Official Response #9

Communication

My contact and I communicate as often as we can. We talk person to person on our breaks at work. We communicate through email and on the telephone when necessary. The difficulty we find in finding time to talk about the site is that she works two jobs now and is only at our work part time, and I am working full time and taking three classes. We both have families (teenagers) that need our attention. Our busy lives work against us, but we try to keep up with each other as often as we can. Sitting next to each other at work really helps, although we really cannot talk all the time as you might expect our employer expects us to do their work.

JT

Official Response #8

Personas

Dawn and I have discussed extensively "who" we are going to try to help with her site. I am creating a questinaire for her to keep with her while she is doing her rounds at the hospital. When she has an idea or thought or can answer a specific question, I am asking her to jot down her thoughts. She has been very helpful in identifying who our users will be. She and I are very busy, me with school, the job and children, her with her daughter, her job and her chaplain studies. Luckily are cubicals are right next to each other and on breaks we talk about her dreams for the site. I ask her a million questions and always remind her that this project will either be a great finished work, or a jumping off point for someone else to complete. She will have been educated in site design along with myself.
Thanks for listening
JT

Official Response 7

Thinking Outloud: Helping Dawn

My friend is beginning a new adventure. She wishes to provide encouragement to others in need. I have read passages from our text to her explaning brand importance. We have discussed her image and what content she wishes to have on her site. I am not sure she understands what she needs to provide to me in order for us to be a success. First of all she wishes to have a rainbow as part of her logo. I think this is great. I am looking for images of rainbows besides the clip art she has in mind. We are also discussing the name. I think her name may be too long, but I am not sure.

Content may not be a big issue except I think we do not have a clear picture of everything that could be possible for her site. Such as links to Bible references, books, other spiritual sites..etc.

Organization and navigation will come later, we are still too early in the planning stage to have to deal with these issues. I think coming up with the appropriate Brand AND her central theme will open the doors we need for further planning. This is the hardest part when you are starting out. I want this to be more than a blog of her personal insights. I think she just needs encouragement herself to expand her ideas further. She could have fund raising, or mission ideas, or prayer line. Still working....

I am trying to encourage her to think outside her box. What does she want to accomplish? Who does she want her users to be? What does she want her users to get from her site? We are starting from scratch here. I am hopeful, but we are both so incredibly busy, both of us have to maintain incredible focus.

Thanks for listening
JT

Official Response 6

What have I learned so far?

Good question.
1. Words are as important as flash!
Content and the way it is written will hold your users or bore them into clicking NEXT!

2. There is a definate METHOD to this madness!
You would not think it would be so hard to create a web page being there are millions of them out there, but I have to admit, trust is a major issue. When I go to a site and it seems flimsy, not well organized, or from a relatively unknown source, I will not take the information there seriously.

3. Time is the essence!
Time must be spent seriously planning what you are going to set up. Rushing will only delay the process because of the errors you will most certainly make.

4. Visual appeal and readability will clear things up!
OK, you have your content, task flows, site maps and wire frames, your goals and users are clearly defined, you put all your hard work and research into a page that looks awful and no one stays longer than it takes them to hit the back button. If you can't read it then neither can the users.

5. Last but not least, not nearly least, technology!
If you do not have a basic undestanding of the technology you are using, then you will either fail, or take forever to get what you want out there. By the time you launch, you ship may have already sailed!

Happy Webbing Everyone,
JT

Brainstorming 1

We moved to the small community about 3 years ago and ever since my kids have been at Western Wayne Schools I have wanted to suggest updating their website. It is awful. I was used to Greenfield Central’s awesome site and for some reason thought all schools had access to the same resources and talent. I would love to adapt G-C design and propose it to WWS. But, feel too insecure to attempt. This may be a job for my son...not sure??? He still has 2 1/2 years there and could help maintain the site?? It is one thing to propose added features and design updates, but if after you end your project; will they be able to keep it up?? Issue or not, it is one thing I have thought about.
I may also be hiding behind my inabilities. I wish we all had the time to truly study our classes. I am rushed so much of the time as I know most of you are too, that the most interesting information gets overlooked or half done, or scanned...our gifts of information, opportunity, and abundance, may also be our bane. Or maybe it is our limited time here on earth....
I digress,
Please share your thoughts on the issue of proposing ideas and not being there to back them up! I think I need some support.
jt