Phase 4: Design and Testing

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.  

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

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.