Realigning your Web Redesign Process
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Presentation made by Nick DeNardis at the Case V conference on December 15, 2009 in Chicago, IL. It details the Web site redesign process of Wayne State University and how we successfully launched 350 redesigned sites in 5 years. http://wcs.wayne.edu/casev/
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Realigning your Web Redesign Process
- 1. Realigning Your Redesign Process Nick DeNardis @nickdenardis December 15, 2009
- 2. About myself • AssociateDirector of Web Communications at Wayne State University • Staff Writer at http://doteduguru.com/ • Host of http://educheckup.com/ • Computer Science background and love user experience, information architecture, accessibility and marketing. December 15, 2009
- 4. Redesign is not all about pushing new pixels It’s about refining the user experience December 15, 2009
- 5. Wayne State Web department structure • Associate Director • One Content Administrator • Two Designers • Three Developers • One Multimedia Designer/Developer • Three Student Assistants December 15, 2009
- 6. Redesign is a pain • Not all sites need a complete redesign • Some might require just a few tweaks to make a world of difference • Others are so bad anything you change will improve the user experience December 15, 2009
- 9. Some simple rules • K.I.S.S. - You’re not publishing a book • Signoff ’s- Make sure the “client” knows the signoff is a commitment and changes afterward will effect timeline and cost • If you are the client make sure you have a timeline set before starting any work December 15, 2009
- 10. Web project timelines Planning Design Programming Review Launch 0 4 8 11 15 Ideal Actual December 15, 2009
- 11. Discovering your real users • How many of you have actually shadowed students using your site? • Focus groups with your primary audience? Prospective students? • Some passive testing tools: • Woopra - Real time analytics • CrazyEgg - Click heat mapping • Google Website Optimizer - A/B testing • Five Second Test - http://fivesecondtest.com/ December 15, 2009
- 13. Talk to the people in charge • Assess the primary goals early • Don’t be afraid to push something off to Phase II • If working with a committee make sure to have 3-4 goals for each meeting • Come up with 2-3 feelings the user should experience after a “10 Second Test” with the site • The key is to remove the “middle people” from making rouge decisions December 15, 2009
- 14. Determine a content strategy • Point the fingers early - You need to make sure the person responsible for content knows it and are competent • Catalog every public page, use something like HTTrack for PC to pull down the entire site. • Determine the process to review and publish content • Make sure they are aware of the time commitment December 15, 2009
- 15. Training content contributors • Not just on the CMS or how to physically update the site but more importantly how to structure web content • Train staff as early as possible and mandate it for any new content contributors • Don't bury the lead. Find the core of the page and place it up front December 15, 2009
- 17. Mapping out the site structure • The whiteboard is an invaluable tool • Post-It notes also do really well • Anything you can physically move around • If you prefer digital, OmniGraffle is a great tool • The goal is to move around the site as your primary audience and set a goal for every page December 15, 2009
- 19. Wireframe it out • Take all the visual elements and take 100 “points” to divide between them • Physical space and prominence are two different things • There is no fold. But make sure you put hints above the fold • Learn to love the grid December 15, 2009
- 21. Start the content transition early • Copy and paste is NOT a content transition strategy • Make sure every page gets looked at by at least one person • Pages should not get published without being looked at • This tedious and time consuming process will determine how successful the redesign is December 15, 2009
- 24. Intensive based design • Use the goals set for each page to influence the design • Make sure call outs are large and consistent • Give in to the little things but always remind the client of the design strategy • Don't loose the departments identity with a set in stone template December 15, 2009
- 25. Selling a design • If you have multiple options start with the worst • Only decision makers should be in the meeting • Walk through each element on the page • Explain why each element was placed where it was and its purpose • Make sure the university identity is not compromised by the clients wants December 15, 2009
- 29. Front end programming • What ever your university uses take advantage of any automated processes that you can. If you have control of the system even better • Make the site as light as possible. Attach Javascript actions after load, use sprites and combine/minify CSS and JS • Progressive enhancement December 15, 2009
- 30. Bringing it all together • The content and templates should now be merged • Don't forget about • Custom 404 pages • Redirect list • Analytics • Mobile testing • Printable style sheet • Test the site with someone who didn’t work on the project December 15, 2009
- 32. Site review • Walk the decision makers through the primary tasks of the site • Slight tweaks will happen, things change over time, just make sure it doesn't drag on too long • Get a signoff in writing or electronic • It doesn't have to be perfect, just good enough December 15, 2009
- 33. Launch the site • Change the DNS, folder, symlink. Do what you need to do to make the switch • Don't forget any 301 redirects. Search engines and users will thank you • Communicate the site change to all effected users possible • Send out an email or personally thank everyone involved for their hard work. For big enough sites have a launch party December 15, 2009
- 34. Maintenance • By far the toughest part of the redesign process • If your CMS has out dated page alerts use them • Check 404's daily • Check analytics once a week or more in the beginning • Meet once a month or so with content contributors to see if any changes are needed to the architecture December 15, 2009
- 35. Questions? Slides available at: wcs.wayne.edu/casev @nickdenardis December 15, 2009