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Authoring and Design for the WWW

POLICY

Checklist for making and maintaining a sitepard

The aim of this rather daunting checklist is not to discourage would-be publishers from making Web sites. Many items can be omitted for smaller and simpler projects. However some items will carry a considerable cost, either in real terms or otherwise, and this list may therefore be useful for both planning and budgeting.

It is impossible to over-stress the importance of testing, which should encompass not just technical tests, but also iterative user-testing and redesign of the content , structure and any complex interactions (Usability testing).

Pre-development

Concept development

Analyse needs of potential users
Assess site development skills available and acquirable through training
Assess level of technology available to users
Audit existing documents which can be used or worked from
Consult
- Computer support staff
- Information or external relations department of HEI
- Other schools, faculties, services of HEI
Choose
- Sources of material
- Appropriate technologies for chosen use and users
- Staff

Provide

Server
- Hardware
- Software
- Network and IP Address
Authoring
- Packages for the production, as appropriate, of
  - text
  - graphics
  - sound
  - video
  - multimedia
  - 3D
  - databases

Editorial control

Establish
- editorial policy
- design policy
- mechanism for
  - clearing copyright with outside parties
  - making IPR agreements with internal contributors
  - preventing or removing illegal material
- policy on write-access to server

Establish

Budget
Responsibilities of individuals
To whom answerable
Practical design guidelines
Timetable for initial development
Timetable for review
Staff training

Text production

Convert electronic texts from various formats
Acquire text through scanning and OCR of paper documents
Editing
- Edit and originate texts suited to the use, user and medium
- Construct appropriate hypertextual links
Produce and use templates (see also Design)

Design

Design consistent visual and interactional interface

Design framework for disparate contributions
Produce and use templates (see also Text production)
Design
- modular graphics for repeated use
- screens, downloadable documents etc.
- interaction
  - hypertext links
  - multimedia interactions
- audio, video, 3D, VR and other components
User-test and refine structural and interactional aspects

Graphic production

Convert electronic graphics from various formats
Acquire graphics through scanning of transparencies, video and paper documents
Originate photographic material
Construct digital graphics
- illustrations
- diagrams
- charts
- logos, bullets, backgrounds, etc.

Sound production

Convert electronic sound files from various formats
Acquire sounds through recording and re-recording
Cast voices for spoken word
Originate music, sound, voice
Upsample, downsample, apply effects to sound

Video production

Convert digital and analogue video and film from various formats
Originate, edit etc. video material

Multimedia production

Convert component material from various formats
Acquire component material through scanning, recording etc.
Write scripts, programs and CGIs to support user interaction

Database production

Convert data from various formats
Construct suitable record structures in databases
Gather and enter new data

3D production

Convert existing data eg. CAD files
Create and render models
Convert to appropriate formats
- proprietary, eg. QuicktimeVR
- VRML (Virtual Reality Modelling Language), animated GIF

Technical support

Organise material on server
Devise CGIs to support special functions, eg. clickable maps, database query
Test
- in various browsers
- under different operating systems
- on various hardware
- locally and remotely
Technical maintenance
- Respond to users' bug reports
- Periodically test internal and external links for validity
- Provide upgrades to principal and ancillary software
- Test in new browser packages etc.

Maintenance and development

Periodically review site(s)
Provide new material, facilities or experiences for users
Ensure continued accuracy of information
Append, remove parts
Test validity and relevance of links
Take action concerning unapproved material in collaborative sites

General

Liaise with other contributors as needed
Keep informed on changing technical aspects
Learn new packages, techniques, formats and standards

Cost differentials

For the publisher of paper documents, there are obvious differences between the cost of, say, black and white print on cheap paper and full colour print on glossy card. There are cost differentials in Web publishing, but they are not the same. For example, full colour is effectively free for the Web publisher it takes no more time or storage to create a colour picture than a black and white one. Since there are virtually no material costs, the differences instead are dictated by the need for time and specialist expertise. Initial costs will be high if complex interactions are made for example using Shockwave or Java. Running costs will be high if maintenance of the site involves buying in specialist expertise or if the system is so fragile in its design that major portions must be altered or tested each time a small part is revised.

Contents

Graphics Multimedia Virtual Environments Visualisation Contents