Are We There Yet?

It's true: even simple projects get messy. Christina Wodtke comes clean on Swiss Army knives, the writing on the wall, and the untidy glory of the Boxes and Arrows redesign contest.

Wodtke, Christina. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Web Design>Project Management>Case Studies

Designing Educational Booklets for the Web

We discuss here the results of usability tests on two booklets which were transferred from print to the Web. The booklets provide the public with basic information on various cancers, cancer treatment, and other cancer-related topics. The booklets were written by the National Cancer Institute's Office of Education and Special Initiatives (NCI OESI).

Usability.gov. Articles>Web Design>Usability>Case Studies

Moving to an XML-Based Web Site

In early 2007, I started the task of reworking the ageing HyperWrite Web site. The site was originally created in 1995. It underwent a major rework (to a frames-based design) in 1997, and was reworked in 1999, 2000 and 2002. In the decade since the Web site was launched, not only has Web technology moved on, but HyperWrite's activities, focus and business direction are now quite different. Time and budget were set aside to renovate the site to better serve HyperWrite's business needs, and to serve as a practical example of the company's capabilities.

Self, Tony. HyperWrite (2007). Articles>Web Design>Content Management>Case Studies

Sun Glossary: A Multilingual, Web-Based Solution  

As technical communicators attempt to keep up with a burgeoning product set, the need grows for a glossary that can explain 'terms not in the common vocabulary' to a worldwide audience. Sun Microsystems, Inc., faces a challenge every time it introduces a product, such as the Java™ programming language, that has a unique terminology. To meet these challenges, a project team determined to provide efficient reuse of terminology in target languages.

Schemenaur, P.J. and Stephanie Brucker. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Web Design>Glossary>Case Studies

The Joint Czech and Slovak Digital Parliamentary Library    

After the split of the Czechoslovak Republic into two republics in 1993 the idea of creating a common digital parliamentary library originated. The Czech Parliamentary Library started this project in 1995 and Slovakia joined in 2002. According to the agreement between of the two parliaments the joint digital library should in its complete shape contain the complete full texts of parliamentary prints (proposals, interpolations, explanations, decisions, invitations) and stenographical documents (shorthand writings) from 1848 until the present, in electronic form. The aim is to create and operate an automatic system of current and historical parliamentary documents. In 2000, the project was awarded the prestigious `Czech @' prize by the International Conference on Internet Use in Public Administration and Self-Government. The Joint Czech and Slovak Digital Parliamentary Library is now widely used in both countries.

Malackova, Eva and Karel Sosna. IFLA Journal (2007). Articles>Information Design>Web Design>Case Studies

Employing Log Metrics to Evaluate Search Behaviour and Success: Case Study BBC Search Engine    

This paper argues that metrics can be generated from search transactional web logs that can help evaluate search engine effectiveness. Search logs from the BBC website were analysed and metrics extracted. Two search metrics — the time lapse between searches and the number of searches in a session — were developed to see whether they could measure search success or satisfaction. In all, 4 million search statements by 900,000 users were evaluated. The BBC search engine possessed a number of functional attributes which sought to improve retrieval and these were subjected to the two metrics to help determine how successful they were in practice. There was some evidence to support the proposition that the search outcome metrics did indeed indicate the effectiveness of engine functionality. The authors argue that this result is significant in that the identification of search outcome metrics will pave the way for assessing the effectiveness of site specific search engines and a greater understanding of the effectiveness of search engine functionality.

Huntington, Paul, David Nicholas and Hamid R. Jamali. Journal of Information Science (2007). Articles>Web Design>Case Studies>Log Analysis

Failed vs. Unfailed Redesigns of Newspaper Websites

A comparison of the redesigned websites of two Swedish newspapers, GP.se and HD.se, that were both launched in late 2006.

Johansson, Roger. 456 Berea Street (2007). Articles>Web Design>Case Studies

Building Usable Websites, Part 3

Website and software application usability is a classic intangible, hard to measure and even harder to sell to clients or management. Ironic, as I think it safe to say that at this stage in the game there are few sites that would not benefit from a usability survey and a bit of tweaking. Nevertheless, some companies have taken the cue and great usability case studies are beginning to emerge.

Shreves, Ric. Water and Stone (2008). Articles>Usability>Web Design>Case Studies

Ten Accessibility Blunders of the Big Players

More and more countries have passed laws stating that Websites must be accessible to blind and disabled people. With this kind of legal pressure, and the many benefits of accessibility, the big players on the Web must surely have accessible Websites, right?

Moss, Trenton. Sitepoint (2004). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Case Studies

Seven Accessibility Mistakes (Part 1)

There are several reasons inaccessible Web products get published. One we discussed in my last article is that some clients just don’t care about accessibility. Their reasons make a lot of sense if you put yourself in their shoes. Another reason is developer mistakes. Making mistakes is natural, and suffering the consequences and learning from them is what makes us better developers and better people.

Heilmann, Christian. Digital Web Magazine (2006). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Case Studies

Revisiting Toys’R’Us

How could an $11,000,000,000 company fail so miserably in its e-commerce efforts that it had to turn its storefront over to a relative newcomer? And what is the Big Lesson we can learn from Toys'R'Us' difficulties?

Rosenfeld, Louis. CIO Magazine (2000). Articles>Web Design>E Commerce>Case Studies

Everybody Hates the Cable Guy

It's all too common for IT players to emphasize the technology and ignore the information that the technology exists to convey. Take my friendly local cable provider, MediaOne.

Rosenfeld, Louis. CIO Magazine (2000). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Case Studies

The Taxman Cometh but Merril Lynch Isn't Ready

With April 15th approaching, Lou needed some basic tax information, but Merrill Lynch's labeling system made the easiest answers tough to find.

Rosenfeld, Louis. CIO Magazine (2000). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Case Studies

Five Intranet Reviews, Five Different Results

This case study presents the findings from five different intranet reviews, with the aim of exposing some of the issues being confronted across different organisations. These reviews also show that even within seemingly-similar organisations, the intranet issues can be quite different. This highlights that there is no 'one size fits all' intranet solution, and emphasises the value of conducting meaningful 'needs analysis' activities, such as those outlined in this article.

Robertson, James. Step Two (2005). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Case Studies

Intranet Return on Investment Case Studies

An intranet can deliver return on investment (ROI) by either reducing the cost, or expanding the ability, to communicate. By shifting manual processes to the intranet, the cost of accessing and processing information is reduced. The intranet speedily delivers information to large numbers of people. This gives the organization a greater capacity to change.

McGovern, Gerry. New Thinking (2002). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Case Studies

Redesign of the Monash University Web Site: A Case Study in User-Centred Design Methods

This paper presents a case study in user-centred design as applied to the redesign of the Monash University web site. It begins with an overview of user-centred design which is then contrasted with traditional development processes. The case study provides some background information about the project and the choice of methodology, an outline of the user-centred design methods used, and the nature of the multi-disciplinary team responsible for the project.

Alexander, Dey. AusWeb (2003). Articles>Web Design>User Centered Design>Case Studies

Building Ease of Use Into the IBM User Experience  

This paper provides an overview of the process and organizational transformation that IBM has gone through in improving the user experience with our offerings.

Vredenburg, K. IBM (2003). Articles>Web Design>User Experience>Case Studies

A New Recipe for VirtualGourmet.com

Two Web design experts suggest a more "scrumptious" feel and better search capabilities to strengthen the food site.

Hamilton , Joan O. BusinessWeek (1999). Articles>Web Design>Case Studies

Making Web Space for Young Adults: Issues and Process a Case Study of the Internet Public Library Teen Division

This paper will discuss the issues associated with the creation of useful, appropriate, and entertaining Web space for teenagers, in the context of the formation of the Internet Public Library (IPL) Teen Division during the fall and winter of 1995.

Bailey, Samantha and Sara Ryan. Internet Society (1996). Articles>Web Design>Audience Analysis>Case Studies

Aspects of Design Quality

Usability scores for 51 websites show some correlation between navigation, content, and feature quality, but no connections to other usability areas.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2008). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Case Studies

Lessons from the Front Line: Building Interoperable Web Services

The ability to interoperate across disparate vendors, platforms and infrastructure stacks is inherently important to the adoption of Web Services technology. For most organizations, cross platform interoperability and the move to a loosely coupled, Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is usually the main rationale for adoption of the underlying Web Service technologies. In this paper we will discuss some of the issues and stumbling blocks towards interoperability. We will also demonstrate with an example, how an application developed in Java and deployed in a J2EE 1.4 compatible container can interoperate and be consumed from a different client, developed in C# on the .NET platform.

Tyagi, Sameer. IDEAlliance (2004). Articles>Web Design>XML>Case Studies

MySpace: The Business of Spam 2.0 (Exhaustive Edition)

Most users believe that MySpace started as some kind of fluke—a happy accident that began in Anderson's bedroom or garage—and many still don't wonder, know, or care about the site's real business history and model. Heralded as a haven of DIY self-expression, MySpace was actually created by executives whose backgrounds are anchored in spam and mass marketing. The real genius of MySpace lies in its re-imagining and repackaging of spam. While most internet users expend time and energy attempting to keep it out, MySpace is spam that they actually invite in.

Douglas, Nick. ValleyWag (2006). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Case Studies

World's Best Headlines: BBC News

Precise communication in a handful of words? The editors at BBC News achieve it every day, offering remarkable headline usability.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2009). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Case Studies

Donation Usability: Increasing Online Giving to Non-Profits and Charities

User research finds significant deficiencies in non-profit organizations' website content, which often fails to provide the info people need to make donation decisions.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2009). Articles>Web Design>Usability>Case Studies

A Call to Action for Web Managers: Blow the Whistle

We still had a huge, unruly Web site. It just had different graphics, a better-named Web team and more people shoveling on content and applications. Finally, out of desperation, we decided to try a new-fangled thing called a Web content management system.

Welchman, Lisa. WelchmanPierpoint (2009). Articles>Web Design>Content Management>Case Studies