Author: IDEA

Atomic time on the web

March 16th, 2006 by IDEA

Globalized commerce and communications requires precision timekeeping. IDEA designed and produced National Clocks for the U.S.A. and Malaysia. Aesthetically appealing, web-based interfaces allow users to conveniently access their official national time – across different time zones if necessary. IDEA was an innovator in government web services — time.gov went online in 1999, and the Malaysian

Evaluating evidence

March 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Creating an atmosphere of discovery by allowing visitors to evaluate evidence. Problem You want to explain a multi-faceted problem and have visitors evaluate the evidence. Solution Develop a series of web pages, on which they are directed to note their opinion about each piece of evidence and analyze the problem. If, for example, your site

Community features

March 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Online communities can take many forms, and add depth and breadth to your site. Problem You want to create an online community that adds value to your site. Solution The Internet offers the opportunity to create virtual communities using a range of technologies, including blogs, forums, and guest books; email lists; page comments; ratings; and

Visitor-generated content

March 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Asking specific questions, whether rhetorical or data-driven, can supplement your site’s content. Problem You want to expand your web content by drawing on the unique knowledge of your visitors. Solution Invite visitors to share information about highly specific questions, such as, “How has the habitat in your community changed over the years?” Discussion Incorporate into

Knowledge & experience of users

March 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Developing community while avoiding chaos. Problem Although the dynamic and database capabilities of web servers can encourage a sense of community, many approaches lead to abuse or misuse, including irrelevant and otherwise inappropriate content. Solution Draw on the unique knowledge and experience of your visitors in specific ways that serve to enhance your site’s content.

Procrastination: The good & the bad

January 2nd, 2006 by IDEA

Author: Elisa Warner Eliminating technological distractions can help alleviate procrastination. Problem: While procrastination is inevitable at times, habitual procrastination can interfere with personal performance and team goals. When a project consists of interdependent tasks, one person’s procrastination can cause a ripple effect that impacts a series of team deadlines. Solution: Develop specific solutions to address

Interactive encyclopedias & browsable databases

January 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Flexible designs make finding information rewarding. Problem You need to engage visitors by making a large amount of data interesting. Solution Augment your database by utilizing any of a number of techniques: Provide views. Produce a series of pages with pre-selected fields, a clear layout, and illustrations. For example, a database of hundreds of insects

Robot & human accessibility

January 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Utilizing straightforward URLs helps both humans and search engines find your pages. Problem You need to make pages memorable to both visitors and search engines. Solution Design straightforward URLs and do not use frames. Discussion Your URLs should be short enough so that people can write them down. Do not use frames. If pages are

Local search engine

January 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Adding a local search engine helps visitors quickly locate the information they need. Problem Visitors need to find content among the sea of pages on your web site. Solution Add a search engine to your site. Add “Find:” to the bottom of every page, along with a search box. Also add a search link to

Next and previous

January 1st, 2006 by IDEA

Linking as a navigational aid. Problem You need to let visitors move to neighboring pages. Solution In addition to the other navigational tools on the page, add previous and next links. Discussion For ease of navigation, add a small arrow, or a bracket, such as “>” or “».” These links should be obvious, and placed