Website Design (OLJ Activity Module 3)

I love great design especially the ones that communicate sophistication, elegance, and forward-thinking with “I know what I’m talking about and no-one else knows about it” attitude. Take for example this before and after look of a website for a stone product company called Luck Stone. What an amazing transformation! (By the way, I pinched these links from Chuck Green’s PagePlane Blog – Thanks Chuck!).

For this OLJ activity, I’ve chosen the University of Tasmania Library website to evaluate against my own set of criteria for an effective library website design: In terms of Web 2.0 technologies, the library offers RSS feeds and a Library News Blog.

1. Objective

The UTAS Library aims to enhance the teaching, learning and research of its library users. One way to meet the needs of researchers is to use wiki as a research guide (Courtney, 2007, p. 28) where librarians can create dynamic content when needed, thus creating new and updated information consistently.

2. Target Audience

The library needs to understand its target audience and changing user population (George, 2008, p. 7). For example, using Facebook to create a discussion platform where users (young and techno-savvy) to discuss issues relating to academic resources or information seeking.

3. Feedback

All stakeholders (librarians, web developers, representative users) must have a voice on the design or re-design of the website in order for it to be usable.

4. A Marketing Tool

The library’s website could be used to promote new resources, services and social networking platforms that the library offers. A news blog is provided but this could be utilised so that users also have an input in what goes on at the library.

5. User-centred

KISS. Library users want to search for information in the most easiest and simplest way (look at the Google search box).

6. Usability Testing

One way for the library to gain information about how their users interact with the website is to simply ask. SurveyMonkey could be used to find out problems and opportunities that are obvious to the user but not to the web master.

7. Differentiate

Libraries must differentiate itself from its competitors. This can be done by building a unique online identity using social networking tools (McBurnie 2007).

8. Image

The library’s website is the library’s shopfront to the world, therefore it must convey a successful, progressive and credible organization in order for it to attract potential users as well as adequate resources from funding bodies.

9. Creativity

Think outside the mortar and bricks; why not build a library presence in virtual world such as Second Life.

10. Progressive Content

Content is king. Visitors of the website want to see new and updated information so it’s important that the website gets pumped up with lots and lots of content on a regular basis.

References

Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond: Innovative technologies and tomorrow’s user. Westport, conn.: Libraries Unlimited.

George, C.A. (2008). User-centered library websites: Usability evaluation methods. Oxford: Chandos.

McBurnie, J. (2007). Your online identity: Key to marketing and being found. FUMSI, (October). Retrieved from http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/share/2510