ENG 381, Fall 2003: English & Journalism Web Redevelopment

Specific work assignments—draft

Research report

The research report will guide English & Journalism web development now and in the future.

1. Introduction (Jenny, Karina).
• Outline of report and statement of purpose.
• Goals of web site (appeal to prospective students, dynamism, accuracy, sustainability).
• Annotated bibliography (including relevant standards).
2. Evaluations (Alex, Rachel, Taylor).
• Evaluation of current Dept. site: general problems with it (brief and kind!).
• Evaluation of comparative sites.
• Summary of best practices demonstrated in these sites.
3. Principles for successful web site development (Amy, Nate, Sheena, Whitney).
• Automation.
• Design.
• Photography.
• Writing.
4. Surveys (Amanda, Greg, Corey).
• Samples of survey(s) developed.
• Survey results: faculty, general education students, English & Journalism majors.

Proposal & site component

Working in teams, we will tackle the following areas.

1. Design and organization of the front page, and general information architecture for the entire site (Alex, Amy, Karina, Sheena).
2. Design of faculty and staff information pages (Rachel, Taylor).
3. Development of an automated system for displaying news, faculty information, and specific course descriptions (Amanda, Nate).
4. Production of photographs and visuals for use on the site, including a scaled-down version of the virtual tour (Greg, Whitney).
5. Production of promotional materials like flyers and a press release (Jenny, Corey).

Instructions & policies for use

Working in teams of four, we will develop the following instructions and other components which require usability testing:

1. How to submit (and maintain) news items in the automated section of the site: for a general audience (Amanda, Corey, Nate, Sheena).
2. How to submit course descriptions and faculty information: audience is faculty & staff (Alex, Jenny, Rachel, Taylor).
3. Information for faculty and staff who wish to design their own web pages (Amy, Greg, Karina, Whitney).