Anne Arundel Community College Round 1.5 Information Architecture June 22-24, 2015

Transcription

1 Anne Arundel Community College Round 1.5 Information Architecture June 22-24, 2015

2 Why are we here? To present Round 1.5 Information Architecture (not a final deliverable, a work in progress) To bring you intimately into the process (something this big and this important requires a collaborative approach)

3 Large-scale WDD Process

4 What We re Talking About Today Strategy & Research IA Design Content & Governance Development QA Stakeholder Interviews & Personas Content Creation Competitive Analysis Current State Audit Strategy Presentation Brand Workshops & Brand Deliverables Sitemap Schematics User Testing 3 Design Concepts Revisions & Subpages Two Content Workshop Governance Stakeholder Interviews Governance Plan & Presentation CMS Recommendation Front-end Back-end Development Support Developer QA Design QA Functional QA Development QA 2-3 months 2-3 months 2-3 months ongoing 2 months 1 month

5 Information Architecture 101

6 Information Architecture > The categorization of information into a coherent structure, preferably one that most people can understand quickly, if not inherently. ~Wikipedia > In website design and development IA usually consists of conceptual models, sitemaps, wireframes and use cases.

7 The foundation of a website > Allows visitor to find what they re looking for quickly & easily > Determines the hierarchy of website content > Provides a framework for content development & publishing > Informs navigation, design, technology and SEO strategy > IA is the centerpiece of website design & development yet it is the most commonly overlooked part of the process (which is why so many sites fail)

8 It s all about them

9 Tenets of a User Centric Approach > Focus on the users goals > IA of successful websites are designed to get the site s visitors (users) to what they re looking for as quickly and easily as possible. > If it doesn t serve the users goals, it doesn t belong on the publicfacing site. * > Your sitemap will NOT look like your org chart

10 Approach & Process

11 Tenets of an Agile approach > Work in sprints or bursts > Iterate > Share > Learn > Repeat > Client should be involved as TRUE PARTNERS & OWNERS > Communicate & Collaborate: Get stakeholders involved early & often (build project around motivated individuals ) > Testing is essential > Keep expectations in perspective: Doing this well takes time & effort > Crawl before you walk, walk before you run > At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts accordingly. (this is what today is all about)

12 Goals

13 Business Goals (as they relate to the website) 1. Attract and retain prospective students 2. Highlight and promote offerings in all areas 3. Communicate a clear, compelling brand promise that increases awareness and enhances the reputation of Anne Arundel s identity and offerings 4. Attract and retain highly qualified and desirable employees 5. Inspire community support and nurture better alumni engagement and donor relationships with alumni and friends alike.

14 User Goals > Prospective students want to quickly and easily gain access to basic factual information > offerings, benefits, locations, costs, registration info, etc. > Prospective and current students want to quickly and easily find and register for courses > Prospective students want a sense of place and to be inspired by what an AACC education can offer them > Parents are interested in quality, safety, cost, ROI, programs and offerings for their family members. > Current students, faculty & staff need to access internally focused information > Resources, forms, documents, contractual info, contact info and office hours, current events and happenings, etc.

15 Information Architecture Round 1.5

16 Things to keep in mind... > This is ROUND 1.5 (not final) > A model that represents broad categories of content > Not representative of EVERY bit of content > We re looking for feedback > The recent soft-launch of the Catalog has had an effect on this process.

17 Site Map

18 The 5 Types of Navigation... Utility Navigation Gateway Navigation Global Navigation Goal Based Navigation Footer Navigation

19 Global Navigation Global Navigation (aka: "main navigation" or "primary navigation"): Represents the top-level sections of the site and supports the most common user goals. The global navigation is meant to provide a high-level overview of the institution and its offerings. It is consistent on all pages of the main website and aids in orientation (e.g. helps you know where you are in the website).

20 Global Navigation Programs & Courses Apply & Register Costs & Paying for College Resources for Students Campus Life & Activities About Us

21 About Us > Overview > President s Page > Schools and Departments > History > Fast Facts > Mission, Vision and Values > Accreditation > Board of Trustees > Strategic Plan > Diversity > AACC Foundation > Campus Master Plan

22 Campus Life & Activities > Perform With Us (Performing Arts) > Join an Athletics Team > Join a Club > Become a Leader > AACC Student Association > Campus Activities Board (CAB) > Student Leadership Challenge > Become a Student Ambassador > Contact Office of Engagement

23 Resources for Students > Student Handbook > Academic Resources > Academic Advising > Tutoring > Testing > Transition Coordinator > Campus Facilities > Bookstore > Library > Outdoor Amenities > Gym > Pool > Student Lounges > Dining (Services?) > Career Services > About Career Services > Career Development Resources > Job Search Services > Disability Support Services > Family Resources > Childcare Services > Parenting Center > Health & Counseling Services > Counseling Services > Substance Abuse Education Center > Tobacco Prevention & Cessation Office > Domestic Violence Education and Support > Special Interest Groups > Student Achievement and Success Program > Black Male Initiative > Adelante > Rainbow Network (LGBTQ)

24 Resources for Students cont. > Technology Services > Online Student Services > MyAACC > AACC Mobile App > Sign Up for e2campus Alerts > Classroom Technology > Computer Labs > Wireless Zone

25 Apply & Register > Credit > Step 1. Apply & Register to Become a Credit Student > Step 2. Take a Placement Test > Step 3. Meet with an Advisor > Step 4. Register for Classes > Step 5. Attend Orientation > Step 6. Pay for College > Transfer Credit to AACC > Enrolled High School Students > International Student Admissions > Currently Enrollment AACC Student > Adult Student > Veterans > Former AACC Student > DREAM Act > Attend an Information Session > Take a Walking Tour > Non-Credit > Register for Non-Credit Courses

26 Costs & Paying for College > Credit Tuition and Fees > Refund and Withdrawal Information > Non-Credit Tuition and Fees > Types of Aid > Loans > Grants > Scholarships > Work Study > Veterans Benefits > Non-Credit Scholarships and Financial Aid > How to Apply for Financial Aid > Payment Options > Aid Forms > Cashier s Office > Financial Aid Office > Helpful Links and Phone Numbers > Tuition Calculator > FAQ > Glossary

27 Utility Navigation Utility Navigation: Connects tools and features that assist site visitors in using the website and/or accessing external yet related tools or websites. Utility navigation typically contains things like "search", "Directory", links to portals, etc.

28 Utility Navigation MyAACC Calendar Directory News Bookstore Library Search

29 Gateway Navigation Gateway Navigation (aka: "Info for..." or "user navigation"): Pages that contain links to content that are pertinent to a specific audience. For example, a "Future Students" gateway page might contain links like "Apply now", "Contact an Admissions Counsellor", "Tuition and Fees", etc.; while the "Faculty and Staff" gateway might contain links like "Human Resources", "Payroll Services", links to online learning systems (Blackboard, Moodle) and so on. This content typically does not LIVE in the gateways themselves. It lives throughout the website in various places and is simply linked to from the gateways.

30 Gateways Current AACC Students Military & Veterans For the Community Alumni Employers & Businesses

31 Goal-based Navigation Goal-based Navigation Contextual links that provide a direct line to content that aids the user in achieving a top goal. In the case of AACC, this navigation is focused on helping users understand the different types of offerings at AACC (ex: Earn a degree or certificate; Take classes for fun/personal interest; etc.). Goal-based navigation is meant to be limited in what it can do and should be used sparingly.

32 Goal Based Navigation Earn a degree, certificate or college credit Earn college credits while in High School Get job training and professional skills Take classes for fun or personal enrichment Enhance basic skills

33 Footer Navigation Footer Navigation: Located at the bottom of a page, footer navigation (often text links) typically links to a single page with no further levels of structure below (a dead end). Footer navigation traditionally contains supplementary content and links that are not pertinent to the main goals of the website. Examples include copyright information, content that is legally required (such as links to accreditation information), privacy policies, site map, social media channels, etc.

34 Footer Links > Contact Us > Give Now > Employment Opportunities > Class Cancellations > Campus Safety > Locations and Maps > Directory > Legal Notices > Policies > Social Links/Icons > Text content (copyright, address, etc.)

35 Q&A (and thank eduinsights