Support Group for Information Architecture (SGIA)

Challenge

SGIA sought to invite students from a broad range of academic disciplines to discuss how information architecture might add value to their repertoire of design skills.

Solution

A Web site was designed to stimulate interest primarily from students, faculty, and the general web design and development community. An electronic mailing list was created and served as a conduit for exchanging ideas and to build community online.

Results

The first SGIA meeting was a success. Students and faculty who attended showed genuine interest in information architecture and web development topics. In addition, the University of Hawaii at Manoa offered its first information architecture course in the fall of 2002!

Web site: Support Group for Information Architecture

LIS WebTeam Support Network

Challenge

Students at the University of Hawaii Library and Information Science had little or no experience with publishing information online and found many of the online tutorials and how-to books too technical for them. Students wanted a framework that could help them translate technical concepts in a more clear, understandable way.

Solution

Integrate LIS students seeking a technical support network with a small, established online community—the Support Group for Information Architecture—who were already experienced with HTML markup.

Results

As of December 2001, the SGIA mailing list provided technical web support for 28% of the LIS student body. Students were able to e-mail HTML markup to the SGIA community and receive timely tips and solutions.

Screenshots: University of Hawaii LIS WebTeam [size: 105K]

Western Michigan University Libraries

Challenge

Redesign the library's existing 1,400-page web site and implement a PHP and PostgrSQL content management system.

Solution

Conduct a content inventory, craft a sensible file-naming system, consult with Web Committee and library liaisons, develop prototypes, and test designs for ease of use.

Results

Built heavily on Cascading Style Sheets, PHP include files, and a content management system, streamlining site maintenance. Site includes a text only version of each web page built on the fly.

Web site: Western Michigan University Libraries

WMU Regional Digitization Center

Challenge

Develop a web site to support and promote the WMU's participation in the statewide Making of Modern Michigan digitization grant.

Solution

Provide a central location for grant participants to locate information on scanning hardware, copyright, workshops, and projects conducted by other grantees.

Results

Built heavily on XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, PHP include files, the site was created without the use of HTML tables and is WAI and Bobby approved.

Web site: Western Michigan University Regional Digitization Center

Digital Imaging Sampler
Western Michigan University Libraries

Challenge

The Western Michigan University Libraries Digital Committee wanted to showcase its emerging digital collections in the form of an online brochure.

Solution

Since the purpose of the site was to introduce staff to the library's digital projects, the design of the site was kept simple, focusing on four main content areas: Archives and Regional Collections, Special Collections and Rare Books, Visual Resources, and Map Collection.

Result

A simple "stepping stone" theme was used to communicate the Digital Committee's first voyage into the realm of digitization and to communicate diversity among its unique collections.

Web site: Digital Imaging Sampler, Western Michigan University

WMU Usability Testing

Challenge

Develop a web site for usability testing on and off campus.

Solution

The WMU Library Web Committee needed a convenient way to capture demograpic data and participant feedback. Two online forms were created for this purpose as well as a link to the prototype being tested.

Results

For the test participant, testing was broken down into three simple steps: Tell us About Yourself, Test Drive the New Design, and Tell Us What You Think. Two online forms were created to capture demographics and comments and suggestions about the test.

The site also served as an attractive public relations vehicle for the library. The message: WMU Libraries support the university's mission of being a student-centered institution.

Web site: WMU Usability Test Site

WDrive
Western Michigan University Libraries

Challenge

WDrive is the departmental Web site for the Western Michigan University Libraries Web Office. The Web Office wanted to develop a site that not only complied with W3C Web Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 but serve as a model for good design practices and information architecture.

Solution

Develop a site utilizing the XHTML 1.0 Transitional Document Type Definition (DTD) and pure Cascading Style Sheets, eliminating the use of HTML table elements for design and layout.

Results

An attractive, quick loading Web site that utilizes valid XHTML and CSS markup. In addition, the site meets W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (Priority 1-3 checkpoints). An elegant equilibrium between form and function.

Web site: Web Office, Western Michigan University

Gregg M. Sinclair Library

Challenge

Sinclair Library wanted to redesign its existing Web site, making it fully compliant with university system wide web accessibility guidelines. The library also wanted the site and navigation system to scale as content was added to or subtracted from primary content areas. In doing so, the library sought to integrate staff and student employees with the design and development process.

Solution

Design a three-tier navigation system that would allow for easy content expansion and archival as well as accommodate new and experienced users in learning the library and its services. Create two versions of the site: a table-based layout and a text-only version to comply with university systemwide web accessibility guidelines.

Results

New site architecture allows for easy content expansion and content updates. The site also complies with university system wide guidelines for Web accessibility.

A Project Management Site was also created, allowing staff to link to creative and strategic briefs, site prototypes, usability testing material, project timeline, weekly milestones, and key internal contact information. It also provided staff with a documented blueprint of Web site production and was used as a technical reference and training manual for existing staff and new hires.

Web site: Gregg M. Sinclair Library
See also: Project Management Site

Thomas Hale Hamilton Library

Challenge

With the purchase of a new Sun Microsystems Web server, the Hamilton Library needed to migrate its existing three-year old Web site to the new server and make it compliant with university systemwide web accessibility guidelines. In doing so, the library also needed to establish a workflow process to streamline the migration of many Web sites and to minimize downtime.

Solution

Design a core set of HTML templates to aid library departments in migrating individual Web sites to the new server and to provide all departmental pages with a consistent look and feel. Create two versions of the site: a table-based layout and a text-only version to comply with university systemwide web accessibility guidelines.

Results

HTML templates alleviated many of the technical aspects related to a project of this size. For example, graphic images were collected into libraries and then attached to templates with absolute URLs. This helped to avoid pages with broken image links and reduce size of server error log reports.

Web site: Thomas Hale Hamilton Library

LIS WebTeam

Challenge

The UH Library and Information Science Program identified an ongoing, unmet need among students who wanted to learn HTML and web publishing skills. The challenge was to create a framework that allowed students to translate concepts in a clear, understandable way and to be accessible to students located at branch campuses on the outer Hawaiian Islands.

Solution

Redesign the existing LIS WebTeam site, overhauling its current navigation system. Publish HTML tutorials online, enabling students to have remote access to these materials from virtually anywhere and at anytime. Integrate LIS students seeking a technical support network with a small, established online community—the Support Group for Information Architecture—who were already experienced with HTML markup.

Results

The scalable site architecture and navigation system allows for easy content expansion and rapid, frequent updates. LIS students located on the outer Hawaiian Islands, or from home, were able to access HTML tutorials via the Web. The new site also introduced new library students to the WebTeam and solicited invitations to become voluntary 'webmasters' for the site as well as build online community.

As of December 2001, the SGIA mailing list provides technical web support for 28% of the LIS student body. Students can e-mail bits of their code to the mailing list and receive tips and solutions.

Screenshots: University of Hawaii LIS WebTeam [size: 104K]

Asia-Pacific Digital Library

Challenge

The Kapiolani Community College, University of Hawaii, sought ways to showcase faculty research in the Asia and Pacific regions through an experimental Asia-Pacific Digital Library, modeled after the University of Wisconsin's Internet Scout Report. This project was a significant challenge because the project leader had very little vision and galvanizing evidence as to the site's single purpose, measurable objectives, or who its target users would be and why they would be coming to the site in the first place.

Solution

Consult with project leader / web coordinator about screen interface design, task flow, navigation systems, subject classifications, paper prototypes, storyboarding, and HTML and CSS markup.

Results

Designed underlying site architecture, paper prototypes, and the first iteration of design prototypes. For details, see Original prototypes [size: 134K]

Hawaiian Language Newspaper Digitizing Project

Challenge

One of three Hamilton Library digital imaging projects that began in 1998 to conduct research and evaluate the cost of digitizing materials in a variety of formats. Taking into consideration the project's massive growth over the coming years, including over 1,000 HTML files and 2,508 image formats already on the Web, site navigation and production needed to be standardized and streamlined.

Solution

Since the project incorporated many individuals working at various locations, HTML templates were created to streamline production and to synchronize staff with daily workflow. Templates used a simple two-column layout with global navigation links located at both the top and bottom of all pages.

Result

The digital conversion of microfilm is currently ongoing. Over 2,508 image files are available on the Web.

Web site: Hawaiian Language Newspaper Project

Hawaii War Records Depository

Challenge

The Hawaii War Records Depository is the second of three digitizing projects at the Hamilton Library. The goal of this project was to create, convert, and transfer digitized images from the print collection to the Web. Existing MARC records in the library online catalog databases would be updated with URLs, establishing the basis for linkages between online catalog searches and direct review of the associated image files.

Solution

Since the project incorporated many individuals working at various locations, HTML templates were created to streamline production and to synchronize staff with daily workflow. Templates used a simple two-column layout with global navigation links at both the top and bottom of all pages.

Result

The digital conversion of photographs is currently ongoing. Over 1,760 images and 42 HTML documents are available on the Web.

Web site: Hawaii War Records Depository

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Archive

Challenge

The Trust Territories of the Pacific Islands is the final of three digitizing projects at the Hamilton Library. The impetus for this project is on extending and widening the accessibility of existing digital images of the Trust Territory photo archives. Conversion of all TIFF images to JPEG (and perhaps GIF) would insure the widest compatibility with the most commonly used software. A CD-ROM of this information was also created and distributed to pacific island libraries and research organizations during a conference in 2000.

Solution

Since the project incorporated many individuals working at various locations, HTML templates were created to streamline production and to synchronize staff with daily workflow. Templates used a simple two-column layout with global navigation links located at the top and bottom of all pages.

Result

The digital conversion of photographs is currently ongoing. Over 24,101 images and 1,227 HTML documents are available on the Web.

Web site: Trust Territories Archives

Manoa Public Library

Challenge

The Manoa Public Library wanted to design a simple, easy-to-use Web site that was attractive, easy to maintain, and accessible to the widest audience possible. The library also wanted to publish its monthly newsletter online, reducing the time and money required to produce a print edition.

Solution

Design a set of navigation buttons that were simple, eye-catching and large enough so that children and senior citizens could easily click on them. Since the purpose of the site was to introduce patrons to the library and its resources and services, the design of the site was simple, focusing on three main content areas: About, Community, and Giving.

Result

Web accessibility was solved by avoiding a table-based layout and incorporated XHTML 1.0 and CSS 1.0 to separate structure from presentation. Since the site is built from one template, staff could simply edit content without editing stylesheets or underlying XHTML markup. As a result; the library serves a very fast loading Web site that's simple and easy to maintain.

If you noticed carefully, the large navigation buttons at the top of the page also represents the library's slogan, "About Community Giving" which was a nice, creative play on words and reflected what the library is all about and its value to the community.

Web site: Manoa Public Library

Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawaii at Manoa

Challenge

The Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Hawaii at Manoa, wanted to redesign its existing site, fix its almost non-existent navigation system, and make it comply with university web accessibility guidelines. It was also a strategic opportunity for the theatre's publicity department to streamline and make cost effective its marketing efforts from print to online.

Solution

Redesign the entire site from the bottom-up, creating a new navigation system and press release archive. Patrons, prospective students, and entertainment editors now have access to important phone numbers and email addresses, (i.e. box office and admissions office) on every page, which was virtually impossible to find on the existing site.

Result

To cut the cost of mass mailings, press releases were published online, providing media agencies faster online access to current and archived press releases. This enabled the Theatre's publicity department to cut the total cost of mass mailings and manage it's marketing budget effectively and efficiently.

Web site: UH Department of Theatre and Dance

Hamilton Library Renovation Photo Gallery

Challenge

The Desktop Network Services unit, Hamilton Library, University of Hawaii, wanted to visually document the library's three-year renovation project beginning in 2001 with a photo gallery.

Solution

Conduct a two-hour photo shoot equipped with a Nikon 850 digital camera. Batch processed the images in Adobe Photoshop, and transferred to HTML templates.

Result

Designed a vibrant web photo gallery where users scroll horizontally rather than vertically, simulating the experience of walking through an art gallery.

Web site: Hamilton Library Renovation Photo Gallery

e-Portfolio Templates

Challenge

To help University of Hawaii Library and Information Science students learn the basic elements of HTML, students needed an evolving web design project that was both functional and relevant to their needs as graduate students preparing to enter the job market.

Solution

Design a set of four e-portfolio templates based on each of the four library concentration areas offered through the UH LIS program. Each e-portfolio contained four sections—curriculum vitae, projects, coursework, and contact information—and functioned as a working example of how a very basic Web site is structured.

Result

Students were able to choose a template appropriate to their particular field of study, edit its content to match their needs, and have a finished product ready to show potential employers. The e-portfolio was a great way to teach HTML and the organization of a basic Web site. It also helped to maintain student motivation and to keep them practicing their new HTML authoring skills throughout their academic career.

E-portfolio templates: