To: (Course Instructor)

ENG 342

From: ---

Date: 10/31/04

Re: Final Project Proposal

Project Purpose

The purpose of this project is to create an effective and efficient home page for a new business. The business is an online writing program for homeschool students, called “Writing Tutorial.” This business is completely Web-based and thus must have an exceptional Web site.

This project is not simply being done to achieve a grade, but to help a business achieve success. It will be a challenging project because the target audience of the site is not necessarily computer- or internet- savvy, meaning the site must be easy to navigate. The development of the Web site will involve practical application of many, if not all, of the concepts addressed in WRA 210.

Project Product

The final product of this project will be several possible home pages for the Writing Tutorial. The plan for the home page tentatively consists of a logo, a slogan, the business name, copy that introduces the Writing Tutorial, and a navigation bar with approximately 10 links.

The multiple pages will vary in layout, color and design schemes. This includes font faces, accent colors, navigation tools, hierarchy and other concepts covered in WRA 210.

Project Audience

The target audience of this site consists of a primary group and a secondary group:  The primary target audience of the project (since it is to become a working business homepage) is parents of homeschool children. The parents will likely be visiting the site to obtain information about the Writing Tutorial as well as to enroll their children in the course and pay tuition.  The secondary target audience is homeschool children. As students enrolled in the Writing Tutorial, they will be accessing the site to download new assignments, upload completed papers, and check grades.

The target audience is a group not likely to have the most advanced computer resources, meaning that the site must be designed to work effectively in the lowest operating system. This means that pages should be designed with very few (and very small) graphics to reduce page loading time. The target audience also may be limited in their knowledge of computers and the internet. Thus, the site should be designed in such a way that it is very easy to understand and navigate. Taking the target audience into consideration for this project is crucial for its success. Technical Aspects and Resources

For this project, the main HTML editor will probably be Macromedia Dreamweaver. Adobe Photoshop will be used in the creation of the Writing Tutorial logo. It is possible that a scanner will be used to create the background image as well as images of sample graded papers.

Other resources:  a usability testing group consisting of homeschool parents and students  design and layout books with a focus on meeting target audience needs  html code books and Web-based guides: to aide in writing specific codes  published research about the demographics and characteristics of the homeschool market: to ensure that the site meets their needs  a professional graphic designer: to give consultation on the logo  a professional copywriter: to give consultation on the copy within the site  competitors Web sites: to give inspiration and ideas about what should or should not be included on the site

Similar Sites

I have only discovered two other online writing programs for homeschoolers; both sites are listed below. Additionally, I have included a site whose target audience is simply anyone who is interested in writing, which provides a good contrast to the other two sites.

Write Guide – www.writeguide.com – This site caters to homeschool families seeking a work-at- your-own-pace online writing program.

Similarities – The Writing Tutorial site will be similar to the Write Guide site in that it will include many of the same links: About Us, Contact, FAQ, Courses, Tuition, etc. The two sites are also similar in that they both involve a description of the course on the home page.

Differences – The Writing Tutorial site will differ from the Write Guide site in several ways. First, it will include more color. The Write Guide site uses only grays and tans; the Writing Tutorial site will incorporate more color, using blue, black and red accents on a white page. Additionally, the Write Guide site has many ambiguous and repeated links, with an inconsistent navigation bar. The Writing Tutorial will incorporate a very simple and elegant navigation tool.

Write At Home – www.writeathome.com – This is a site for another homeschool writing program that is Web-based.

Similarities – Both this site and the Writing Tutorial site incorporate a simple navigation bar. They are also similar in accent colors. Write At Home does a good job presenting information in a clear way. This site will likely be Writing Tutorial’s biggest competition.

Differences – Write At Home’s Web site include many images that could take a long time to download on a slow computer. Writing Tutorial’s Web site will be different in that it will not slow download time with pointless graphics or images. The Writing Tutorial site will also be different in that that navigation buttons will be more prominent and distinguishable.

Gotham Writers’ Workshop – www.writingclasses.com – Creative writing classes for any writer are offered online through this site.

Similarities – This site clearly lists all of the courses available through the site, which is similar to what the Writing Tutorial site will do. The colors are also similar to one of the color schemes being considered for the Writing Tutorial Web site.

Differences – This site’s target audience is not specifically homeschoolers or students, but simply anyone who is interested in writing. Additionally, the home page is very full. Almost too much information is presented on the home page. Conversely, the Writing Tutorial home page will be very simple while still managing to pull users deeper into the site.