CNN.com to revamp news site
CNN is planning to relaunch its main news site in July with a major redesign and a number of Web 2.0 features, extending the site's choice of video and user-generated content.
Navigation tips for websites
Any decision on a website's navigation is critical to usability, findability, accessibility and SEO. It can be difficult to undo if you select a poor design. So usable navigation is best established early on in a web project.
There are many different examples of main navigation systems, (i.e. the main method for accessing content in different site sections) but the 'three Cs' of convention, consistency and context are important whatever the design.
Web project management guidelines released
We’ve just published a new report on E-consultancy dedicated to Web Project Management, which turns out to be less of a fine art and more of a social science.
This new research is based on feedback from more than 600 project managers, who we surveyed and interviewed to find out some of the common factors found in successful web projects.
After the jump there's a glimpse of some of the key findings…
Another year, another World Usability Day 2006 (14th November)
Last November, I sounded off about two things – one was that I did not like the tag line for World Usability Day 2005 – Making IT easy - and the other was that I didn’t think we had much good usability to celebrate.
The revenue model of user generated content?
Let’s face it shall we - no one creates something and then gives it away for free, expecting no return...
I mean, as much as we’d like to do stuff and give it away for free, in the interests of making the world a better place, the unfortunate reality is that we all have to earn our crust somehow, and if we throw our eggs into the user generated content basket, then you have to ask what the hell your revenue model is going to be?
Big brands fail in a world without www
I often browse the web by grabbing text and dragging it into my Google Toolbar, which will open a new search page. It will open up a website for me, in the event that I drag a domain name into the search window.
I don’t expect I’m alone in exhibiting this kind of search behaviour, but there is a problem. Many firms, including some big brands, do not cater for a www-less version of their domain name.
David Miliband on wikis and UGC
This summer saw David Miliband, secretary of state for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, launching the government’s first experiment with wikis, only for the move to be scrapped after the “accidental or malicious editing or removal of material” by pranksters.
But the wiki is now open again, albeit with tighter moderation and registration policies, and Miliband has promised to continue testing new ways to engage with the public via the web.
We talked to him to find out more...
Your chance to improve usability standards
I have recently returned from an international standards meeting in Washington (and that is a story in itself – I nearly had to fly without my laptop and Treo – aargh!) where we were discussing the revision of the human centred design standard ISO 13407.
Red tape and protocol hinder web development
I have noticed a worrying shift in attitude in large companies which needs addressing.
Five or so years ago, our clients would use web analytics to continually carry out small tests on the website, measure the improvements and test again. This iterative web development process now seems to be hugely hindered by red tape and protocol.
Web 2.0 needs to lose the social software thing, please
Following up from the d.Construct post yesterday, I wanted to talk about the apparent obsession with social software at the moment, and to ask for comments on why you think it’s so. Seriously, there are so many other things that can be done!
Social media: the best and worst of 2009
Email marketing: six steps to improving customer engagement in 2010
Web 2.0
Graham Charlton
Strategy & Planning
