example, you can adopt a dog from the Franklin County Dog Shelter, but you need to license your new furry friend through the Auditor. We also have a centralized search function. Since this site has content from 25 different websites, you're able to find results from across the county.
Keep accessibility at the forefront
We partnered with Granicus, which specializes in digital tools for governments. Their website platform, OpenCities, has accessibility built into its code. We prioritized tools that make it easier to use the site with assistive technology. But in case we missed anything, we've added an accessibility widget called UserWay that you can personalize based on your needs.
Write content that is easy to understand
Government policy is hard to understand and uses a lot of confusing jargon. We simplified where we can, and added some helpful tools. Writing in plain language makes our translation tool easier to use. We also added features like a Glossary on pages with complicated legal terms. You just hover your mouse over an underlined word, and you'll see the definition. You can see it in action on (CSEA PAGE)
Digital online forms
We're beginning to roll out a digital forms tool so you can submit more forms online. This is still a work in progress, but we're using the digital forms you'll see on this site to learn where we ca
Center the needs of the public
This is your website, not ours. We need to know how we're doing, so we've added feedback forms on every page. We also added a general contact form so you can tell us what else is important to you. What did we miss? How can we make this website work better for you?
Again, we're so excited for you to see the new website on May 14th. Don't forget to let us know what you think!
Want to learn more about the website? Here are some FAQ's.
What will be new about the website?
The website has been meticulously redesigned to improve usability and access to services. Key upgrades include:
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A mobile-friendly, modern design
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Streamlined navigation
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Centralized access to all county agencies from one site
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Digital forms and online service tools
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Improved accessibility for all users
What did the old website look like?
The old Franklin County website can still be found at old.franklincountyohio.gov, and we've come a long way since then. For example, the old site had 'exact match' search, meaning that any variation in words would result in no matches - a very frustrating experience. Let's say you typed in 'pet shelter' and got back zero matches. Franklin County has a pet shelter, but we call it the 'animal shelter'.
How will I be impacted?
You will enjoy a faster, smoother experience when accessing county services online. You will spend less time searching for information, have the ability to complete services online, and connect with county departments with ease.
When will this new site be available to the public?
The current site you are on right now launched in April 2024 as an in-between step to provide the public with a better experience while the fully integrated site was built. The new site, which will fully encompass all 14 Board of Commissioner agencies, is set to officially go live on Wednesday, May 14, 2025!
Will the web address change?
Nope! The county's primary domain
Franklin County, Ohio will remain the same, ensuring a smooth transition for users, and we've built redirects for the URL's of the websites we're consolidating to make sure you end up on the right page.
What has the timeline been for this redesign?
The redesign of the One Franklin County website started in September 2023 and will officially launch in May 2025. Throughout this time, the project went through a thorough research and planning process across the 14 Board of Commissioner agencies, the GX Concourse team at the Franklin County Data Center, and the Granicus team. This process included workshops, stakeholder interviews, a complete content review, analysis, user testing, search engine optimization (SEO), and more.
To assist residents and visitors during this redesign process, a temporary 'services' site was set up in April 2024 as our first step - the site you are on today! This site served as a central hub for the county, providing important information about user behavior, search trends, and public feedback. The data gathered from this temporary website was essential in shaping the design and features of the final website.
Who has been involved in the website redesign?
This project began with the involvement of 14 Board of Commissioner agencies in the first cohort consolidating their websites into one. The OFC initiative is led by the GX Concourse team within the Data Center in collaboration with our vendor, Granicus. In all, we worked with sixty county staff and heard from over 120 residents about what worked best.
Who is Granicus?
Granicus offers cloud-based software and advanced technology solutions to governments all over the world. Their goal is to enhance efficiency and transparency in government operations. They specialize in creating and managing government websites, handling public records, and improving technology to foster better communication between residents and public officials.
Tell us what you think