kara pharris web designer site improvements & the usability project concepts for usable...

Kara PharrisWeb Designer

Site Improvements & the Usability Project

Concepts for usable navigation, functionality and presentation

NSIDC.org User Refinement Recommendations2

User Refinement project• A usability analysis process designed to:

Identify current strengths and weaknesses of usability Re-evaluate info about users, NSIDC objectives, sponsor

requests Address the growth/evolution of the site’s content, audiences Proactively examine future user, content, technology needs

• The project examines: Presentation Organization Interactivity Navigation End-user technologies To identify changes that will more clearly present

content and functionality and ensure the site is easy to use, easy to learn


Make a very deep site “shallow” • Bring more options to the top to reduce the

number of clicks it takes to get to a page or task

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Give users a mental map of the site• Add navigation options, change navigation schema to show

users the breadth of content and functionality

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Make navigation consistent at lower levels

• Create a vertical secondary navigation menu

• Avoid many stacking horizontal menus

• Provide a mental mapof sub-content

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Use “trigger words” for the specific audiences

• Use terms that make sense to the specific audience we are targeting; avoid organizational terms

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Give users access to more powerful searches

• Give more power/functionality to the users by reformatting an advanced data search

• Create an opportunity for feedback that can be used for other data discovery prototypes

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Implement accessible designs elements

• Maximize screen space

• Use readable font sizes

• Create print style sheets

• Create a CSS-based design

• Avoid too much change as to cause existing users to relearn the site

*80 Pixels

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Action plan

• Nov 30: The Web Planning Board will review the navigation and design recommendations

• Dec 11: A demonstration of select pages will be available on http://nsidc.org: Preview new design Notify users of upcoming change Solicit user feedback

• Q1 2007: An implementation plan will be created


Other site improvements• Replacing static content with dynamic content

– decrease resources needed to update, maintain content; improve usability

• Streamlining internal workflow – create more efficient Web-contribution processes

• Developing a content plan for new material and updates– schedule resources needed for content maintenance & improvements

• Coordinating site promotion efforts– ensure site is accessible to data users

• Examining new data search and presentation schemas– position the center to be more flexible as technologies, user wants change

kara pharris web designer site improvements & the usability project concepts for usable...

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