Subject: UWired Usability Committee - August 27 Minutes



NEXT MEETING: Friday, September 24, 2:30-3:30pm
  ACC Ground Floor, C&C Client Services hosting

             UWired Usability Committee 
                Friday, August 27

Present: Marcy Tufarolo, Connie Missmer, Scott Macklin, 
  Bill Corrigan, Rick Ells

FRAMES DISCUSSION

 We had a lively discussion of the use of frames
 Main conclusions seemed to be the following:
  o People are developing UW sites with frames
    architecture without understanding the 
    strategic implications of such a design,
     - most search engines cannot penetrate
       frames sites
     - individual pages within a frames site
       cannot be bookmarked (within the frames
       context)
     - links to pages within the site are 
       awkward - page comes up but not in the
       frames context
  o Interconnectibility and interoperativity
    are probably the best approaches for 
    opening discussions on the suitability of
    frames designs in UW sites.
  o Frames may be appropriate for some sites:
     - application/registration sites
     - database query sites
     - some distance learning sites
    Users come to such sites for a specific 
    task, they often must authenticate or pay
    to get entry, pages may be database driven,
    and you do not want people bookmarking 
    pages within the site.
  o The problems with frames are often not 
    apparent within the site itself, but 
    become significant when trying to build
    interconnectivity and interoperability 
    across many sites.       

  Needs:
    - Need to explore best designs for different
      purposes
    - Need guidelines on strategic choices inherent 
      in each design  

ONGOING PROJECTS

  o Judy Ramey wants us to evaluate the 
    heuristics developed during the summer 
    conference, as soon as she has the 
    procedures ready.
  o Bill Corrigan is developing a courses
    management system and will be looking
    for people to help with usability 
    testing. Rollout is in January.
    System runs off of SQL database using 
    Web Management Group software. 
  o Kathryn Sharpe has developed a 
    Usability Flash Test methodology
    for on-the-fly UTs and quick summary. 
  o Rick Ells is working a Design page for
    Webguides, addressing common design questions
    about pages for www.washington.edu and
    for sites connected to therefrom.

NEW DIRECTIONS

 Database Driven Sites

  More and more sites are database driven:
   o C&C Computer Training
   o Instructor Class descriptions
  Software/hardware includes SQL server, NT,
  Unix Informix

 Streaming Video
 
 Bob Majors in Language Learning Center reports
 streaming video at slower rates (under 100Kbps)
 does not work for language, because image is 
 too blurry and jerky to follow gestures and 
 expressions.

 Carin Johnson in Extension reports success
 in putting a tutorial on-line by
 streaming audio with slides, controlled by
 Synchronized Media Integration Language
 (SMIL). Works well even with low bandwidth 
 connections. Her test site is at
  http://www.extension.washington.edu/webulearningobjects/datacom116/slideshow/
 Info on SMIL is located at
  http://www.streamingmediaworld.com/smil/news/index.html   


KEY DEVELOPERS SUMMIT

 Scott proposed that UWired sponsor a UW-wide
 "Key Developers Summit" to explore topics 
 such as:
  o Usability Heuristics - Report on Judy Ramey's 
    heuristics development and results
  o Quickie UTs - Kathryn Sharpe's usability flash 
    test 
  o Integrity of navigation - maintaining 
    interconnectivity and comprehendability of 
    navigation within a site and across sites
  o Choices - Making informed decisions about 
    site design, minimizing post-installation 
    epiphanies ("My goodness, I did not know my 
    site would not be searchable!") 
  o Dynamic stability - Site designs that are 
    stable in the long run as content grows, 
    interrelationships change, and emphasis shifts 

 Other ideas:
  o Keep summit fairly small, maybe 16 people
  o Invite folks from HSCER, Extension, Publication
    Services, UWired, Webguides 
  o Hold summit first or second week of December
    at UWired
  o Have a notable speaker (Judy Ramey, Allen
    Woodard) give kick-off talk

ACTIONS

 1. Rick and Scott will meet to mock up a one page
    proposal for the summit for next meeting
 2. Judy Ramey will get her heuristics ready for 
    committee review/testing/comment


 |- Rick Ells - 543-2875 - rells@cac.washington.edu - Rm 301 4545 Bldg -|
 |-                http://staff.washington.edu/rells/                  -|