Why Good LibGuide Design Matters & How You Can Get It Right
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Virginia Library Association | October 22, 2015 Why Good LibGuide Design Matters & How You Can Get It Right
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Transcript of Why Good LibGuide Design Matters & How You Can Get It Right
Virginia Library Association | October 22, 2015
Why Good LibGuide Design Matters & How You Can Get It
Right
2
AgendaAbout Me
Background
Pedagogical DesignBest Practices
Technical DesignBest Practices
Resources
3
About MeLibrarian at Northern Virginia Community College
My LibGuide Philosophy
Pedagogical Tool
Work in Progress
5
BackgroundUsed by 60,000+ librarians
Good Design Elicits
Positive Emotions
Critical Thinking
Creativity
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Pedagogical Design Best PracticesWriting for the Web, Working Memory, Chunking, Jargon,
Limiting Suggested Resources, & Visual Aids
Write for the Web
Be concise
F-shaped reading pattern
Start with most important information
Examples
Yavapai College Northern Virginia Community College
Eliminate “Nice to Know”
Each person has a finite amount of working memory, or what they can be actively thinking about while performing other tasks such as reading or learning.
Strategies to Aid Working Memory
Simplify content and directionsUse clear and specific language
Incorporate chunking
Chunking
Chunking is a learning theory that involves the breakdown of a concept into smaller units to facilitate learning.
Strategies to Aid Chunking
Small content
boxes
Resize columns
Color for emphasis
Reduce or Eliminate Jargon
Limit Number of Suggested ResourcesWhich list is more appealing?
Use Visual Aids
•General Topic: Technology
•Facets of Topic: automobiles, cell phones, wireless technology, text messaging, social networking, GPS systems
•Aspects of Topic: legal (state and/or federal); social; psychological
•Time Span: 1990s; current
•Place: United States; urban; rural
•Focused Research Question: Should cell phone use be banned with driving?
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Technical Design Best PracticesGuide Structure, Scrolling, Fonts, Colors, Active Tab,
Images, ALT Text, & Balanced Columns
Guide Structure – Other Pages Can arrange pages by:
Resource type (books, articles, etc.)
Information need (background information, specific
parts of assignment, etc.)
Minimize Scrolling
Tabbed Boxes Can Reduce Scrolling
Northern Virginia Community College
Be Cautious With Fonts & Colors
Active Tab Color
Use Images to Add White Space
Add ALT Text
Balance Columns
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ResourcesImages, MS Word SmartArt, Screenshots, Books, & Websites
Creative Commons Images
MS Word - SmartArt
Add the File if Using SmartArt
Creating Screenshots
Snagit by Techsmith (license):● Can take one screenshot of
scrolling webpage● Video option● Add text, highlight, blur, etc.● Transparent background● Can edit at a later time
Snipping Tool (Windows OS):● Can only capture what is
visible (i.e., no scrolling)● Can only write using mouse
(i.e., no type)● Highlighter (but very rough)● Cannot edit later
Tips for Creating Screenshots Do not use shadow feature when circling text
NO: YES: Show only what’s necessary Make highlighter look clean
NO:
YES:
Give Credit for Images
Other Resources LibGuides Community
http://libguides.com/community.php
Using LibGuides to Enhance Library Serviceshttp://www.amazon.com/Using-LibGuides-Enhance-Library-Services/dp/1555708803/
A new version is in the works!
Design for How People Learnhttp://www.amazon.com/Design-People-Learn-Voices-Matter/dp/0321768434/
e-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learninghttp://www.amazon.com/-Learning-Science-Instruction-Guidelines-Multimedia/dp/0470874309/
The Non-Designer’s Design Bookhttp://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-3rd/dp/0321534042/
