a public library website redesign

Sarah Houghton-JanDigital Futures Manager, San Jose

Public LibraryAuthor, LibrarianInBlack.net

our current website

problems we’re solving

‣1 website for 2 libraries

‣public library users felt ripped off

‣7 year-old design, content, and CMS

‣webmaster as gatekeeper = disconnected staff

‣ADA requirements cumbersome in existing environment

problems we encountered while

solving those‣unrealistic admin expectations

‣1 year long RFP & contract process

‣incompetent graphic designers

‣6 months of lost time due to

‣lost momentum

‣merged web team working on 3 websites

lessons learned

redesign planning

‣stakeholders identify org. goals

‣techies, designers, and information architects identify how to meet them

‣identify your givens

‣use planning software (BaseCamp, dotproject)

‣double the estimated timeline

staff & customer involvement

‣initial satisfaction surveys for both

‣card-sorting testing for customers early on

‣staff focus groups

‣mock-up task testing for customers

‣transparency to staff and customers

usability

‣identify who you are serving

‣focus on the few things you do well

‣tell stories of what your users want

‣look for friction points

‣who is the site for again?

accessibility

‣start simple

‣Basic tools: JAWS, WAVE, browser emulators, OS emulators

‣Firefox tools: Firesizer, Firefox Accessibility Extension, HTML Validator, Web Developer Extension, WCAG Contrast Checker

communication

‣blogs for staff & customers with email & RSS updates

‣ask for customer & staff input (+ use it)

‣recruit usability testing participants from among “the angry folk”

project management

‣set deadlines for everything

‣hold people accountable

‣one person should be in charge of tracking

‣give periodic updates to staff/managers

‣spend the most time on IA and design

‣keep things moving no matter what

‣celebrate small victories

launch techniques‣phased-in launch (notices, pre-testing)

‣beta + feedback

‣= 1.0 + feedback

‣= 1.1 + feedback (and so on)

‣provide brief online & printable orientation

•if it takes >1 page, start over

5 things to avoid

‣try to be fancy when your brain says “no”

‣allow consultants to push you around

‣have more than one project manager

‣stifle creativity

‣re-invent some wheels

5 things you must do

‣show your ego to the door

‣take risks

‣document everything

‣research everything

‣talk to your users continuously

one more time...

our current website

our new website

Questions?

Sarah Houghton-Janweb: LibrarianInBlack.net

Twitter: @TheLiB

Facebook: Facebook.com/LibrarianInBlack

IM: LibrarianInBlack

Skype: LibrarianInBlack

email: LibrarianInBlack@gmail.com