Welcome to the CFPB Design Manual

The CFPB strives to better serve consumers via our online presence and print materials by using plain language; relying on simple, user-friendly design; and providing easy access to information that can help consumers make informed decisions.

This Design Manual is an open-source resource for CFPB staff to produce effective and visually-consistent print and digital products that are easy for consumers to access, use, and understand. The Manual includes our design principles, guidelines for user experience, identity standards, and code snippets for common user interface elements. The Manual will continue to evolve as we learn what works best for the CFPB and the people we serve.

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Help us make improvements

We have designed the Manual to be open for the public, which allows you to help us make improvements by filing an issue or submitting a pull request on GitHub. Not on GitHub? Email us your suggestions at tech@consumerfinance.gov .

All content has been released as open source under the CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication, and we’d love for other agencies, developers, or groups to adapt it for their own use.

Other Resources

Many style guides influenced the creation and organization of the Manual, including those from Mozilla, MailChimp, and the BBC. Our primary inspiration is the UK's Government Service Design Manual. We hope ours can serve as a foundation for discussing and practicing user-centered design in government.