Unsucking The Clarkson Integrator Website Colin Gettig Bossman

Unsucking The Clarkson Integrator Website Colin Gettig – Bossman (Editor-in-Chief) Mollie Boise – Spiderman (Webmaster)

The Problem �www. clarksonintegrator. com �The current site is clunky, unappealing, and requires registration. �Managed by a third party host, hard to modify �Creating a better interface means making a new site, including all the back end. �Now that we have that backend (sorta), we can create a better frontend website.

Usability Goals �Effectiveness: Having a site that is easy to navigate and use for the reader, as well as for the staff writers and editors who upload content to the website. �Efficiency: Professionally present a newspaper website to the school, community, and outside world in an aesthetically pleasing, and easy to learn, way. �Satisfaction: Reducing the clutter of the current website and provide a cleaner interface with a more enjoyable, user experience.

User Experience Goals �Helpful: Reducing the burden on staff writers and editors of submitting and uploading stories and photos to the website. �Engaging: Encouraging readership by having a familiar, clean, and professional looking website. �Entertaining/Informing: Providing a reader experience similar to large scale newspapers. �Enjoyable: Provide a better website for students, alumni, and others to stay up to date one the activities at Clarkson.

Questions on Success �Is it easy to use? �Is it aesthetically pleasing? �Does it attract readers? �Are alumni following the site?

Computation Model � Metaphors � Reading a newspaper, split into sections and categories � Other newspaper websites (familiarity) � Concepts � Story (article and/or photos) � Comments and discussion � Searching for stories � Concept Relationships � Each story is part of a section � Each section combines to form the newspaper issue for the week � Each issue provides information on the events of the past week � Mapping � Headlines provide links to stories � Stories are presented chronologically � The stories can be commented on

Persona - Roger �Freshman Engineering Student �Likes to keep up with events �Does the Sudokus and Crosswords in class �Sometimes forgets to grab the newspaper or wants an old issue �Likes to comment on what happen �Wants to save good pictures he sees �Save police blotters for blackmail �Can submit stories and photos

Persona - Roger Alumni �Roger is an Alumni �Still does the Sudokus and Crosswords at work �Likes to keep up with the events at Clarkson �Uses the familiar website �Keeps tabs on the clubs he was in and comment on being the best boss in the world because his mug says so

Persona - Eddie �Editor for The Clarkson Integrator �Uploads the stories and photos for his section to the website �Dislikes how long it takes to complete these simply tasks �The new website will have already have the stories loaded in, so Eddie just needs to select them �Ensure that the writers have their stories in

Comments from the Survey �Click on a writer or photographer and see all the stories/photos they have done in the past. �Not wanting to register to see the articles and the comments posted. �Better, more professional, visual interface, keep it simple. �Great way for alumni to keep in touch with what’s going on. �Pulling up past articles from papers you can no longer get.

Implications �Professional Website �Commenting is good �Registration is bad �Application of basic HCI techniques could really help the website to attract more readers