2b. History site

What will the first two questions be that you should ask your client in terms of their goals for their new website? Explain your answer, referring to your client.

In creating and maintaining a website, what would the department like to get out of it? More new students? More transfer students? Less phone inquiries from potential students? Less phone inquiries from current students? Less walk-ins? Fewer e-mails? More e-mails?

What would you like to provide for the user? Focus on current students or potential students?

With your client, address how you'd discuss "user segmentation".

The department must figure out if they want to focus on current students, potential students, or both. By focusing on current students, they decrease their focus on potential students. If they try to split their focus to both groups, they won't be able to have as much in depth information about either.

In order to create a successful website, they need to determine their target demographic. Are they targeting high-school students or college students? They will probably be focusing on both male and female. And, since their audience will either be in college or considering college, the department can convey information and "speak" to the user in an, assumed, more intellectual way.

The department must also determine if the majority of their projected users are comfortable with technology or novices. One again, they could safely assume that college-aged people are more aware of technology than many others.

Are the users coming to the department website because they want to learn about the department or because they are searching for a class discussion board? Knowing the user's knowledge of the site is crucial in determining what information you present and how you lay it out.

What are some methods for addressing usability?

Surveys of current users as to how the website is performing; task analysis relates to whether a user is coming to the history site to learn about the classes and professors or to e-mail a teaching assistant; user testing on a still-in-progress or working site; card sorting helps to identity how the majority classify and group topics

Create one persona for one of your client's user types.

Ian is a 20 year-old sophomore who is enrolled in History of Cars with Dr. Midas. He owns an iPod, PS2, and a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Dr. Midas assigns a lot of group projects and posts assignments and grades on the history website. Ian's mom calls him every day.