Breaking the language barrier—making the public sector clearer, smarter, and more accessible for all

Sustain Gov is a Swedish public sector initiative focused on improving communication by simplifying bureaucratic language. Their goal is to make government processes more efficient and accessible to everyone.

Sustain Gov

Challenge

Sustain Gov is a collaborative initiative bringing together key players from the Swedish public sector, including Mittuniversitet, Södertörns högskola, Handelshögskolan in Stockholm, Sundsvalls kommun, DIGG, and more. Their mission? To streamline public sector processes and make them clearer for everyone. But to create real change, they need to reach the people shaping public communication. That’s why Sustain Gov must develop a compelling communication strategy that resonates with diverse stakeholders across Sweden’s public sector.

Insight

The core issue lies in the complex, jargon-heavy language used within public sector departments and organizations. Technical terms and bureaucratic phrasing often create barriers, making essential information difficult for the general public to understand. The solution? A shift towards clear, direct, and accessible communication — "klarspråk". By simplifying language, processes become more efficient, messages reach the right people faster, and public trust in institutions grows.

Solution

To bridge this communication gap, we developed a dictionary tailored for public sector employees. This resource translates bureaucratic terminology into everyday language, making information more accessible and actionable. The dictionary serves as both an educational tool and a powerful marketing asset for Sustain Gov, highlighting the importance of clear communication. This initiative is part of the "Nu lyfter vi blicken" campaign — encouraging public institutions to move away from unnecessary complexity and embrace clarity.

To amplify the impact, we also designed a modern, user-friendly website for Sustain Gov. It features news, key insights about the initiative, and a dedicated campaign page where users can explore resources and purchase the dictionary. With these tools, Sustain Gov is not just advocating for change — it’s leading the way towards a clearer, more effective public sector.

Process

Every project begins with understanding the why. Our team kicked off with a debriefing session to dive deep into our client’s needs, goals, and long-term vision. This wasn’t just about hearing what they wanted — it was about uncovering the real challenges they faced and the opportunities we could help unlock.

Next, we broadened our scope, exploring creative ways to align their objectives with meaningful outcomes. This phase pushed us to think beyond expectations and ask, “How can we go above and beyond for this client?”

Once we had a clear understanding, we focused on defining the core challenge — pinpointing the client’s true needs and how to help them overcome obstacles. From there, we anchored our ideas through close collaboration, ensuring our strategy stayed aligned with their vision.

With a clear direction, I led the creation of Sustain Gov’s website and its dedicated campaign site. My focus was on crafting a layout that not only looked good but felt intuitive, engaging, and optimized for a seamless user experience.

As the project moved into the design phase, I developed multiple iterations, refining the visuals and interactions through constant feedback from both the team and client. Every round brought us closer to a site that blended aesthetic appeal with function, while effectively communicating Sustain Gov’s mission.

Throughout the process, we maintained regular check-ins to keep everything on track and ensure the client’s vision was reflected in every step. The final result? A fully responsive, user-friendly website for desktop and mobile — an accessible digital platform that embodies Sustain Gov’s mission and connects with users in a clear, meaningful way.

Sustain Gov start page
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