Beyond brochureware - building functional university websites (the ‘gestalt’ view)

David Christmas Ian Roddis

September 1999

‘The Next Steps’

2

Presentation Outline

• Four classes of website we know• OU examples and their key

characteristics• Summary of the evolutionary process• Lessons, recommendations and some

questions - ‘OUr way’

3

The four classes

1 Indie Sites2 Webmaster Sites3 Embedded Sites4 E-business

4

Key characteristics

• What does it do ?• Who is involved ?• Who is it for?• How does it affect the organisation ?• What technology does it use, and who

decides ?

5

Indie-site 1

Screenshot of any classic home page (including picture of cat, motorbike and recent birthday party perhaps)!

6

Characteristics of indie-site 1

What ? Vanity publishes static contentMaybe accepts feedbackPlenty of external links

Who ? An (undefined) audience (possibly)The author

Effects ? Develops author’s skillsUses up server space andbandwidthHow can you measure?

Technology ? Miscellaneous plug-insVarious authoring toolsPersonal Web server/ISP space

7

Indie-site 2

beagle2.open.ac.uk/

8

Characteristics of Indie-site 2

What ? Gives information about a specific activity.Maybe encourages feedbackLinks to useful resources

Who ? An audienceA (skilled) (paid) authorThe project owner/teamPossibly a “host” institutionPossibly tied into a network of similar sites

Effects ? Supports a well defined activityPublices and enhances image at low cost

Technology ? Fairly disciplined use of gimmicksVarious authoring toolsInstitutional Web server

9

A Webmaster site

10

Characteristics of Webmaster sites

What ? Provides “official information”Probably replicates brochuresAllows feedback to a WebmasterMay have forms for simple transactions

Who ? Customers/students/funders/decision makersEnthusiastic managementA Webmaster in the IT departmentContent owners (e.g. PR, Marketing from adistance)

11

Characteristics of Webmaster sites

Effects ? Raises internal Web awarenessEstablishes Web bridge-head in ITdepartmentPossibly contributes slightly to organisationalobjectives

Technology ? Unadventurous, but robustVersion control and backups (possibly)Institutional Web server

12

Embedded site 1 - a prospectus

www.open.ac.uk/courses

13

Embedded site 2 - a web gateway

www.open.ac.uk

14

Embedded site 3 - Student record access

www.open.ac.uk/students

15

Embedded site 4 -summer schools booking

www.open.ac.uk/residential-schools/

16

Characteristics of embedded sites

What ? Provides official information about a majoractivityBrochure data + database extracts + WebcontentSome interaction, but fitting around non-Webprocesses

Who ? Customers/studentsExplicitly funded as a Web projectInvolves managers of the business functionMulti-skilled development teamDeveloped by Web specialistsWeb AgenciesIT departmentData maintenance staff

17

Characteristics of embedded sites

Effects ? Supports departmental objectivesBegins to shift business to the WebRaises issues about IT support,security, testing, robustness, contentownership…

Technology ? Robust professional IT approachesSome back-end integration, butincomplete.24x7 a problemPartial automation of updatingPossible parallel management of printand Web content

18

An e-business site

www.dell.com/

19

Characteristics of e-business sites

What ? A major organisational functionKey to strategic aimsCould possibly only exist in that formonline

Who ? Key customers/studentsMajor funding streamInvolves top managementHighly professional developersWeb agencies

20

Characteristics of e-business sites

Effects ? Transforms business modelVital to health of organisationOther media are subordinate to thewebsite

Technology ? Robust professional IT approachesTotal integration with “back-endsystems”Single access securityDynamic contentBusiness driven

21

The evolutionary process

• Function• Organisational involvement• Effects• Technology

22

The evolutionary process

• Function– From “a website”– To “our business”

23

The evolutionary process

• Organisational involvement– Who is it for– Who makes it happen– Who pays for it– Who builds it– Who maintains it– Who evaluates it– Who cares

24

The evolutionary process

• Effects– Strategic impact– Process changes– Cultural consequences– Cost of failure

25

The evolutionary process

• Technology– Integration with other IS– Development tools– Robustness– Standardisation– Quality assurance– Security

26

The evolutionary process

Indie Webmaster

Embedded E-business

27

Moving beyond brochureware

• Ownership• Involvement• Culture• Meeting needs• Processes change• Adequate technology