http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Redesign A listing of the most recently indexed works about Redesign in the field of technical communication. en-us Copyright (c) 2005-08 by the EServer. All rights reserved. tclib-editorial@eserver.org (TC Library Editorial Board) webmaster@eserver.org (Geoffrey Sauer) http://tc.eserver.org/images/newlogo.gif http://tc.eserver.org/dir/Redesign http://tc.eserver.org/35836.html http://tc.eserver.org/35836.html This webtext for Inventio describes my response to Kairos' invitation for "re-envisioning," which I took as a provocation, a challenge to literally re-see and reimagine the visual and conceptual design of my argument. By highlighting some of the complexities of the design and redesign of one digital project, I hope to demonstrate the complicated relationship between seeing and design in envisioning and enacting argument, to make more visible the rhetorical and intellectual work of scholarship in digital media, and to argue by example for publishing scholarship about new media in new media. http://tc.eserver.org/35514.html http://tc.eserver.org/35514.html Over the past year we have worked with a number of organizations that have chosen to relocate their sites from an existing domain to a new domain. One of the questions that always comes up early in the process is “how much traffic are we going to lose?” It is an excellent question and not an easy one to answer, but in today’s column I am going to explore that exact question. http://tc.eserver.org/35305.html http://tc.eserver.org/35305.html Users hate change, so it's usually best to stay with a familiar design and evolve it gradually. In the long run, however, incrementalism eventually destroys cohesiveness, calling for a new UI architecture. http://tc.eserver.org/35172.html http://tc.eserver.org/35172.html Fond as I was of my site’s current incarnation, I’m a one-person show and my website is my main act. I couldn’t risk letting it stagnate. http://tc.eserver.org/33957.html http://tc.eserver.org/33957.html Many web teams I talk to long for the day they get to redesign their websites. I remember the days when I was the same. I now believe that the word ‘redesign’ should be avoided. I think it’s quicker and easier to improve a website in phases. That includes the look and feel. Avoiding the R word makes it easier to improve your website. http://tc.eserver.org/33057.html http://tc.eserver.org/33057.html When an intranet isn’t working effectively, many organisations attempt to tackle the problem with a full-scale redesign of the site or the implementation of a content management system. But these major projects can create as many issues as they resolve. http://tc.eserver.org/31507.html http://tc.eserver.org/31507.html Processes evolve. Over time and several redesigns, a few points screamed to be kept in mind: communicate with the client, be scalable, plan to plan, test your assumptions, analyze your current site, and so on. We ran these mini-philosophies by industry leaders and newbies alike. The result? Our collection of things to think about evolved into—drum roll, please—10 EXPERT TIPS TO A SUCCESSFUL REDESIGN. Redesign is happening. Address the need. And stay on track while you do it. http://tc.eserver.org/31509.html http://tc.eserver.org/31509.html When surfing the web these days, you often come across web sites that suffer from stagnation—they look old, obsolete or appear to have been designed by an amateur. Your web site needs continuous improvement to capture and engage your visitor’s attention. If not, he or she can easily click away to your competitor’s site. Here are twelve steps to help prevent stagnation. http://tc.eserver.org/30801.html http://tc.eserver.org/30801.html It's not that people resist change whole-scale. They just hate losing control and feeling stupid. When we make critical changes, we risk putting our users in that position. We must take care to ensure that we've considered the process of change as much as we've considered the technology changes themselves. Only then will we end up with changes that our users embrace. http://tc.eserver.org/28513.html http://tc.eserver.org/28513.html One lesson we've learned over the past several years here at Cooper is that on the vast majority of our projects, intimate client collaboration is a critical ingredient for success. This is a lesson that we have sometimes learned the hard way; collaboration can be messy, unpredictable and has often forced us to compromise what we thought was a supremely clear and elegant vision. http://tc.eserver.org/28441.html http://tc.eserver.org/28441.html Artorg.co.uk is an online community for artists and designers. At first view, this is a really nice-looking site. It has an appealing, soft colour scheme offset with well-chosen graphics, and the content appears solid and orderly. http://tc.eserver.org/28440.html http://tc.eserver.org/28440.html The Business Improvement Network is a highly successful free club for quality improvement professionals who meet together to share their knowledge and experience. A busy website serves the network's needs well, attracts new members every week, and gives members access to lots of free information. http://tc.eserver.org/28442.html http://tc.eserver.org/28442.html www.foruse.com is the web site of Constantine and Lockwood. Have a look at their home page to learn more about them. This case study incorporates a brief critical review of the home page, plus a redesign. http://tc.eserver.org/25614.html http://tc.eserver.org/25614.html Extreme Makeover is an unlikely place to look for useful insights into corporate innovation. Even the fat, awkward, and, let’s face it, hideous bubble-era companies were not going to improve their questionable bottom lines with a nose job, liposuction, and tummy-tuck. In spite of that, the show can offer some useful lessons when trying to understand the dynamics of innovation. http://tc.eserver.org/24636.html http://tc.eserver.org/24636.html True Web site redesigns focus on much more than visuals. Brink and Regenold's redesign process will help technical communicators rethink a site from the ground up. http://tc.eserver.org/23686.html http://tc.eserver.org/23686.html A case study of the 2002 redesign of the website for Catholic Community Services in Newark. http://tc.eserver.org/23051.html http://tc.eserver.org/23051.html What bothers me most about web and intranet redesign projects is the widespread practice of throwing out the baby with the bathwater. http://tc.eserver.org/22495.html http://tc.eserver.org/22495.html Most of software design is redesign. Redesign in the normal course of design happens when the software becomes difficult to maintain and the problem it is intended to solve has changed. Although software redesign is necessary, frequent, and pervasive, there is a dearth of tools that help programmers do it. Instead, programmers primarily use pen and paper, away from the computer where tools could help the most. To address this shortcoming, I have developed Dr. Jones, a redesign assistant for Java programs. http://tc.eserver.org/22480.html http://tc.eserver.org/22480.html Is your website easy for Maude to use? Or, for that matter, Tiffany or Raul? Here's how to sync up your website with your audience. http://tc.eserver.org/21834.html http://tc.eserver.org/21834.html When you remodel, go for broke - but don't break the links. http://tc.eserver.org/21559.html http://tc.eserver.org/21559.html Why do you redesign a Web site? There are many reasons. A lot of companies want to update their look every year. Others redesign sites to solve specific problems -- they may realize that after a time, that they are not getting any traffic and finally call someone to get their opinion as to why. Sites are redesigned to correct specific problems in navigation, professional image, or ease to use. http://tc.eserver.org/18523.html http://tc.eserver.org/18523.html It doesn't matter whether you're working for a company or working as a freelancer with clients. It happens to all of us. That sigh of relief we breathe when the website we've been designing is finally 'finished.' Truth be told, a good website is constantly in flux, taking advantage of the web's fluid and flexible nature. Unlike other marketing and sales materials, changes made to your website can be relatively painless-or at least less painful than throwing out a box of brochures because you've decided to change your branding or your focus. It's hard to throw those away, no matter how outdated or inaccurate they may be; when you do, it's hard to see anything else but dollar signs hovering above the trash can. The web offers unparalleled flexibility in making changes. Whether it be adding or changing content, switching graphic elements or including features that allow customers to more easily interact, these changes typically requires only the desire, the technical know-how and the budget to support both. Go into a site redesign blindly, however, simply adding and subtracting elements and pages based on hunches or what one visitor has commented on doesn't make any sense. http://tc.eserver.org/18384.html http://tc.eserver.org/18384.html As the Web moves out if its infancy, it's beginning to feel growing pains. Suddenly that first-generation site just ain't up to snuff - it's time for a redesign. This week, five experts give you the benefit of their very different experiences and perspectives on the process of a redesign: a manager who hired a design firm to tackle his company's site, a producer at a top-notch design firm, a director of production who tells you how to install or overhaul your own dynamically generated site, an in-the-trenches designer who does the hands-on work, and finally someone who has han-solo-ed the redesign all on her lonesome. http://tc.eserver.org/13796.html http://tc.eserver.org/13796.html After one year of running uidesign.net, I was aware that the original design though functional was looking tired. It was also failing to meet the requirements and expectations of Users and Owner to a sufficient degree. I was also acutely aware that if you are going to preach or teach then you need to lead by example. You have to walk-the-walk as well as talk-the-talk. Actually, the design of the site has remained far from static over the first 12 months. As the quantity of material has grown, the site design has had to grow with it. It became obvious very early that the initial directory structure just wasn't going to cope with the growth of site. The original premise of 'publish a few white papers' had been outgrown. This lack of foresight cost. Many of you still come by the site from Search Engines which have archived those early original links. So the directory structure changed after 3 months. The original navigation space underwent subtle change too, as it became evident where the focus of the site was and the areas that I was able to develop. http://tc.eserver.org/13640.html http://tc.eserver.org/13640.html This project involved a comprehensive redesign of the Streaming Audio and Video site on EServer.org. The tasks included predesign planning (audience analysis, flowcharting, scoping the project), designing (creating layout, graphics, and information architecture), and implementing the necessary database and HTML code to execute the methods prescribed in the design.