Articles by Month: January 2004

Interface Design Issues #02: Consistency and standards

Andrei Michael Herasimchuk has written a blog entry on the importance of consistency and standards in interface design. To quote:

Consistency is one of the golden rules of interface design. There can be no question about this. It's important on many levels. When applied effectively in a design, consistency creates a foundation for a user to interact with the product in a predictable manner. Consistency creates usage patterns, offering users the opportunity to succeed in the face of an unknown feature encountered for the first time.

[Thanks to InfoDesign.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:00 AM | Permalink
Categories: Interface design, Usability & user-centered design

KM Challenge 2004 (Sydney, Australia)

SAI Global will be holding the KM Challenge 2004 in Sydney at the end of March. This is the foremost knowledge management conference run in Australia, and I have the pleasure of speaking at it on the topic of intranets and knowledge management.

Posted by jamesr at 04:26 PM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Thought Leader Forum

elearningpost has pointed out a very interesting site published by Credit Suisse called the Thought Leader Forum. Check out the 2003 Concept Cards in particular...

Posted by jamesr at 10:22 AM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

When is web content management right for an intranet?

Jim Howard has written an article looking at content management systems and intranets. To quote:

From a functional standpoint, intranets fall into a continuum. At one end, an intranet is a fully personalized, dynamic system, tightly connected to back-office applications -- let's call this a "portal-type intranet". On the other end is a less dynamic intranet, with forms, directories, calendars and so on, but without access to company accounting systems, corporate performance reporting, inventory or personal data -- we'll call this a "knowledge-sharing intranet."

Posted by jamesr at 08:05 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management, Intranets

CSS vault

The CSS Vault provides a gallery of sites designed using CSS, as well as a pile of supporting CSS resources. Well worth a visit.

[Thanks to Reloade.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:24 AM | Permalink
Categories: Web development

User experience books from 2003

Jess McMullin has written a list of user experience books from 2003. To quote:

Every year there are more user experience books than I have time to read. This list includes both books I've read, and books I hope to. If I missed a book (published in 2003) that you think I should include, drop a line in the comments and I'll add it.

[Thanks to Reloade.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:20 AM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

Capturing tacit knowledge: Do you know more than you think?

Bina Shah writes about capturing tacit knowledge, from a legal firm's perspective. To quote:

It is widely accepted that knowledge has two dimensions: explicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge can be captured, articulated and documented. It can also be codified and entered into an electronic repository of knowledge to be accessed by others. By contrast, a database cannot capture knowledge that resides in people's heads. Tacit knowledge is a mixture of deliberations, subjective insight, intuition and judgment that lawyers acquire by virtue of their experience and expertise. It is difficult to articulate in writing and is acquired through personal experience. It dates quickly and, very often, the lawyer will not even be aware that he or she has tacit knowledge on a subject. Professional support lawyers (PSLs) come up against the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge on a day-to-day basis.

[Thanks to excited utterances.]

Posted by jamesr at 11:28 AM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Judging the likely success of an ontology

John R. Harris has written a blog entry on the likely success of an ontology. To quote:

The debate about the promised value of the Semantic Web seems to me to be missing a dispassionate examination of the success, or otherwise, of existing ontology based solutions. Clay Shirky is obviously right when he states that a single monolithic ontology will never work. His critics are equally right when they claim the Semantic web will only work if it is a melange of multiple interoperable Ontologies. What is missing from the debate is a more detailed explanation of what ontologies are good at, how they interoperate, and why systems based on ontologies succeed or fail.

[Thanks to InfoDesign.]

Posted by jamesr at 11:25 AM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture

The business case for web accessibility

Andy Budd has written a blog entry on the business case for web accessibility. To quote:

Until recently, few people had heard of web site accessibility. However due in a large part to the work of the RNIB, the subject of web accessibility has hit mainstream. From industry magazines to the BBC, the topic of website accessibility is starting to enter the collective consciousness.

However there is still a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding the issue of web accessibility. In this article I hope to give a brief outline about exactly what web accessibility is, and then explain how building an accessible website can have a positive impact on your business, both in terms of PR and ROI.

[Thanks to Asterisk*.]

Posted by jamesr at 10:31 AM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

Solutions must deliver outcomes to the user context

Susan Harkus has written an article on the importance of user context when creating a website. To quote:

The problem was that in designing the solution, the Department ignored their own knowledge of the context in which the information would be used. Instead of applying their own insights, the Department, through consultants, asked their users for direction, when users never spend time thinking about their performance context. They just DO!

Posted by jamesr at 09:52 AM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

Movable Type for policies & procedures

D. Keith Robinson has written a blog entry on using Movable Type for policies and procedures on a hospital intranet. To quote:

I've had quite a few requests for details and screenshots of the hospital's new Movable Type intranet. I'm going to do my best to fulfil those requests and to start off I’ll give you an overview of one of the more useful and innovative ways in which we leveraged Movable Type's technology for our intranet -- our Policies and Procedures pages.

Posted by jamesr at 09:27 AM | Permalink
Categories: Intranets, Weblogs

The User Experience Cosmos

Javier Cañada has published a fascinating User Experience Cosmos, plotting people and disciplines on the axis of "heart - brain" and "mechanic - electronic". To quote:

What if we could use a north-south axis to represent the duality between the digital and the analog, and also use an east-west axis to articulate the the duality between the emotional and the rational? Once represented, we could place in this territory anything we could come up with: people, resources, disciplines, webs or products.

[Thanks to Lou Rosenfeld.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:18 AM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture, Usability & user-centered design

Getting your house in order

Shuli Goodman has written an article on content management processes, introducing the concept of "content competency". To quote:

Until recently, most corporations viewed the creation, acquisition and management of digital content as a relatively informal process. However, the sheer volume of information and knowledge flowing though companies today -- coupled with the need to create meaningful and useful digital communication that is reusable, personalized, localized and published across multiple channels -- makes it impossible to succeed with rudimentary tools and ad hoc approaches. Successfully managing content to support a knowledge management effort involves investments of people, time and money, not to mention a mastery of all the various phases of the content lifecycle.

[Thanks to elearningpost.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:05 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

The role of business analyst - a need but no room for HCI?

David N Clarke writes about the lack of HCI in business analyst roles. To quote:

Business Analyst and Systems Analyst are job titles most of us are familiar with. But do you know what an analyst is supposed to do, and do you agree with the validity of such a role? In this brief article I will take a look at what is being asked of Analysts by potential employers and whether somebody with education in Human Computer Interaction could do the job, by discussing my personal experience interviewing for one such position.

Posted by jamesr at 03:52 PM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

When Word-to-XML conversion gets nasty

Michael Gross has written an article on the challenges of converting Word to XML. To quote:

Most of the challenges faced when converting documents from MS Word to XML are typical of the challenges that you'll face when converting documents from any word-processing/desktop publishing mode (used to give it a particular look on a piece of paper) to a structure/content basis, where you're trying to explicitly indicate what something is, not how it looks.

This articles goes through some common issues which I have personally seen on many occasions. I would go one step further, and say that it is impossible to automatically convert unstructured sources into structured formats. I have been involved in some serious conversion projects, so this is a statement I can support with plenty of evidence...

Posted by jamesr at 12:22 PM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

NSW KM Forum meeting (February, Sydney)

The first meeting for 2004 of the NSW KM Forum is eagerly awaited, and will not disappoint you. Get this date in your diary: Thursday February 5th (place and time below). Our speaker for the evening is all the way from Canberra, Francesco Sofo, and his well thought out topic is "Open Your Mind: The 7 Keys to Thinking Critically".

There will also be a chance to find out what the NSW KM Forum is planning for the year, and who's who in the zoo (the zoo being an emerging Sydney KM theme for 2004). As ever, the meeting will slide into the pub afterwards for more informal knowledge sharing.

Here's a preview of what Francesco is promising us:

Thinking critically is about stopping to reconsider what you take for granted. It means re-evaluating your habits to improve the way you do things. It is a journey of exploration. It is about re-discovering something you already know. It will take you back to where you started so that you will understand in a new way. Thinking critically is a shift in perspective, even if it is just a very small shift. It is about increasing your own awareness. It is about letting go of strongly held beliefs. It is about creating a new mental model, a new mindset. This seminar will give a brief overview of the seven keys of critical thinking and engage you in an activity to test out these principles in a group.

Francesco Sofo (PhD) is Associate Professor of Human Resource Development at the University of Canberra. He is responsible for the Graduate programs in professional development education and the Master of HRD course. Open your mind (Allen and Unwin) is Sofo's third book. Sofo has a passion for helping people and organisations to improve their professional approach and effectiveness.

We meet on the first Thursday of the month, at Standards Australia. The usual format is: Turn up by 5:30pm, talks start at 6pm. Finishes at 7:30pm, and then down the road for drinks and chats.

WHERE:

Standards Australia
Level 6
286 Sussex St
(Corner of Bathurst St) Sydney NSW

Latecomers, call Cris on 0414 635 361 for access.

Posted by jamesr at 01:08 PM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Best practices and case studies: be very afraid

Allen Weiss has written an article on best practices and case studies, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. To quote:

When teaching with a case study approach, one thing you learn very quickly is that many case studies use sanitized data because companies don't want their competitors to know what they are really doing. (So whenever I see a case study being offered on the Web, the first thing I always wonder is, Would someone really want to tell their competitors what they are doing?)

The second, and more important, thing is that a case study is simply a single instance, or what one company in their usually very unique circumstance was able (or not able) to pull off.

[Thanks to elearningpost.]

Posted by jamesr at 07:36 AM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Five ideas for 2004

Mark Hurst has written up his five ideas for 2004, covering user experience in the online world. His list:

1. Organization is the hardest part of user experience work
2. The big picture is the only picture
3. Experience is bigger than Web usability
4. Blogs are just content management systems
5. Managing one's bits is an increasingly essential skill

[Thanks to Tomalak's Realm.]

Posted by jamesr at 07:30 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management, Information architecture, Usability & user-centered design

Template files for web projects

e-consultancy has published a set of template files for web projects, including the following:

• Contract for Web Services
• Web Project Plan
• Usability (various)
• Site Map
• Functional Specification
• Technical Specification
• Content Plan
• Privacy Policy
• User Agreement
• Wireframes
• Style Guide
• Maintenance and Service Level Agreement
• Site Evaluation Framework

(A more comprehensive version is available for purchase.)

Posted by jamesr at 02:31 PM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture, Usability & user-centered design, Web development

The Perfect 404

Ian Lloyd has written an article on creating the perfect 404 page (the "page not found" page). To quote:

Welcome to the world of the Error 404 page. You've requested a page -- either by typing a URL directly into the address bar or clicking on an out-of-date link and you've found yourself in the middle of cyberspace nowhere. A user-friendly website will give you a helping hand while many others will simply do nothing, relying on the browser's built-in ability to explain what the problem is. We can do better than that, can't we?

Posted by jamesr at 06:34 PM | Permalink
Categories: Web development

Integrating weblog aggregation data with enterprise data

Michael Angeles has created a diagram showing how to use HR data to connect people, using both weblog and enterprise systems. To quote:

Specifically, how do you make aggregated data integrate with other views of enterprise information? The diagram below illustrates how employee data (HR data) can be leveraged to connect people to various types of interests, publications, etc. on the intranet.

[Thanks to pixelcharmer.]

Posted by jamesr at 01:05 PM | Permalink
Categories: Content management, Intranets, Weblogs

Reflection & retrospects

Denham Grey has written a blog entry on group reflection, and its role in knowledge management. To quote:

Group reflection is a powerful way to surface insights, assumptions and issues. Knowledge practices that support & encourage reflection, evaluation, validation and critique can be very powerful.

Posted by jamesr at 01:01 PM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Colored boxes - one method of building full CSS layouts

Russ Weakley has written another practical tutorial on building full CSS layouts. To quote:

How do you go about building a full CSS layout? Is there an overall method that can be used for any layout?

This article explains one method of building a full CSS layout from start to finish. The method, based on positioning colored boxes and testing across a range of browsers, can be used to build a wide range of full-CSS layouts.

Posted by jamesr at 08:24 AM | Permalink
Categories: Web development

Designing for limited resources

Laura S. Quinn has written an article on designing for limited resources, which looks at how constraints can be managed as part of the design process. To quote:

... good online experience design must accommodate real-world limitations. From a purely practical perspective, this approach ensures that the system can be built and supported effectively. I have also found, though, that it is quite liberating to stop striving for some imaginary ideal design, and to strive instead for the best user experience that can be achieved with the available resources. In this mindset, limitations become creative challenges rather than frustrating barriers to the "right" design.

Posted by jamesr at 11:03 AM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

Introductory Usability Evaluation (Canberra, Australia)

This is a new-years reminder about our Introductory Usability Evaluation workshop to be held in Canberra on 11 March 2004. With numbers strictly limited to 20 places, you'll want to get in early, as we expect it to sell out.

(Special note: we are offering a 40% discount for full-time students, or a 10% discount for ACS members.)

Posted by jamesr at 08:29 AM | Permalink
Categories:

Intranet Peers in Government (Sydney, Australia)

Just a quick reminder that it's now less than a week until the early-bird rate expires for the upcoming Intranet Peers in Government event to be held in Sydney on 19-20 February 2004.

Posted by jamesr at 08:24 AM | Permalink
Categories:

Choosing an intranet project sponsor

The second January CM Briefing discusses choosing an intranet project sponsor. To quote:

Lack of project sponsorship is one of the greatest causes of IT project failure. For an organisation-wide platform such as an intranet, the need is even greater.

Posted by jamesr at 05:20 PM | Permalink
Categories: Intranets, James' articles

Sources of CMS uncertainty

The first of my CM Briefings for January looks at sources of CMS uncertainty. To quote:

In the context of limited budgets and timetables, organisations must identify the most uncertain aspects of a CMS project, and concentrate management efforts on them.

Posted by jamesr at 05:18 PM | Permalink
Categories: Content management, James' articles

Five ways to identify intranet usability issues

January's KM Column features an article by Donna Maurer on ways of identifying intranet usability problems. To quote:

This article provides five techniques to identify likely usability problems in your intranet. Some techniques provide indications about where the main problems lie, others provide concrete evidence.

Posted by jamesr at 05:16 PM | Permalink
Categories: Intranets, Usability & user-centered design

A Movable Type intranet

Keith Robinson has written a blog entry about using Movable Type to create an intranet, for a hospital. To quote:

Down at the hospital we are in the process of moving a huge portion of our intranet into Movable Type -- about 90%. This includes departmental sites, informational sites, applications and just about a bit of everything else.

It's a really remarkable and interesting solution that I think will pay huge dividends. If it goes smoothly, which I have no doubt it should, we're going to be able to provide very low cost (both in effort and monetarily) distributed authorship and increase functionality for both our users and stakeholders.

[Thanks to John Robb.]

Posted by jamesr at 08:34 AM | Permalink
Categories: Intranets, Weblogs

Web content management predictions for 2004

Gerry McGovern has published his content management predictions for 2004. To quote:

This is the year when web content comes of age. Organizations will slowly stop viewing content as some cost that needs to be managed. Instead, they will begin to see content as an asset that can drive profits and productivity. A new role will emerge within many organizations: the publisher/editor.

Posted by jamesr at 08:18 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Making meaning

Denham Grey has written a blog entry on how to share meaning. To quote:

How do we come to share meaning and what is the relation between meaning, understanding, ontology and knowledge?. Is there a route to shared meaning and are there degrees and depths?

Posted by jamesr at 07:03 PM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Even more CMS sites

There seems to have been a flurry of interest in creating content management sites at the moment, with two new collaborative forums appearing today:

• Wiki Workgroup on Content Management Systems
  Published by Semiotic.Pixels, based on an internal workgroup resource on CMS.
• Project CMS
  A threaded discussion group on content management.

Posted by jamesr at 07:01 PM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

edNA knowledge management portal

edNA (Education Network Australia) has published a new knowledge management portal. To quote:

Welcome to the Knowledge Management (KM) Community area. This is a knowledge sharing space for all knowledge workers. There is an increasing acceptance of KM in many organisations. Some organisations have successfully implemented KM strategies while others are implementing or interested in KM. In this community we can all learn together how we could effectively manage knowledge. You can contribute to this community by suggesting links to KM and your own research papers.

[Thanks to Alastair Rylatt.]

Posted by jamesr at 01:12 PM | Permalink
Categories: Knowledge management

Back in the office

Happy new year to all!

Well, I'm back in the office after the Christmas break (although you will have noticed that I've been using my PC from home over the last few days). Having rested fully, I'm full of new ideas, with the energy to match. Watch this space for a number of announcements over the coming month...

Posted by jamesr at 01:08 PM | Permalink
Categories:

CMS wiki

A brand new wiki has just been established on content management systems. It is designed to be a central resource on CMS issues, products, features, and consultants.

I've started adding some useful information onto this site, I hope you'll support it too. (Just click the "edit" button at the bottom of any page, and start typing.) I think we can make this a tremendously valuable site, like the excellent IAwiki.

Posted by jamesr at 01:48 PM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Information design of community-building

Sandra Maddox has written an article on the information design of community sites. To quote:

This article will speak to the issue that there are certain design considerations which are critical for successful, long-lasting community building on the web that may have no importance or may have lesser importance in a non-community-oriented web site. I will address six of the most important considerations here, but it is not meant to be an exhaustive list. Anyone desiring more in-depth coverage of this topic should see the "Other Community-building Resources" section at the end.

[Thanks to InfoDesign.]

Posted by jamesr at 10:45 AM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture, Knowledge management, Usability & user-centered design

CMS: How to make sure yours is not the downfall of your web site

Reid Carr has written an article on how to use a CMS effectively to maintain a website, from the perspective of a marketing executive. To quote:

While investing in a CMS is a step in the right direction, organizations must understand the tool's limitations--that CMS will not do it all for you. Content management systems are no replacement for procedures. Companies need to employ sound management procedures, an outlined strategy and careful implementation to ensure that the Web site best represents the company.

[Thanks to Hilary Marsh.]

Posted by jamesr at 10:23 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

UK CMS sites

Paul Browning has released the results of a survey on the use of CMS in the UK higher education and further education market. To quote:

In summary, there were 49 returns, 11 with no CMS, 8 with an open source or in house system, and the remainder using commercial products. I have not included universities which had not then decided between 2 or 3 short-listed products.

Posted by jamesr at 10:11 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Through The Web (TTW) authoring tools

Paul Browning has written a report on CMS authoring tools, published by JISC in the UK. To quote:

Within browser (or TTW - "Through the Web") editing technologies, when combined with a content management system (CMS), can provide a write-enabled Web. TTW authoring can be achieved using a number of approaches - some of the technologies have been available since 1996.

A note from the author:

Note that the intended audience is principally UK higher and further education institutions. The concentration on open source solutions, and the use of Zope/Plone as the CM framework/system in the examples, reflects the current trends within this sector.

Posted by jamesr at 10:08 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

New weblog category: James' articles

I've just created a new weblog category: James' articles, grouping together all the articles I've written over the last year or so. Note that this listing only goes back to the start of the Column Two weblog. Browse the full list to see all the articles published by Step Two Designs.

Posted by jamesr at 12:03 PM | Permalink
Categories: James' articles

Key research findings related to user-centered design (2002–2003)

Kath Straub has published an article on the key research findings relating to user-centred design. To quote:

This year we present key findings of many of the papers presented in the 2003 PRP course. As such, in addition to providing design guidance, this list provides you recent research references to directly justify your analysis, design, and testing decisions.

[Thanks to InfoDesign.]

Posted by jamesr at 11:15 AM | Permalink
Categories: Usability & user-centered design

Enterprise IA as intellectual property

Lou Rosenfeld has written a blog entry on information architecture as intellectual property. To quote:

And down the road, we might start seeing enterprises take their information architecture a bit more seriously, seeking to establish it as intellectual property treated in much the same way as products and services. I'm kind of looking forward to the day that the business logic that drives selection of a site's related links might be patented. As soon as the lawyers get involved, you'll know that IA has arrived.

Posted by jamesr at 10:24 AM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture

Liquid layouts the easy way

Russ Weakley has written another excellent tutorial, this time on using CSS to create liquid layouts. To quote:

This article explains one method of achieving a successful liquid layout as well as providing basic definitions of liquid, fixed-width and em-driven layouts.

[Thanks to logos.]

Posted by jamesr at 10:11 AM | Permalink
Categories: Web development

How to make a faceted classification and put It on the web

William Denton has written a truly excellent article on using faceted classification on the web, in which step-by-step practical details are provided on creating and applying faceted classification in the real world. To quote:

This paper will attempt to bridge the gap by giving procedures and advice on all the steps involved in making a faceted classification and putting it on the web. Web people will benefit by having a rigorous seven-step process to follow for creating faceted classifications, and librarians will benefit by understanding how to store such a classification on a computer and make it available on the web. The paper is meant for both webmasters and information architects who do not know a lot about library and information science, and librarians who do not know a lot about building databases and web sites. The classifications are meant for small or medium-sized sets of things, meant to go on public or private web sites, when there is a need to organize items for which no existing classification will do. It is certainly not the intent of this paper to show how to build another universal classification, nor to describe how a library that uses a faceted classification scheme can put their catalogue online.

[Thanks to Catalogablog.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:48 AM | Permalink
Categories: Information architecture, XML

More vendor consolidation despite ECM market growth

IDM reports on a recent Meta Group report covering the future of enterprise content management (ECM). To quote:

While the worldwide enterprise content management (ECM) market will continue to grow at a healthy rate, further vendor consolidation is expected in the next two years.

Posted by jamesr at 09:35 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Should a "Big 5" Firm Implement Your CMS?

Matthew Clapp has written an article on choosing a CMS consulting firm, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of "Big 5" firms and smaller consultancies. To quote:

A very common question I hear is, "on whom should I rely to build my content management system?" This is a good question, because CMS buyers can turn to the software vendor’s professional services organization (PSO), outside consultants and integrators, and their own in-house tech staff -- or some combination of the above.

Posted by jamesr at 09:28 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Archive for cms-list

There is now an archive for the ever-excellent cms-list, the most active and constructive mailing list on content management issues.

[Thanks to CMSWatch.]

Posted by jamesr at 09:24 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management

Ten steps for cleaning up information pollution

Jakob Nielsen has written an article on cleaning up information pollution. To quote:

Better prioritization, fewer interruptions, and concentrated information that's easy to find and manage helps people become more productive and stop wasting their colleagues' time.

Posted by jamesr at 09:07 AM | Permalink
Categories: Content management, Intranets, Knowledge management