3. Design (continued).

3.2 Content Definition and Analysis.

Initial Mapping of Content.

A general characterisation of the content of the site will have appeared in previous stages of the project; but it is now crucial to clarify that content and to analyse its structure. This process should be done methodically. The first step should be to sketch an initial 'thematic map' to organise your ideas on the major areas of content of the site. This map should detail the main headings under which you will collect content, and the connections/relationships between them. This map will develop as ideas are refined and material is collected. There are various forms of thematic map that might be used. One of the most popular is the kind of 'mind map' popular in the worlds of business and education, there are even computer-based tools for drawing such maps. However, these maps tend to favour hierarchical structures with categories and sub-categories of information growing from a single point. This will probably lead to the design of a site based on hierarchical principles, which may not be optimal. Be prepared to organise your thematic map in unusual and imaginative ways - let the content guide you. At this stage you are just exploring, there will be plenty of chance to restructure later, especially when you get user feedback.

From your experience of the content of the sites that you reviewed during pre-project planning (analysing competitor's sites), draw up some initial thematic maps of the content of your assignment site. Try and think of alternative organisations of the content and evaluate each of them. For each one, say what makes it good, bad and interesting. Use these points to rate your design alternatives. Include your best couple of initial maps in your assignment documentation.

You will need to ask some questions about the origin of the content at this stage:

• Does this product use primarily existing content? If yes, how is it to be repurposed? In what ways will it be made appropriate to the interactive medium? Your content may come from books, newspapers, organisational documents, videos, collections of photographs, etc. All of these will have been created for some other purpose, and you need to think about how they are to be re-used.
• If new, how will it be captured and created? How much will there need to be? You may have to do your own writing, drawing, photographing, filming, sound recording, etc. You need to think about what will be involved in these tasks.
• Does this product use data entered by users? If so, how much and in what forms? What can be done with it once entered? You may be aiming to collect content and feedback from users once the site is in operation. You need to think about what this information is and how it will appear or be used.

Now it's time to start on a more careful process of content gathering and analysis. Take your most promising thematic map and start to work it out in more detail. For each content item you place on it, think how it might be acquired or generated. This activity will probably have to be done in parallel with a fairly extensive web search. Don't confine yourself to 'standard' environmental content. Remember, you are trying to create something which makes the subject meaningful for the average citizen - what kinds of everday activities might you depict that brings the points home to your users? Include your detailed thematic map in your assignment documentation.

Once you have mapped your content, you have the hard work of gathering and/or creating it. This may be an extended process, but it is useful if as much content as possible is gathered in the early stages of a project - only then will its true scope and nature become apparent. The major headings for the content should have been decided during the initial mapping. It is now necessary to construct and then carry out an action plan for the gathering of content. This may involve:

• Gathering existing material: library searches, the use of relevant books, reference materials and archives, etc.
• Collecting the basis for new materials: interviews with clients and others connected with a project, field-work to photograph, video and sound record original material, etc.
• Writing and drawing: the use of technical authors to write original texts, of graphic designers to produce visual material, etc.

This process will extend into the implementation phases of the project, but how and when materials will be produced should always be a prominent part of project planning.

For each content item that you need for your abbreviated site (remember, the assignment only requires you to produce 8 to 10 pages - less if you include animations or other such preparation-intensive media) produce an action plan and timescale for acquiring it. This plan should run alongside the next few design and prototyping activities. Include a couple of representative plans in your assignment documentation.

Analysing Content.

With a rich collection of possible content available, an analysis phase should begin: a careful sifting of material under your main headings and any thematic sub-headings which have emerged. The content must be fully understood and organised before a project can proceed. You should come up with answers to the following questions:

• What is the primary organisation of the content? You should have decided the principal structure which will be used to present the content, and this will be used to produce the main navigation model (at the next design stage).
• What are other organizations that can be made available for other modes of searching, viewing, browsing, learning, exploring, and understanding? A web site can be viewed from several perspectives, and it can be useful to give users other ways of looking at the same content - these will be secondary structures to be imposed on the content.
• What are the main presentation ideas for the content? Content isn't just a dry structure, it should hook into the user's imagination as well; so you should have some idea of themes and styles of presentation that will drive a user through your content and keep them interested.
• What are the most important and compelling features? Content isn't a neutral structure. You have a purpose, and communicating some important ideas is likely to be central to your purpose.
• What is the level of interactivity? Your content may not be purely passive, and many of your 'messages' may be communicated best by engaging the user in interactions. You need to identify the ideas that will be put over interactively.

The answers to these questions may be put in words, and/or cast as a detailed thematic map with outline storyboards for dynamic and interactive elements.

As you start to acquire content (in accordance with your plans) and start to get a better idea of what your site will contain, you can develop your thematic map and add outline storyboards to appropriate elements. Don't go into too much detail in your storyboards at this stage, they are there to record general intention. Detailed work comes later. This activity can continue into both design and prototyping - but it should be over by your final implementation. Include examples of how your map expanded, and storyboards were added, in your assignment documentation.

Input from users on your content will help you create a site that is relevant and engaging. Ask users for feedback on the quality of your ideas, and ask them to contribute ideas. The Web provides a unique opportunity to quickly gather specific information from users from distant locations. We have developed a set of Web survey templates and a tool for automating the creation of Web surveys. Here are some methods and suggestions for eliciting input from potential users.

User Involvement

In a large-scale project, and one in which an organisation is setting up an important channel of communication with its customer base, user involvement in determining content and its organisation is crucial. Ideas should always be 'market tested' before they are put into production. The IBM 'Ease of Use' group suggests the following ways to communicate with users:

Background Information Gathering

• Post an email survey questionnaire to online discussion groups
• Post a survey on the Web and invite readers of discussion groups to respond (A well-done Web survey is more professional in appearance and is easier to use than an email survey.)
• Ask participants what activities they would like to perform or what information they would like to find at your site
• Present a list of information items or potential tasks; ask participants to rate each from 1 to 5 according to how interesting or important each one is
• Ask participants how they initially find websites such as yours or the one you plan to create (this information will help you plan how and where to advertise your site)
• Offer people incentives, such as a drawing for a prize, to complete the survey

Interviews

• Present a site outline or early proposal to prospective users and solicit comments on coverage and suggestions for additional content
• Ask participants to describe in detail the situation in which they might use the proposed website
• Ask participants what they like and dislike about the websites of potential competitors and record their responses
• Ask participants how they would expect to be able to accomplish particular tasks

Task Analysis:

• Ask participants to use a competitor's site, or ask them to perform the tasks that your website will facilitate using whatever means they currently use
• Ask users to voice what they are thinking as they accomplish the tasks
• Observe users accomplishing the tasks and note the order and techniques they use
• Discover which tasks are done most frequently and which are most essential
• Borrow from users' current expectations for how to perform the tasks, but remember that you want to improve upon the tools and methods they currently use

Focus Group:

• Schedule a facilitator with previous experience coordinating focus groups
• Obtain a facility with several computers and a projection screen
• Recruit representative users, perhaps from a user group or email discussion group
• Ask participants to provide anonymous feedback via a computer station, website or email
• Display a list of topics and/or sample pages
• Ask participants to rate their interest in the proposed contents of the site