Phase 4: Design and Testing

Overview

The design process will successively address three site layers- the Spatial, the Visual, & the Informational.

Cynthia, Rachel, and Gabe should use previously-collected user input and our own investigation of site features to design the prototype site’s spatial and visual elements. The site’s verbiage as well as its look will be mapped out at this stage. Unscheduled site areas that staff can customize/configure/lay out should be delineated during this stage.

Staff input should be solicited once the informational content of the homepage, and sub-pages is under discussion.

Once we have a mock-up, user feedback should be solicited, completing the assessment-based design loop.

Info Gathering

User informed- Completed Fall 2017

Heatmap testing
Word clouds

Internal

Review library websites
Review other websites
Assemble grabbag of usable site features

Staff informed

Figure out exactly what branch library/collection-specific stakeholders want/need out of their site sections

Design

Primary design work will be done by Rachel, Gabe and Cynthia with iterative testing with library users.

1- Map out spatial structure (site features & navigation style)

Functionality- Sidebars, headers, footers
Functionality- Pop in/out features (i.e. chat reference)
Functionality- Subpage/homepage interaction, trackbacks, breadcrumbs, color coding
Wireframing- Size and location of icons, priority of features

2- Map out visual elements

Fonts/Icons/Colors
Homepage and subpage proportions
Text/Verbiage
Location of ‘unscheduled areas’ configurable by staff

3- Define site’s informational content

Collect feedback from library staff on spatial and visual elements, how they interact with functionalities to be finalized during the design of the site’s informational content
Define what should go in ‘unscheduled areas’
Incorporate the entities that have been described and entered into the site including people, groups, spaces, buildings, services, policies, etc.