Digital UK Re-engineering the content architecture to communicate the UK’s move to digital television 30 September 2006 - 1 October 2006 A presentation for the 2nd European IA Summit, Berlin 2006 - Fredy D. Or é - Harvey Turner

Presentation overview Digital UK website redevelopment Project objectives Our practice in a buoyant market User-centered design, Experience & Information Architecture Implementation challenges Conclusion Questions

Digital UK website redevelopment

Project objectives

Our practice in a buoyant market

User-centered design, Experience & Information Architecture

Implementation challenges

Conclusion

Questions

Digital UK website redevelopment The Digital UK website – www.digitaluk.co.uk The English version The Welsh version

Digital UK website redevelopment About our client, Digital UK Is the independent, non-profit organisation leading the UK’s move to digital television. Provide impartial advice to consumers on what to do and by when . Encourage manufacturers, retailers & shoppers to use the 'digital tick' logo. This logo certifies that products and services are designed to work through digital switchover. The digital tick logo (for consumers)

Provide impartial advice to consumers on what to do and by when .

Encourage manufacturers, retailers & shoppers to use the 'digital tick' logo.

This logo certifies that products and services are designed to work through digital switchover.

Digital UK website redevelopment About the Digital TV Switchover TV services in the UK will go completely digital, TV region by TV region. This process is called digital switchover . The UK’s old television broadcast signal (known as “analogue”) is being switched off and replaced with a “digital” signal.

TV services in the UK will go completely digital, TV region by TV region.

This process is called digital switchover .

The UK’s old television broadcast signal (known as “analogue”) is being switched off and replaced with a “digital” signal.

Digital UK website redevelopment About the Digital TV Switchover Starts in 2008 through to 2012 … … and will affect every household in the UK 2013 Channel Islands* 2012 Meridian, London, Tyne Tees, Ulster 2011 Central, Yorkshire, Anglia 2010 West, Grampian, Scottish 2009 West Country, Wales, Granada 2008 Border

Digital UK website redevelopment Adoption statistics Current position of technologies on the adoption curve. Source: Ofcom “ 63% are now aware of digital switchover. But the fact that viewers are generally informed about switchover does not mean they have a specific and accurate understanding of the implications of switchover for their household .” Source: Ofcom/Digital UK tracker April-May 2006

Project objectives About the project The project focused on our challenge to connect content with every household in the UK. And create a website that is: Accessible Simple Is targeted at Welsh and English users Meets the needs of every household in the UK and more importantly, “ Communicates a message for action! ”

The project focused on our challenge to connect content with every household in the UK.

And create a website that is:

Accessible

Simple

Is targeted at Welsh and English users

Meets the needs of every household in the UK

and more importantly, “ Communicates a message for action! ”

Project objectives About the project Communicating this message for switching from analogue to digital television introduced a number of challenges within: Information Architecture Navigation Content organisation schemes Content management & Language

Information Architecture

Navigation

Content organisation schemes

Content management &

Language

Project objectives About the project The challenges of: an existing CMS legacy system accessibility guidelines richness in design a structure that adds to television campaigns & a digital switching character called “Digit Al”. … led to adopting & creating a process centered around the final end user . Digit Al The face of the digital TV switchover

an existing CMS legacy system

accessibility guidelines

richness in design

a structure that adds to television campaigns &

a digital switching character called “Digit Al”.

Our practice in a buoyant market This process led to: Following a user-centered design (UCD) approach Creating awareness & education within the team & the client Adopting documentation & tools within IA & Usability repeated User testing & retaining the quality of our work in a rapidly changing market The development process we followed as a whole & within individual phases

Following a user-centered design (UCD) approach

Creating awareness & education within the team & the client

Adopting documentation & tools within IA & Usability

repeated User testing &

retaining the quality of our work in a rapidly changing market

Our practice in a buoyant market We started with research (on language & law) The issue of language use is both politically and culturally sensitive * Particularly where a minority language exists alongside a majority language such as Welsh & English*. The Welsh Language Acts of 1967 and 1993 p laces a requirement on all public sector organisations. Population of the UK (since mid 2005) 100 60,209,500 United Kingdom 2.9 1,724,400 Northern Ireland 4.9 2,958,600 Wales 8.5 5,094,800 Scotland 83.8 50,431,700 England % Population Part

The issue of language use is both politically and culturally sensitive *

Particularly where a minority language exists alongside a majority language such as Welsh & English*.

The Welsh Language Acts of 1967 and 1993 p laces a requirement on all public sector organisations.

User-centered design, Experience & IA Research on target user groups (our audience) User segments included: the technically aware & tech-savvy the disabled, blind and poor. the techno-phobic or those unwilling to change and the elderly… Users decision-making choices involved: Assumed Web knowledge Web credibility & in their use (Captology) Trust (or perceived truthfulness, fairness, non-biased) Patience, and led direction through task-driven actions

User segments included:

the technically aware & tech-savvy

the disabled, blind and poor.

the techno-phobic or those unwilling to change

and the elderly…

Users decision-making choices involved:

Assumed Web knowledge

Web credibility & in their use (Captology)

Trust (or perceived truthfulness, fairness, non-biased)

Patience, and led direction through task-driven actions

User-centered design, Experience & IA There are differences to the ways language features are used online Single–language, multi-lingual & bilingual features online are all different*. Research on navigation & organisation schemes 1. Single/Multiple language websites Select once and stay within that language for entire journey 2. Bilingual language websites Select & change repeatedly when user requires or encounters difficulty

There are differences to the ways language features are used online

Single–language, multi-lingual & bilingual features online are all different*.

User-centered design, Experience & IA An example of “change language” used online Choose country (and consequently change language) Toggle between links to change language 1. An example of single & multi-lingual use 2. An example of bilingual use

User-centered design, Experience & IA Understanding users led to interface and language decisions involving common navigation models. These included: Research on navigation & organisation schemes Hierarchical drilldown Persistent Sequential e.g. Single-level Multi-level Hub, sub-hub Left hand menus e.g. Button menu Notebook menu e.g. Steps/forms Wizards Tutorials Training Augmented Nav e.g. breadcrumbs rollovers cascading menus popups

Understanding users led to interface and language decisions involving common navigation models.

These included:

e.g.

Single-level

Multi-level

Hub, sub-hub

Left hand menus

e.g.

Button menu

Notebook menu

e.g.

Steps/forms

Wizards

Tutorials

Training

e.g.

breadcrumbs

rollovers

cascading menus

popups

User-centered design, Experience & IA Navigation examples Hierarchical drilldown Augmented (breadcrumbs) Top level navigation Task driven Change language Organisation schemes included: Hierarchical, Task-based, Spacial (geography) & Categorical

User-centered design, Experience & IA Navigation examples (sequential) Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

User-centered design, Experience & IA Navigation examples (sequential) How we mapped each of the steps within the Switchover Assistant This was later paper prototyped and user tested

User-centered design, Experience & IA Hierarchy of needs Misunderstanding and lack of knowledge. Overcoming barriers and changing attitude. Turning attitude into behaviour. Lack of evidence of positive change. I am aware the digital Switchover is approaching for my region. I know the switchover is happening, but do I need to change? There are some great benefits to Digital TV, maybe I should switch I have switched. Are my family, friends, grandparents, etc. aware of the change and benefits also? Change Behaviour Attitude Awareness & Education The issue What we want people to think/do?

User-centered design, Experience & IA Problem solving & IA challenges Very broad mental models for tasks & goals Multiple ways of accessing content Language (word length of Welsh) caused wrapping breadcrumbs No acronyms in Welsh for “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s). The English version of the FAQ’s page The Welsh version of the FAQ’s page

Very broad mental models for tasks & goals

Multiple ways of accessing content

Language (word length of Welsh) caused wrapping breadcrumbs

No acronyms in Welsh for “Frequently Asked Questions” (FAQ’s).

Implementation challenges Multiple languages Setting the correct language attributes between versions Mirroring a site structure between two languages Building flexible layout to incorporate content-managed, multiple-language copy (Welsh words are approx 10%-20% longer than English equivalents) Ensuring validation & accessibility across a CMS managed website Technically failing AA due to a multiple language CMS & challenges with no “sitemap” as a navigation item on the website. CMS managed content might not be accessible as it should be. For example, PDF’s uploaded by the client or content authors. Other considerations

Setting the correct language attributes between versions

Mirroring a site structure between two languages

Building flexible layout to incorporate content-managed, multiple-language copy (Welsh words are approx 10%-20% longer than English equivalents)

Technically failing AA due to a multiple language CMS & challenges with no “sitemap” as a navigation item on the website.

CMS managed content might not be accessible as it should be. For example, PDF’s uploaded by the client or content authors.

Conclusion & questions Summary The combination of revised design and Information Architecture, developed for the site re-launch, has resulted in a significant measurable improvement in the user experience, based on user testing & research. Average page views per visit has increased by 240 % rising from just over 2 to 4.8 page views. The website is currently undergoing changes/updates based on recent user testing. The results from the user-tests will be introduced in a series of phases over the next few months.

Conclusion & questions References Questions Welsh Language Act 1993 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930038_en_1.htm Bilingual usability of unitary authority Web sites in Wales . Cunliffe, D. Proceedings of The Web in Public Administration, EuroWeb 2001 Conference, O. Signore and B. Hopgood (Eds.), Pisa, Italy, December 2001 Guidelines for Bilingual Usability: Unitary Authority Web Sites in Wales - University of Glamorgan, School of Computing Technical report http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/%7EDaniel.Cunliffe/bilingual/techreport.doc Guidelines for design of bilingual websites and other bilingual electronic media - School of Education, University of Wales, Bangor and Escola Superior Politecnica, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. http://weblife.bangor.ac.uk/ibis/eng/guidelines.html Iconography and Typography in Bilingual Websites and other Bilingual Electronic Media the School of Education, University of Wales, Bangor and Escola Superior Politecnica, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. The Welsh Language Board (May 2006) Bilingual Software standards & guidelines http://www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk/download.php/pID=66182.1 Dr. B.J. Fogg, Persuasive technology, Morgan Kaufmann publishing 2003 Many thanks to Dr. Daniel Cunliffe from the School of computing, university of Glamorgan, Wales.

Welsh Language Act 1993 http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930038_en_1.htm

Bilingual usability of unitary authority Web sites in Wales . Cunliffe, D. Proceedings of The Web in Public Administration, EuroWeb 2001 Conference, O. Signore and B. Hopgood (Eds.), Pisa, Italy, December 2001

Guidelines for Bilingual Usability: Unitary Authority Web Sites in Wales - University of Glamorgan, School of Computing Technical report http://www.comp.glam.ac.uk/%7EDaniel.Cunliffe/bilingual/techreport.doc

Guidelines for design of bilingual websites and other bilingual electronic media - School of Education, University of Wales, Bangor and Escola Superior Politecnica, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. http://weblife.bangor.ac.uk/ibis/eng/guidelines.html

Iconography and Typography in Bilingual Websites and other Bilingual Electronic Media the School of Education, University of Wales, Bangor and Escola Superior Politecnica, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona.

The Welsh Language Board (May 2006) Bilingual Software standards & guidelines http://www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk/download.php/pID=66182.1

Dr. B.J. Fogg, Persuasive technology, Morgan Kaufmann publishing 2003

Many thanks to Dr. Daniel Cunliffe from the School of computing, university of Glamorgan, Wales.