Questions for Widener

Rare Books Project Proposal

UT Law Library Rare Books Project Proposal

Group members include: Greg Argo Chien-Cheng Chou Kristin Davis Amy Reese Irma Zavaleta

Description of the Project:

We have been commissioned to redesign the Tarleton Library’s Rare Book Collection Law Dictionary Web site. It exists as one long annotated bibliography, divided by different national laws and organized alphabetically by last name. Also included at the end is an internally hyperlinked (anchored) index of authors, also divided by national law and organized alphabetically by last name. Taking these two organizational attributes, and possibly adding a few more, we aim to make navigating the rare book collection easier for different groups seeking to browse by different attributes. Pending selection of a new site design, the file structure may be reorganized. We also aim to work with those responsible for the Tarleton and Law School Web sites so that we may integrate the Rare Book Collection Web site into the larger context of the Tarleton and Law School Web sites.

Scope of Project:

The scope of this project will involve first soliciting feedback from members of the Tarleton Library staff and potential users to provide a user-centered Web experience. Communicating our ideas with our main contact at Tarleton, Mike Widener, via storyboards, wireframes, and other prototypes throughout the process will assure a product that has been streamlined according to the wishes of both the designers and the customer. We will also provide a new organizational structure (likely broad and shallow and hyperlinked) for optimal information access (likely browsing by a variety of attributes), applying a consistent labeling schema and hypertext links where appropriate. We will design and program the HTML code for all new pages. Finding a place on the larger Tarleton Library site that will attract more attention and make for easier access to this site will be discussed with current Tarleton Web masters. The result should be a more user-controlled experience nested in the same Tarleton Library templates.

385E Information Architecture and Design l Fall 2004

of 5 Rare Books Project Proposal

Timeline for the Project:

Week Date Description of Activities 1 Sep 14-21 Interview Mike Widener Draft Initial Project Proposal/Spec. Document Design and Organization Brainstorm Choose roles 2 22-28 Create Prototypes Present navigational prototypes to Widener Create Content Map/Inventory Create browsing categories Create Customer Analysis Document 3 29-4 Present Prototypes-Feedback, refine; Taxonomies Crude Storyboards Item Templates Brainstorm Site Index Scan images 4 Oct 5-12 Create mid-fi prototype of navigation and layout(10/5) Scan images(10/5) Naming conventions(10/5) Update workflow(10/5) Continue refining other elements Refine content map 5 13-19 Create labels and hyperlinks/file directory(10/5) Begin content inventory Spreadsheet of titles (old and new) Mid-fi prototypes for Widener 6 20-26 Design specs key Continue content inventory Scan images Categorize spreadsheet of titles, refine with Widener(10/18) Compile donor list(10/18) Create templates 7 27-2 Finish up content inventory(10/18) Merge spreadsheets of titles into master document(10/18) Refine Site map (Add correct hyperlinks 10/18) Create file directory Pitch content management system to Widener 8 Nov 3-9 Create hyperlinks(10/5) Design specs key Meet with Tarleton webmaster about the Rare Books position in the grander architecture of library site Start filling in content and design elements(10/18)

9 10-16 Finish adding content and hyperlinking(10/18) Hi-fi testing with Widener 10 17-23 Implement and launch Site 11 24-30 Maintain and Evaluate, Final meeting with Widener

Main roles in the project Although all group members will participate in every aspect of the project, the following members are responsible for each of the roles listed below: 1. Customer and market research liaison Kristin Davis 2. Coordinator/Scheduler (1 or 2) Amy Reese / Kristin Davis 3. Documentation and reports (1 or 2) Greg Argo / Irma Zavaleta 4. Prototypers (2) Chien-Cheng Chou 5. Designers (2) Amy Reese / Irma Zavaleta

6. Content and Access: Labels, Greg Argo / Kristin Davis taxonomies, categories, hyperlinks 7. HTML programming and templates Chien-Cheng Chou-lead, Kristin Davis, Amy Reese, Irma Zavaleta(added 10/5), Greg Argo 8. Scanning images(added 10/5) Amy Reese, Irma Zavaleta(added 10/5)

Project Expectations: -Customer Contact: Mike Widener - at least weekly email; - an initial meeting, - followed by periodic face-to-face meetings to present prototypes and receive feedback; -research with current and potential donors. Mike Widener will provide the project group team with a list of current and potential donors who have pre-approved contact for prototype testing. -Critical Success Factors: -Early discernment of organization scheme for browsing -Strong contact with Widener in lieu of strong potential customer contact -Early receipt of previous HTML files and templates from the Tarleton Law Library -Hyperlink analysis

What has happened: September 14-21: -Amy and Kristin meet with Widener initially -We find out there has been no tracking of Web site usage -Amy and Kristin each write a report chronicling the meeting 385E Information Architecture and Design l Fall 2004

-Greg and Irma create project proposal and customer analysis document; decide a business analysis document can be bypassed since most of that info is found in customer analysis document -Suss out main roles for project -We schedule Sundays as a time for the whole group to meet and make decisions on all roles September 22-28: -Chien-Cheng creates a JavaScript tree menu and pitches it to the group -Chien-Cheng creates the beginning stages of the mid-fi prototype/wireframes (the shell of the Web site’s navigation including the Tarleton header and navigation on top) -Greg and Irma finish customer analysis document and decide on further reports to create, including one to inventory and organize all content - At Sunday meeting we decide on naming conventions for our categories, since there a only a few things to consistently label -Debate how to break down content (from one long page to a separate page for each book) September 29-Oct 4: -Amy presented Javascript menu to Widener – he vetoes it because his Webmaster outlaws all Javascript -Amy and Widener come to conclusions about break down of content, deciding that there should be an introductory page, an image per entry, and that a separate entry for each Web page isn’t the way to go -Amy writes report of meeting with Widener -Greg creates the Group Workflow Web site and posts material created thus far -Irma creates initial content map and content inventory -Greg creates crude storyboards October 5-12 -Chien-Cheng creates mid-fi prototype of new navigation system discussed at Sunday meeting-it looks great -Chien-Cheng expresses concern about maintenance of new entries, headers and footers and proposes a simple content management system -Amy and Irma go to Tarleton on Saturday and scan images of about half the dictionaries -Responding to feedback from Turnbull regarding the initial Project Proposal, Greg updates the workflow Web site with dates, changes and a section to report on the process -Kristin begins wrapping her head around the added entries problem

IA Development Methods Communication: -Email: by email group -Face-to-face meeting and working sessions -Discussion board -URL’s and other computer file prototypes -During and after class -Telephone Workflow: Visitor at UT Austin Tarlton Law Library Law Dictionary Website

Introduction to Explanation of call Index of authors List of department Law Dictionary number system collections Website List of authors List of department by country and core collection by author last name country Individual page containing author List of individual bio and description author works of author’s work within country.