response
Principles1. To design for “way finding” – how men and women navigate, to have the user always know where they are, what they’re looking for, how to get what they are looking for dealing with the Logos appeal. This also includes the design and architectural cues such as menu options and the overall navigation bar and in our case the sub-categories in the menu bar.
2. Set expectations and provide feedback. We have a feedback option for the user to fill out a form (as much or little as they want) and submit it online. Overall our site is simple and we don’t have many processes. Because Dr. King doesn’t really use computers or go online much everything involving the center the user ends up calling or mailing someone.
3. Ergonomic design regarding the hands, eyes and ears: We don’t have any video or music clips, most of our pages do not scroll and are simple with large enough text, our pictures and color scheme do not dictate the overall separation and designation of the links or where things are on a page.
4. Consistency and considering the standards: the center didn’t have a page to begin with so we are lucky there, other websites such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of America provided inspiration but our site doesn’t come close to theirs. Standards of other sites are colorful presentations, interactive materials, artwork, pictures and easy to use. Overall style guidelines were important and I thought the advice to break these style conventions with caution was good.
5. The error support is a key aspect to keep the attention of the user. We have a feedback tool and overall clear language. Our mapquest directions make it easier for the user because the LCc address is already pluged in.
6. Recognition over recall is another important concept to keep the audience at the site. Having the mapquest directions imbedded in the site rather than in a new window is one way we did this
7. Our site provides information for, and is targeted to people with varying levels of computer literacy. There is also a small level of accomplishment when people successfully print something out such as an activity. If it worked the first time maybe they will come back to the site to get more activities or ideas.
8. Integrated meaningful and contextual help imbedded in the site is also important to keep the user from leaving the site. I think our site is too simple to have actual help icons or pop-ups but we do provide different ways to get in contact with someone at the center, we think this is a rare opportunity with some larger or other corporation sites.
Balance - user, technology and business aspects of the site
Various goals for each category are needed to work together and create a successful site. Our business goals were to increase the donations from individuals in the community and to integrate other businesses into various annual events at the center. Our user goals were to increase awareness of the center and its purpose in the community, to get more people to volunteer and contact the center. Our technology goals are to integrate downloadable forms to donate or host events or activities to do at home.
While creating the site we did many things as a group… we “thought first and designed second” like the book advised. We thought of all our options for each aspect and what they would look like then tested some and put one up. We eventually had to change a few things towards the end but we were all happy with the decisions and each member of the group was happy. Planning in workshops in class and out of class was always (almost) done as a whole group. We divided up some work and communicated constantly so we knew what everyone was doing.
We knew defining the space was important… the site is for Littlejohn Community Center, were making it because they don’t have one and need one more medium to reach more people, this will make things easier for Dr. King because she travels from Atlanta to Clemson all the time. Our materials are the center itself, all the volunteers and workers there (who have been very helpful) the kids for their artwork and pictures. We didn’t have much money and if we had to buy something we bought it. (only thing was lollypops for only a few dollars) we were very, very resourceful and used things on campus like the Blotter to make our poster that we had never used before.
Other steps in the book regarding “Those People” also helped us. They are to figure out who the site is for, talk to the contact people there, design and test for them, modify based on the tests and test the site once more. There were a few things Dr. king told us that we would never of known otherwise… her name was spelled wrong on the Clemson website for the center and other material we had. Dr. King also had some of her friends and other workers in the center look at the site, which was great.
I liked this book and it helped me put everything into perspective. It was also very well organized so I could refer back to it when we were working on our site.
posted by Meghan Joyce @ 3:34 PM
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