Introduction to Web Authoring

Ellen Cushman cushmane@msu.edu

www.msu.edu/~cushmane/wra210.htmwww.msu.edu/~cushmane/wa2.htm

Class mtg. #15

Web Tech UA Schedule

Dates of interest for the UA project:• 2/11 - Introduction to assignment #3 & Teams• 2/13 - UA Background & Principles• 2/18 - Semantic Principles of User Assistance• 2/21 - UA Storyboard• 2/25 - UA Walkthrough• 2/27 - Workshop Dreamweaver: CSS• 3/3-3/5 - Spring Break• 03/10 –Workshop:Dreamweaver CSS• 03/12– Workshop:User Feedback & Revision Plans• 03/17 – Final Versions Posted

Today’s Agenda | Next Class Finalize site

architecture and content for team site

• Review another team’s site.

• Post your individual review findings in a ppt on your personal page.

• Devise team revision plan

• Turn in projects

• Introduction to next project

• Select teams• Brainstorm

project ideas

SituationYou run a usability center and your team has just been asked to consult with a web developer. As part of your consultation, you are assigned individual roles for your review. You go onsite to do the review, then come together to present a usability report to the web development team.

Usability Team Review

InstructionsPlease assign one of three roles to your team members. 1. User tester2. Content editor3. Design reviewer

Review another team’s Web tech UA site according to your role.

Present findings and post these on your site.

User TesterGo through the team’s site and try to

accomplish the task they’re asking:1. Test every link and point to ones that

are broken and note where & on what pages.

2. How well do wayfinding links (e.g. back links, breadcrumbs, next and previous carrots,etc) and other indicators help you journey? Suggest revisions.

3. How well do menu items indicate where they will take you? Suggest revisions.

User Tester, 2Go through the team’s site and try to

accomplish the task they’re asking:3. How well did the steps anticipate the

order you expected. If your expectations were frustrated, note where, how, and suggest revisions.s

4. How well were you able to accomplish the tasks? Suggest revisions.

5. How well does the site work in terms of navigation overall? Suggest revisions and note strengths.

Content EditorGo through the team’s site and try to accomplish the task they’re asking:1. I don’t think that you need to start the assignment with a question

that leads to describing the benefits of adding streaming music to a website. In my view, users are unlikely to find your tutorial unless they already desire to do this.

If you feel like you must talk about why it’s valuable, consider a directive and predicating tone that TELLS the user why it’s good. “Adding streaming music to your website will allow you to X, Y, and Z.”

2.) In step 3 you talk about “right clicking”. Ut Oh, what’s a Mac user to do? They have to hit command or access it under the “Edit” menu. Always make sure you’re accommodating Mac users…don’t hate.

Step three appears to have 7 steps, I feel like when you said that I could do this in 4 steps that this would be less of a task. I feel lied to. :( Maybe call the steps something else?

It seems like your conclusion is really a disclaimer that you could put on your first page in smaller letters at the bottom of the screen. Once a person achieves the task at hand, I think they are unlikely to look at the conclusion. You should put all the information that you want the user to see with the information that the user is seeking.

Content Editor, 2

3. How well did their introduction provide you with an audience, purpose, outcome, and situation for this task? Suggest revisions.

4. How well did the concluding step provide feedback for the desired outcome? Suggest revisions.

5. How well did the site troubleshoot problems you may have had in completing the task? Suggest revisions.

6. What are the strengths of their work?

Design Reviewer

Go through the team’s site and try to accomplish the task they’re asking:

1. How well did the image(s) fit rhetorically with the theme or content of the site?

2. How well did the organization of the site work to facilitate your completion of the task?

Design Reviewer, 2

3. Check this site across platforms (Mac & PC) and through three different browsers (e.g. IE, Safari, Firefox). How accessible and consistent was the site design?

4. How well did the CSS chosen facilitate your completion of the task? Were there ghost elements on the page (elements not used that should have been deleted)? Suggest revisions.

Homework

• Download this power point, complete the questions in the notes section according to your role, save it, upload it to your afs space, and link to it off your personal pages.

• Present your findings to the group you reviewed.