In creating a concept for the Mobile version of the website, it is determined (I think) that for wide screen smart phones (iPhones, Droids and others), 12 icons can fit on the screen (4 x 3). Twelve icons = twelve major topics. I'll give you my impression of the 12 most important things to display. What's your 12?
Academics * Admissions * Tuition * Financial Aid
Apply Now * Calendar * News * Contact Us
Directory * About CSU * Current * Emergency Info
Students
There is no need to fill all 12 if each item isn't critically important
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
...and the Survey Says...
Yes, this line was taken from the "Family Feud" gameshow, popular for surveying average people and using the results to determine where contestants ranked.
The Survey group met today to hash out the appropriate questions needed to get the maximum benefit from the campus feedback. Information overload (ergo unnecessary useless data) is a common pitfall of projects this size. We hope our questions will give us the quantifiable, granular data needed to build a site suited to the specific needs of the Coppin Family.
Among the subjects considered were:
The final questions will be rolled out in a day or two, keep posted.
*Task Completion is a phrase you'll encounter several times here. It refers to the operation of a web page by purpose. Most individuals go to a site to do something, complete a task. Rarely do people read all the data on a website, but people seek out "hot zones" where their functionality is concentrated and perform the action they set out to do. Building a site with this in mind leads to better results.
The Survey group met today to hash out the appropriate questions needed to get the maximum benefit from the campus feedback. Information overload (ergo unnecessary useless data) is a common pitfall of projects this size. We hope our questions will give us the quantifiable, granular data needed to build a site suited to the specific needs of the Coppin Family.
Among the subjects considered were:
- An audience based set of questionnaires focused on Task Completion*
- Harnessing the information needs of those served by the pages we create
The final questions will be rolled out in a day or two, keep posted.
*Task Completion is a phrase you'll encounter several times here. It refers to the operation of a web page by purpose. Most individuals go to a site to do something, complete a task. Rarely do people read all the data on a website, but people seek out "hot zones" where their functionality is concentrated and perform the action they set out to do. Building a site with this in mind leads to better results.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Mobile Presence: Which one do we need?...
Here's the big question: Do we commit resources to the creation of a Mobile App or funnel our energies into a Mobile Optimized Website?
When the web phenomenon exploded in the mid nineties, it was no longer a question of whether or not you needed a "homepage" - it was what kind of web presence did you need and how quickly could you get it out there. Fast forward just 15 years (in internet terms that's a lifetime) and the same can be said about a mobile presence.
Specialized Mobile Apps have become popular and are used for a variety of functions. Mobile optimized websites are also on the rise and are taking advantage of increasing support for HTML5 and CSS3 capabilities.
Reasons for Native Mobile Apps:
- High Performance - taking advantage of the device's capabilities
- Offline Mode
- Findability
- Device Attributes - Camera, GPS, etc
- Monetization
Reasons for Mobile Optimized Web
- Rapid deployment and update cycle
- Lower deployment/maintenance costs
- Universally available (with caveats) on a majority of devices
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/purplelime/2848782746/ by PurpleLime
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Subcommittees Created
After a refreshing but not-long-enough vacation, I return to the grindstone. We have created several subcommittees to attack specific portions of the project. Not in any order of importance, these are the subcommittees:
Graphics and Design
Content Development
Architecture (layout and link structure)
Policy and Procedure (new business processes)
Survey Questions (what we'll ask and why)
Mobile Web (CSU on Mobile Devices)
Each group has an assigned task list which will be executed in the coming weeks.
Graphics and Design
Content Development
Architecture (layout and link structure)
Policy and Procedure (new business processes)
Survey Questions (what we'll ask and why)
Mobile Web (CSU on Mobile Devices)
Each group has an assigned task list which will be executed in the coming weeks.
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