Computers For Youth Atlanta TAG WebChallenge. North Gwinnett High School // Adviser: Nic Carroll. Charlie Agrinsoni

Transcription

1 Computers For Youth Atlanta 2015 TAG WebChallenge North Gwinnett High School // Adviser: Nic Carroll Charlie Agrinsoni Desirae Diaz Jeremy Ornelas Shannen Patel 1

2 Executive summary Computers For Youth is a national nonprofit organization that aids in educating students, teachers, and parents on the use of technology and how to implement that technology to improve educational outcomes. As an organization whose mission is to educate on the use of technology, it is imperative that Computers For Youth maintain a modern web presence. The arrival of the 21st century has brought about rapid advancements in medicine and technology, as well as entertainment, the arts, social equality, and more. According to an article written less than 5 years ago in Express, a British newspaper, 53% of people believe that the invention of the internet will be the most defining event of the 21st century. In order for a website to survive and thrive amidst the numerous other pages competing for hits, a website must maintain a modern, visually appealing aesthetic as well as optimize their website for mobile use among numerous other factors. Upon analyzing the current Computers For Youth website, our team has documented various content and design modifications that could be implemented to greatly improve usability. This guide is the compilation of our findings and suggestions that we believe will improve the Computers For Youth website, which, in turn, will help to convey their message to the public.

3 Table of contents User Experience Recommendations...1 Design Matters...1 Responsiveness is Key...3 Social Media Strategy...4 Getting Out There...4 Maintaining an Online Presence...5 Content Implementation...6 Execution of Changes...6 Closing...8 Bibliography...8 Lessons Learned...9 Thanks...10

4 part 1: User experience Design matters Aesthetics Are [almost] Everything One study found that 72% of information transmitted to the brain is a result of visual stimulation. For designers, this means one thing: everything must look incredible. For a website, design and content must work in harmony in order to convey a message effectively. Because Computers For Youth is an organization focused on keeping inner city youth up-todate in regards to technology, they should make sure that their website is up-to-date with modern design. Computers For Youth would benefit by updating their website with clean cut, sleek colors and a more visually appealing font. The home page for the website has only four panels with pictures and audio. More panels of information should be added with pictures, current events, audio samples, links to advertised websites, etc. Proper Use of Space The amount of space available on a display for the application to provide output is also not being used to its full potential. The information on the website is organized and is accompanied by some visual aids, but it has the potential to gain more visual appeal if other elements are added. 1

5 design matters How CFY Compares The number 1 non-profit organization on the internet as of November 2014 is the National Public Radio (NPR) organization. Upon analyzing their website, it is clear that they connect the work that they do with similar work done all over the world. They manage to promote the products of their own organization as well as promote current events; this strategy improves their search engine optimization as well as developing a modern, globalized appearance for the organization. Computers For Youth would also benefit by making their current events section more pronounced in order to establish a modern, globally conscious appearance. This would promote activity and spark interest within the community. According to Chron Magazine, donations are the life blood of nonprofits. This should be reflected in how pronounced and easily available the Donate Now button should be on the Computers For Youth website. As of right now, the color of the button is somewhat unappealing and inconspicuous to the audience. Organization & Object Placement Users would greatly benefit from an increase in the functionality of the navigation menu. Currently, we have found that it can become quite difficult and tedious to access certain pages within the site. Many of these pages provide essential content and should be more accessible, which in turn will attract more users and allow them to find exactly what they are looking for in a reasonable time frame. Computers For Youth could also benefit from including a "Contact Us" portion in the "About Us" section. Furthermore, there are more instances of a "Return To Top" button than necessary. The appearance of the CFY website could improve by reducing the number of these instances in which this button appears (except in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) portion of the website, in which a Return To Top button should be placed after either every response or every other response). In comparison, some pages do not have any such instances. This problem can be easily resolved by including a Return To Top button at the bottom of every page. 2

6 Responsiveness is key Mobile Makes a Difference The conversion from desktop to mobile has heavily impacted web designers since the development of the first smart phone. One of the most difficult challenges for designers is to be able to fit the same amount of content found on the desktop version of the website onto a screen that can fit into our pockets. By incorporating responsive design onto a website, designers will be able to make display content on a mobile device efficiently and effectively. Depending on the platform the website was constructed with, there are various ways to implement responsive design. The amount of space available on a display for the application to provide output is also not being used to its full potential. The presentation of information on the website is organized and is accompanied by some visual aids, but it has the potential to gain more visual appeal if they add more pictures and colors. But... Why Responsive? Responsive web design is a compilation of techniques geared toward the development of websites that provide optimal viewing experiences on devices of all sizes. The popularity of responsive design can be attributed to its uniformity. When responsive design is properly utilized, it enables the website to be visually appealing across devices without the need for a separate mobile site. As well as making the website easier to update, this also results in faster-loading web pages. Up to Scale As of right now, the site does not scale to the zoom level and is not optimized for mobile use. It is essential that the platform the site is built upon manages the layout properly for devices of all sizes. This makes it easier for users to access and digest the content they need without having to work for it. 3

7 part 2: Social strategy Getting out there Establishing Social Connections Although there is currently a link to their Twitter account at the bottom of the website, a live feed of the non-profit's tweets could potentially draw more attention to what they are in the process of accomplishing. Facebook is a good platform for the organization to post pictures and updates about their involvement in the community, but they could achieve a greater sphere of influence if they were to expand to more social media platforms such as Instagram, Google Plus, and StumbleUpon. 4

8 Maintaining an online presence It Takes Time Creating social media accounts for an organization is quick and easy. However, the issue many non-profits have is that the accounts are created but are never updated. If nobody blogs, tweets, or posts, nobody will pay the organization any attention. Organization is Key In order to promote a successful online presence, an organization must establish a rigid social media strategy. One of the most vital aspects of this social media strategy is assigning organization employees to specific social network accounts. Another vital aspect of CFY's social media strategy should be to ensure that all branches of the organization create and maintain their own social networking accounts. This ensures that each branch can eaily promote activities and developments. It is also more beneficial for community members to keep up with local events rather than those that may be unaccessible due to distance. 5

9 part 3: Implementation Proper execution of changes Changing the Theme Upon analyzing the current CFY website, our team found that the nonprofit is currently using WordPress. The use of this system, while not as versatile as hand-coding, allows those without much computer experience to easily update the website. WordPress is known for their vast array of both free and paid themes that, among other things, allow for responsive design. Many of the current design flaws found in the Computers For Youth website could be fixed by implementing a more modern and responsive WordPress theme. 6

10 Proper execution of changes Progression When making changes to the CFY website, usability should always be kept in mind. Simplicity is key, and it is vital to consider the content that most users will need and make it readily accessible. Plug-Ins for Functionality A benefit of using WordPress is the easy accesibility to a vast array of plug-ins such as Google Maps. The implementation of a Google Maps plug-in upon clicking the "Locations" tab would allow users to quickly and easily locate the various Computers For Youth headquarters which would give an edge to the design of the website and provide a welcoming message to anyone interested in the ins and outs of their organization. Why It Matters Today's society takes technology for granted. Until we find a website that makes it difficult for users to access the information they need, we do not generally appreciate those that do provide a good user experience. Everybody loves easy, and the web is no exception. Simplicity is key and these changes could benefit the organization as well as users. 7

11 closing: That's a wrap! Bibliography Our main source of information has been our collective knowledge of programming, design, and development. Two of our team members have a combined 7 years of development experience. This experience, especially in the field of web development, has given our team the advantage. Our ability to easily recognize design flaws and content-placement errors has played a vital role in the development of this content strategy guide, and we can only hope that our findings can be of use to your non-profit! Works Cited Express.co.uk, Emily Fox for. "Invention of the Internet Is Voted the the Most Defining Moment of 21st Century." Express UK. Northern and Shell Media Publications, 5 Aug Web. 22 Mar Pritchard, Griffith. "Accounting for Donations to Non-Profit Organizations."Chron. Houston Chronicle, n.d. Web. 22 Mar "Top 100 Nonprofits on the Web." Top Nonprofits. Top Nonprofits, Nov Web. 10 Mar

12 Lessons Learned The process One thing our entire team can agree on is that this year's WEBChallenge has been an incredible leaning experience. In addition to learning how to analyze and recommend solutions for a website, our team also perfected our Adobe InDesign skills in order to effectively compile a document that is both aesthetically pleasing and content-rich -- at least, we like to think so. Suggestions The TAG-Ed High School WEBChallenge is an excellent program that rewards students for their ability do demonstrate their capability to analyze web-based solutions. Our only suggestion for this program is to give students the option to demonstrate their ability to develop a web presence for an organization if they so choose. #koders9

13 Thanks from our team! Charlie Agrinsoni A web and graphic designer for four years, Charlie has experience in eight programming languages as well as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and In- Design. Co-founded Lynkboard, a new social network built around what users love, with Ryan Bruzan. Founded his own web design firm - codefyr. Desirae Diaz Desirae Diaz is an aspiring writer and plays an active role in her community by volunteering at the local animal shelter and participating in several service clubs. She is 17 years old and a junior at North Gwinnett High School. Jeremy Ornelas A programmer and Linux enthusiast, Jeremy has experience in over five languages and is an avid Linux user that has thoroughly traversed the inner workings of his machines. Jeremy in his free time likes to read, play games, and configure programs like windows managers, Emacs, and other pieces of open source software to his liking. Shannen Patel Currently a sophomore at North Gwinnett High School, Shannen is an active and vibrant member of the North Gwinnett community. Her dedication to leadership and community service is an inspiration to those who aspire to make a difference. In case of questions or issues, contact Charlie Agrinsoni: (770) hi@crafti.io