This research examines the relationship between service design and citizen satisfaction with e‐government services. Based on a multidimensional conceptualization of service, we define three key service perceptions, each comprising different design characteristics, that jointly influence perceived service quality and citizen satisfaction with e‐government services. The service perceptions and their corresponding design characteristics are: (1) perceptions of a core service—accuracy, completeness, self‐service capability, and convenience; (2) perceptions of facilitating services—accessibility, privacy protection, security protection, and user support; and (3) perceptions of supporting services—personalization capability and transparency. We tested our research model using data from a two‐stage survey of 3,065 users of three e‐government services. The results showed that all design characteristics contributed to their respective service perceptions that influenced perceived service quality that in turn influenced citizen satisfaction. The finding of a three‐way interaction among the service perceptions supported their complementary role in influencing perceived service quality.