Riksbank renews its website to address user demands

Sveriges Riksbank unveiled its new website on February 1. The new design offers continuity, but allows easier access to the most-demanded content generated by the institution.

The central bank conceived the new portal to achieve two main objectives: create a more efficient technological platform for internal processes and provide a user-friendly experience to its external users, Ann-Leena Mikiver, director of communications at the Riksbank, tells Central Banking.

“A more refined design means that there is a greater focus on popular content, such as our most recent monetary policy report, the calendar and news items,” says Mikiver.

The repo rate now occupies the centre of the website, right below the main menus. Underneath, the central bank offers direct links to the last monetary policy report and inflation readings. Further down are highlighted stories and a video, as well as latest news and the events calendar. Shortcuts take users to some of the most popular areas.

The new design preserves the colour palette of the previous website and retains a very similar way of structuring the information, helping ensure users familiar with the old site do not get lost.

The content available in the new format has been published from 2017 and onwards, with the web archive due to be available shortly, the Riksbank says. This will include all the material previously generated by the central bank, such as press releases, reports and speeches.

Once these functionalities are available, the Swedish central bank will also contemplate upgrading the format it currently uses for the speeches of its policymakers.

One of the features that is likely to acquire a more important role in the is audio-visual content. “Interviews and infographics could be a very useful tool to reach a wider audience, especially younger generations,” says Mikiver.