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A6: Web Site Re-development
Miles Banbery,University of Kent at Canterbury
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Abstract
How often should redevelopment be done? How can we get institutional support for the
necessary work? How do you assess what needs doing and the
effectiveness of your current provision? Re-development in-house or buy-in? What user testing should/can be done?
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Timetable for the session
09.15 - 09.45 Introductions
09.45 - 10.15 Overview of re-development issues
10.15 - 10.45 Kent redesign case study
10.45 - 11.15 Coffee
11.15 - 11.55 Group work
11.55 - 12.15 Reporting back (5 mins per group)
Introductions
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
About you ...
Who are you?
What re-development do you want to do?
How do you know?
Overview ofredevelopment issues
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
What you have to know ...
Where are you coming from? Where are you going to? Why? Who wants it / needs it? How much will it cost? How long will it last? How will you know if it is successful?
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
But we did the Webtwo years ago!
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Who do you have to convince?
Budget holders– VFM / cost effectiveness
Strategists / Management– Key to delivery of other, wider aims and objectives -
must tie in with institutional strategic aims
Providers– Easy to use, better quality information, more
professional look/feel - they need to identify with it
Users– Better service - accuracy, personalisation, interest
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Magic phrases?
Our competitors are doing … Legislation (accessibility, widening participation,
trading standards) More content / less maintenance per item Fast/pretty/useful - razorblade of life Design no longer portrays institution as … We can make more sales, recruit more students
by ... Our users said ...
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
(Re-) Development stages
Strategy
Structure
Interface
Graphics
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Strategic design
What type of site are you? Audiences
– Types– Needs
Providers– Available Information– Wants
Available resources - centrally and departmentally How will you know how it is performing?
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Assessing the audiences
Who do you want to come?– Potential students / staff– Current students / staff– Potential conference bookings– Corporate clients / partners
What is it they need?– User questionnaires / analysis– Market research– Focus groups– Comparing rivals’ Web sites
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Assessing effectiveness
Sales Link popularity Hits (Web stats) Return visits (cookies) Downloaded files Solicited feedback Unsolicited feedback Availability of enhanced
services Cost-effective
maintenance
Registered users User testing Trade publications / peer
review Awards Share of e-business
against traditional modes of delivery
Comparison with competitors
World standards
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Structural design
Information organisation / architecture Putting things where people can find them There is always more than one way How it appears on the screen may not be how the
files are arranged in the folders - but it is easier that way!
This is a subjective task
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Criteria for organisation
Dependent on type of site - product driven or audience driven?
Sorted by type of interaction Sorted by user intent or user identification Hybrids - Major sections plus exceptions and inter-
linked services Shallow organisation against deep structure How many links to each page should you have? There must be more than one way to use the site
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Interface
What components are on each page? (Don’t forget the content)
Navigation
Usability
No colour or size at this stage
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
Graphic design
Colour
Fonts
Shape
Size
Pictures / icons
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
The old problem ...
In house– Staffing hungry - additional
to normal service– Short-term contracts– Recruitment problems– Control kept on-site– Custom features– Matches the institutional
needs– Needs re-writing when that
is no longer the case– Wheel re-invention?
Out-source– A new view - fresh ideas– Varied expertise available at
short notice– External credibility– Lack of control– Unknown resource applied
to your project– Lump sum hungry
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
User testing
Do not rely on your own knowledge of you customer - use your customers
Time implications Massive gains if mistakes found early on The customer is not too stupid to use your site (on
the whole) Controlled environments - set tasks Watch mistakes and record them - do not prompt
Discussion groups
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
What we have to do now
1. Problems
2. How we tackled them
3. Recommendations for UK HE institutions
4. Recommendations for external agencies
[email protected] : 26/06/2001(c) 2001, The University of Kent at Canterbury
What you have to do now …
Get into groups of 3/4
Nominate a reporter
Pick a topic from the list of four
Consider three problems of your choice and find three possible helpful suggestions or ideas for each
