Michelle Evans Blog

ON THE IMPORTANCE OF DESIGN BRIEFS!!

I currently work as a designer for a company that has a head office in Melbourne (I am in Queensland), I receive design briefs which are usually a couple of sentences on an email from my boss.  I have to take this ‘brief’ and try and determine what the client is looking for.  My manager meets with the clients – so I miss out on any face to face interaction.  I usually have a list of questions and I call my manager and grill him for more details about the client, what they were like, their attitudes, opinion, preferences…I feel that these things are important when developing a design and cannot always be communicated effectively after the meeting.  I find I have to do much more research on the client than I would if we used formal design briefs.  More time would be spent on the design and less trying to guess what the client is wanting!!!  Help!!

Hi everyone,

The core offering of the Lyprinol USA website is the Lyprinol roduct which is available for sale online with a range of product information on offer to the site user.

Lyprinol is a single product that is marketed through its USA website. Lyprinol is popular all natural anti-inflammatory drug sold all over the world under a trade marked brand. It has a large following and continues to grow its customer base on a week by week basis through media, internet marketing and a strong referral base.

The website has a range of content and good functions including e-commerce.

The problem it faces is that the content is poorly presented, the design changes from page to page, and some areas of the site do not work thus creating trust issues with the site’s users preventing sales.

For the redesign I will focus on the design and content concerns of the home page as this is the gateway to the website and plays an essential role to creating a positive user experience.

Home page design/content issues:

Content is all over the place

Too many fonts and styles makes the site look cheap

No mention that it is an official website

3 order buttons on the same horizontal plan 2 of which don’t work

Menu item “News Special” dead link

TV special links although looking good do not work

Sitemap in footer incomplete

Dated design

Sketches to follow asap.

 What is the difference between a dynamic vs static website?

 Dynamic and static in terms of website can be looked at a few different ways.

 1) Movement
A static website has no movement, where as a dynamic website has movement (e.g. images, movies, flash animation, pop ups and even sound).

 2) Content Being Updated
A static website content stays the same forever or a long period of time, where as a dynamic website is updated regularly. Note even a website made from very basic HTML updated regularly could be dynamic under this view.

 3) Database driven
A static website gets its content from loading coded pages, where a dynamic site loads its data from a database, this could include customising elements based on user preference or updating news articles.

 Why are these differences perceived as important? 
A site that is dynamic can be seen as more focused on the users. It can offer a customised experience and make the user feel more comfortable (e.g. having things the way they way).  It can also show the site as being progressive and current by having easy to update and maintain content sections.

What kind of technology might we use to build a website with dynamic content? 
Flash for animation.
Flash can connect to load databases.
PDFs can by dynamically generated.
ASP .NET can load databases and customise pages as can PHP.
JavaScript can generate dynamic content such as dates.
MySQL, Microsoft SQL can be used to provide database structure. 

Who might we work with in order to develop a dynamic website?
Client
Project Manager
Graphic Designer
Programmer
Database Developer
Hosting Providers

Using the new environment from the previous weeks, research what kinds of technologies may have been used to construct it. Post your findings on your blog.

Is the content dynamic? Or is it static?
The website lyprinolusa.com offers a mix of dynamic and static content. The products are dynamic, most of the other pages with the exception of testimonials are static.

Does it use simply XHTML, or does it also use another technology like Adobe Flash, for instance.
The website uses flash in a very basic manner. The site uses PHP to generate dynamic content all the rest of the pages are standard XHTML.

Hi Michael,

As per your feedback I have changed the site that I am looking at to lyprinolusa.com. Lyprinol is a major pharmaceutical product distributed internationally.

In your new environment you have already been reviewing, how is communication design/graphic design used?
The environment uses communication design / graphic design in a number of ways including:
- To present content in the form of a website layout
- To sell products by focusing on consumer benefits and online ordering functionality
- To establish credibility through the use of pictures representing happy / satisfied people

The communication design / graphic design could be greatly improved throughout the site this in particular applies to the layout of content which is inconsistent and all over the place.

How is identity expressed? Consider the colour palette and visual treatment, but also the writing style of copy being used.
Identity is expressed through the use of the company brand and associated images. The branding on the site and colour themes are consistent throughout the Lyprinol site’s globally. This is bought through from the product packaging.

Although the design and layout look dated (no animation or special functions) the colours are consistent and calming in harmony with the nature of the products, anti-inflammatory.

The writing style of the site repeatedly pushes the brand name (e.g. 10 times in 5 small paragraphs), it tries to appeal to a broad range of people offering scientific and natural data on the product and case studies from people of all walks of life.

How does the new environment communicate to users?
The environment communicates to the user through a series of sections on the website structured in a Q&A format. It takes the user from initial basic information to detailed scientific information to being able to by the products online.

And how does this communication/graphic design contribute to the user experience?
The user experience is adequate, but not fantastic. The graphic design and communication design is pleasant enough aesthetically but practically the flow in some places is hard and the various levels of sub menus are not easily accessible from the main page or from other sub pages. That said the user does get a feeling they are on the official site and with a little bit of work can find everything they need.

 Skype – www.skype.com

 Skype is free software that enables the user to make free video and voice calls, and share files and text messages with other Skype users from computer to computer using the internet (VOIP).  The user is also able to make low cost calls to landlines and mobile phones.  Skype is also available on a range of mobile phones and the PlayStation Portable.

 Skype.com is the official website of Skype software. 

 This website has a straightforward and user-friendly design with the main functions accessible from the homepage being;

• Download Skype software
• Instructions on how to use Skype
• The Skype shop which enable the user to purchase Skype credit for calls that are not free and also purchase Skype accessories such as headsets, webcams and phones.
• Skype for Business
• Access to your Skype account

Upon entering the homepage you immediately notice the clean, colourful graphics and user-friendly format which is successful in creating a fun and easygoing atmosphere. 

Throughout the entire website there is not too much information “too much noise” on each page, therefore the user does not feel overwhelmed or intimidated, which facilitates a positive atmosphere.  I feel that this is extremely important as in my experience as a user there is nothing worse than having too much information and choice thrown at you because it creates a feeling of uncertainty about where to go and how to find the information you require.  The user needs fast and easy access to information. 

The homepage allows easy access to the users primary requirements with the Download button being first on the horizontal menu and Find out More is prominately featured on the middle of the homepage.

Usability and accessibility of the Help page could be improved as it is currently represented by tiny blue text in the right hand corner of the page and it took me a few seconds to find it.  A larger more prominent Help button would improve the user experience.

 The Help section is clear and divided into different Operating Systems, it contains links to Popular Queries (aka FAQ’s), Browse Help Topics, and Related links including a Step-by-step help guide which provides useful information in a simple format on topics including;

• To start Skype,
• Call someone who’s on Skype
• Send instant messages (IMs)

Skype.com contains a business section and when you enter this page the design of the site immediately transforms into a corporate feel with the colourful graphics replaced by stylish photos and a muted, neutral colour palette.  Business testimonials featured on the page such as Rip Curl creates an impression of credibility and trust.

Overall I think Skype.com provides a very positive and practical user experience which would appeal to both experienced and inexperienced internet users.

For my second post I have looked at which new environments have impacted my life and why.

Work

The change in enviroments of work have changed dramtically over the last 10 years. The current enviroments are real time, interactive, innovative and exciting like never before. Some of these enviroments include:

-         Mobile enviroment: With BlackBerry’s and iPhones information is transferred at a rapid rate, calanders, e-mails, files, and contacts shared between everyone.

-         Intranet: When I started in the design industry the level of file sharing was passing a folder around the office. Now we have a huge international intranet for file sharing between staff and clients anywhere at any time.

-         Web 2.0: YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, Blogging are a big part of what we work on for our clients brands. This level of interaction is increasing and real time feedback from consumers and those with an interest in the brands can give such a great insight and really help with refining and redefining campigns.

-         Others include:

• Discussion forums
• Webinars
• Online learning

Social and Personal

I often shop for fashion online and find it easier to access overseas fashion items that are not currently available in Australian shops.  I use Amazon to order books both for work and personal.

Coles online has recently become available on the Gold Coast and I have used this to shop for groceries a few times although if your internet is slow it can take way longer than actually going to the supermarket.  I have found that some products are limited or not available at all and the prices of products have been increased compared to the supermarket prices as well as having to pay for the delivery charge.

I also use the social networking site Facebook.

Affect on my life

These types of environments have had both positive and some what negative impacts on me! One of the negative aspects that I am working hard to over come is the “always online” scenario. Being able to access files and e-mail from the mobile phone, laptop and even the play station means that work is always there and always in the back of your mind (if only I could get over time for all these extra hours!!!) That said I love what I do.

Overall though there are far more positives then negatives. The instant availability to quality information anywhere and at anytime is one of the best aspects of these different environments. Connecting with people who I may never have met and being able to stay in touch with clients and colleagues and share knowledge is also one of the big positives.