I had a meeting with a district office manager recently.
"Do you know what KRDS is?"
"...K-R-D-S? What's that?"
It's a design system created by the Korean government. But ironically, the very people who work at government agencies often don't know about it.
So I decided to explain: what KRDS is, why it was created, and how to actually apply it.
What is KRDS?
Korea Government Design System.
Created by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2023, it's a design guideline for public sector websites. Ever noticed how Korean government websites like Gov24 and National Health Insurance Service look similar? That's KRDS.
Why Was It Created?
1. Consistency
Government websites used to be all over the place. Some had navigation on the left, others at the top. Button colors were random.
For citizens, it was confusing. "How do I apply for this service?" Every site had a different interface to learn.
KRDS aims to unify this. Visit any government website, same structure, same buttons.
2. Accessibility
Public sector websites in Korea must be accessibility certified. They need to be usable by people with disabilities and elderly users.
But meeting accessibility standards is hard. Color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader support...
KRDS has these accessibility requirements built in. Follow the guidelines, and you meet the basics.
3. Cost Savings
Designing from scratch for every website is expensive.
Using KRDS components should reduce design costs. In theory, at least.
The Reality
Staff Don't Know It
"Please apply KRDS" is written in RFPs, but the actual project managers don't know what it means.
During review: "Is this KRDS compliant?" They often don't know what to check.
Non-Technical People Can't Understand It
Visit the KRDS website and you'll see terms like "components", "design tokens", "semantic colors".
Developers and designers get it. Administrative staff? Not so much.
"So... is our website KRDS compliant or not?"
This question is surprisingly hard to answer clearly.
Designers Feel Restricted
"Use this color. Make buttons like this. Use this exact spacing."
For designers used to creative freedom, it's frustrating.
"Isn't this too plain?"
"This doesn't match current trends."
I hear this a lot.
So What Should You Do?
KRDS is a "Minimum Standard"
You don't have to follow KRDS 100% exactly.
The essentials:
- Colors: Government brand colors (blue palette) as base
- Accessibility: 4.5:1 color contrast, keyboard navigable
- Structure: Header-content-footer basic layout
Meet these, and you can claim "KRDS applied".
Customization is Allowed
Mixing colors within the KRDS palette or adding your agency's brand color is fine.
KRDS default: #256EF4 (blue)
Agency color: #00A86B (Ministry of Environment green) added
You're not replacing KRDS with a different design system. You're building on top of it.
Realistic Implementation Steps
Step 1: Minimum Compliance
- Use KRDS color palette
- Apply basic button and form styles
- Follow header/footer structure
Step 2: Accessibility
- Check color contrast
- Test keyboard navigation
- Verify alt tags and labels
Step 3: Agency Branding
- Add agency logo and colors
- Design content areas freely
- Express brand identity
How to Explain to Non-Technical Staff
When asked "What is KRDS?":
"It's a design guide for government websites made by the Ministry of Interior.
Notice how all government websites look similar? That's because of KRDS.
Following it also means meeting accessibility requirements automatically."
When asked "Is our site KRDS compliant?":
"If the header and footer follow the guide structure,
colors use the government standard palette,
and you can navigate menus with keyboard,
then yes, it's compliant."
Summary
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is KRDS? | Korean government website design guide |
| Why was it made? | Consistency + Accessibility + Cost savings |
| Must follow exactly? | No, meet minimum standards |
| Can customize? | Yes, build on top of KRDS |
| Too plain? | Base is plain, content area is flexible |
KRDS itself isn't bad. The problem is lack of clear explanations and real-world implementation guidance.
Hope this helps someone.
I'm building open-source React components based on KRDS. If you're interested:
https://hanui.io
Tags: #react #designsystem #accessibility #government #opensource
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