The
following summaries discuss information gathered from 6
in-depth interviews and one key informant interview. I have
integrated the key informant data where it was applicable
into the interview questions. However, the key informant
interview was used to formulate the interview questions,
therefore much of the interview discussed questions we could
ask as opposed to answers to the semi-structured interview
schedule. When we discussed topics which relate to the
interview schedule, I have integrated this information into
the discussion.
1a)
Tell me about your comfort level with web design - are you
just beginning or have you been designing for some time?
All the
respondents reported that they were fairly comfortable,
having started anywhere from 2 to 4 years ago with web
design projects. All respondents started to design sites
using raw HTML.
1b)
Tell me about some of the projects you have been involved
with.
Projects
included information sites which ranged from departmental
sites, personal home pages integrating games, to an online
book. Several of the sites were instructional in nature and
many of the sites could also be considered
promotional.
1c)
What is the background you bring with you to web design? Do
you have formal training in programming, graphic design, or
instructional design?
Designers
varied in their actual training. Two of the respondents had
extensive computer science backgrounds (at the degree
level), and two others had taken introductory programming
classes. Five of the respondents had a teaching background
and three of those (including the key informant) also had
formal training in instructional design. One of the
respondents was trained in graphic design.
1d)
Tell me about your training? Are you self-taught?
All of
the respondents reported themselves as self-taught when it
came to the creation of web sites.
1e)
Are there any aspects of web design you would like to become
more familiar with?
All the
respondents reported some interest in learning more about
aspects of the web. Interests ranged from JavaScript, Java,
CGI, integration of web pages with databases to a general
desire to learn more about the interactive aspects of the
web.
2)
What tools you do use for web design? WYSIWYG tools, HTML
programming, Java or JavaScript, Perl, CGI?
All the
respondents started to design sites using raw HTML but most
have progressed to using either WYSIWYG tools or web
assistants present in word processing or DTP suites such as
Word Perfect or Quark Express. One designer still uses Lynx
in order to ensure compatibility with non-graphic browsers.
Two of the respondents still program in raw HTML using text
editors. Only one respondent reported writing Perl scripts,
while one other respondent adapts Javascript functions for
use on a web site. Half of the the respondents use
commercial page layout programs such as PageMill, Claris
Home Page and Netscape's Composer.
3a)
When you sit down to do a web document, what do you think
about first? Where do you start? Are there different stages
you go through as you design a web site?
Six of
the seven designers mentioned that they start with the end
user of the site in mind. They try to put themselves in the
user's place and identify what the user would want to know
about their site. Five people mentioned that they think
quite a bit about how to make it easy for the user to
navigate through a site. One sitebuilder mentioned thinking
about the content of the site as an important first
consideration when beginning to design. One designer
mentioned the need to identify the goals for the
site.
When
discussing stages, two of the respondents mentioned that
they considered navigation and content issues first and then
went over the materials to add more creative elements or
graphics. Three participants mentioned the need to test
pages early with typical users before committing to a
design.
One
interviewee with a background in instructional design
mentioned the difference between instructional and
information sites as follows: a designer needs to be much
more careful that links in an instructional site lead the
learner on in such a fashion that they can explicitly follow
the information forward or back as they desire, whereas in
an information site, the navigation tends to be much more
open, with many links leading in different directions
depending on interest. In an information site, the user can
use the back button of the browser to retrack his steps, and
more general navigation aids are usually present to move the
user back to entry points; however, in an instructional
site, it is the responsibility of the designer to ensure
that the user is led along the path which will introduce the
main points of instruction.
3b)
Has there been an evolution in the way you design - do you
design the same way now as you did when you started? What
has changed?
One
designer mentioned the need to build pages so that they are
easily updated. Methods of doing this included server side
includes and cascading style sheets, both of which are
techniques which require the changing of only one main file
to effect a change over numerous pages in a site.
Another
designer indicated the need to spend more time organizing
content before coding in order to lessen the number of
changes needed later on. Also mentioned was the fact that as
a person gained experience with web design, they realized
there were alternate methods of presenting
content.
4a)
Think about the overall graphic design of a site, think
about screen (page) design, and think about orientation or
navigation within a site. For each of these topics, are
there any recipes you follow, any set of principles or
guidelines that you specifically refer to?
The
following guidelines were identified by
participants:
- Use
icons with text labels - they are more easily identified
(2)
- Place
navigation elements where they don't interfere with
content
- Have
absolute deadlines for clearance of copyright material
you are publishing on the web
- Identify
guidelines for the use of graphics
- Identify
guidelines for text eg.don't use more that three
different fonts on one page
- Don't
use italics for long sections of text
- Use
high contrast colors together for increased readability
of text
- Don't
use saturated primary colors together because they are
too hard on the eyes
- Advertising
sites may need to be hot, complex, colorful, deep and
rich; whereas instruction sites may need simplicity in
design to aid clarity - in an instructional site, color
may be used for cuing rather than motivation.
- Make
pages accessible in non-graphic browsers and for disabled
users (2)
- Keep
it simple and present only the information that's
needed
- Don't
include unnecessary graphics, animations or
sounds
- Keep
pages at an appropriate length
- Tone
down backgrounds so they are not distracting
- Use
colors to reflect the identity of your site
- Make
absolutely certain that the text is readable on the
screen - black on offwhite is a good
combination
- Don't
make the line width too long
- Always
provide the user with a way to get back to the beginning
when navigating through a site - keep it simple and
logical
- Try
to tie a site together visually by including a large
banner on the home page which is mirrored in a smaller
fashion on subsidiary pages
- Design
a set of navigation buttons which are used consistently
throughout the site - placement can be on the left side
or at the top and bottom of each page
- Consider
user's learning styles and try to include elements to
address differences
4b)
Do you have rules that are written down which you follow for
each site or page you design?
All but
two of the respondents replied that they did not have a set
of written guidelines - one mentioned they thought it was
impossible to follow a set of rules because things varied so
much depending on the specifics of each site. One of the
respondents mentioned having read an article on learning
style (auditory, visual, mechanical, etc) but none of the
respondents mentioned any written articles which influenced
their design decisions. Design appears to be a very personal
activity to these participants and a very context-dependent
one.
5a)
What strategies do you use in page or site design to
motivate people to stay, or return to your site? What
motivational devices or content strategies do you use? What
metaphors do you make use of?
Two
respondents mentioned that they used relevant and timely
information about what was going on in their area as a means
to bring people back to their site. They also mentioned the
fact that their site was an easy way for people to access
information they needed about programs in their area and
this was the reason why people came to their site. Another
respondent mentioned that if information was easy to find,
people would come back again. Several seemed to think if the
information provided was important to users, they would
access the site when needed.
Metaphors
were used on several of the sites as a unifying element.
Motivational devices included interactive quizzes and
colorful graphics.
5b)
How do you evaluate the success of your site? Do you have
any means of finding out what people think about your
site?
All of
the respondents use the web usage reports provided by the U.
of S. Computing Services to check on the number of users.
Two designers mentioned having included the capability to
send e-mail or comments and have received input in that
fashion, especially requests for rights to use their
information in reports. None of the respondents mentioned an
explicit formative evaluation program although two-thirds
would "try out" a page informally to elicit
feedback.
6)
Does the way you design change depending on the audience for
a site? For example, would you design a site differently if
it were used for information, advertising, or instruction?
What changes would you make?
All the
respondents agreed that design would differ depending on the
audience for a site and what the objectives were for the
site. They all mentioned the need for an advertising site to
catch people's attention - bells and whistles or smoke and
mirrors were expressions used as means of attracting
attention in these sites. One respondent, who also designed
commercial sites, pointed out that it is important to honor
the client's viewpoint when designing an advertising site
since they would probably have a better idea about their
product that you would.
In
reference to instructional/information sites, the following
aspects were identified: consideration of age and reading
levels when designing strategies, the need for a sequential
presentation of information, and consideration of whether
the user would be browsing as opposed to actively seeking
specific information. One respondent stated they thought
that the glitz needed in an advertising site could be
detrimental in an instructional site, especially if the user
were unable to use frames, video, audio or was connecting
with a slow modem. The point was made that although you
would want to make an attractive site, it should not
overpower the main objective, which is to provide
information or instruction.
7) Do
you think there are any ethical considerations that you have
to keep in mind when designing a web site?
All of
the respondents discussed copyright as an issue needing to
be addressed by web designers. They discussed the fact that
many people treat information and images on the web as if
they were free for the taking. Their suggestions included
citing references when using others' material as well as
linking to excellent web sites or asking permission to
mirror an exceptional web site on their own site.
Other
issues identified included the need for timely and accurate
material to be present, the need to avoid stereotypical
material (be it gender or race specific) as well as the need
to be sensitive to privacy issues when posting information
about company employees.
8)
Are there any cultural factors influencing design which need
to be considered?
All but
one of the designers contacted expressed the need to become
more culturally sensitive when designing web sites. They
recognized that it was an important issue, but one that they
felt quite unfamiliar with. One designer expressed the idea
that their web site needed to address cultural factors since
they were publishing web pages with the objective of
attracting students to this university. However, those
respondents also mentioned that they found it hard to
address the issue based on their current knowledge level.
One participant mentioned working very closely with a group
of international students who function as a focus group.
Those students would be presented with material and asked to
identify any sections which might be offensive in their home
culture. Dress and deportment of people in pictures was
identified as one area where care was taken in the
presentation of materials. One respondent felt that an open
and inviting tone to a web site might make up for
unintentional problems.
9a) What
do you find most exciting about web design?
The
following factors were identified by
participants:
- The
creative process - the challenge of combining text and
graphics to communicate well - the challenge of designing
navigation for a complex site
- The
ability to create integrated text and graphics in color
without having to worry about cost
- The
ability to create a document without being constrained by
page length or cost
- The
fact that it is always changing and there is something
new to learn - the challenge (new toys) - the
anticipation of new technologies which will make the web
even more interactive
9b)
What limits do you place on projects because of limits there
are either in the web or in your skills?
The most
limiting factor in terms of web design was the problem of
bandwidth. Other limiting factors mentioned were lack of
time and lack of programming skills in the area of
interactivity ie. Javascript.
One
designer mentioned that the web is actually the most
flexible medium to work with, since you could integrate
print, video and audio plus add computing features not
present in other media.
9c)
If you were to examine a project you carried out early on in
your web design career, would you do it differently now?
Designers
mentioned that with the new WYSIWYG tools, they might go
back and update the visual look of their sites but that
bandwidth still limited their design choices. One redesign
which many have already carried out involved taking long
pages and breaking them up into smaller pages based on
topic.
9d)
What limitations would you like to see disappear in the
future?
The
following limitations were identified by
participants:
- Bandwidth
- Problems
with accessibility and universality of access
- Lack
of support for people who want to learn web
authoring
- Problems
of compatibility between browsers and between
computers
- Authoring
tools are still quite primitive - would like better
solutions to support dynamic pages (in terms of
interactivity)
10a)
Do you design for non-graphic interfaces, including such
things as Alt tags for images and text menus to supplement
image maps?
The
designers were split in half between those who always
considered the non-graphic user and those who did
not.
10b)
How do you decide the depth of your site in terms of use of
images, image maps, extra plugins?
One
participant said that his rule was of thumb was to keep it
as simple as possible to get the message across. Graphics
were included when they were necessary to illustrate a point
but not included when not needed. Another respondent replied
that any sounds or animations must be able to be played
without a plugin. If quicktime movies were used, there
needed to be an explanation on the first page explaining the
need for the plugin and linking the user to a site where
they could download the plugin. If imagemaps were used, an
alternative text menu was also provided. All of the
designers tried to make their sites as simple as
possible.
11a)
How do you make technical decisions about design such as
JPEG vs GIF?
Responses
varied from one designer to the next but were usually
related to graphic size. Two of the respondents said they
used GIFs because of the color palette, transparency,
compatibility, and the ability to interlace the image. One
respondent said they used GIFs for 256 colors or less and
JPEG for higher resolution pictures. Two said they eyeballed
the results and chose the one that looked best. One
mentioned using JPEGs for photos and GIFs for
graphics.
11b)
Are you familiar with the web-safe color palette and how it
is used?
All the
respondents knew about the web-safe color palette. They
either used it exclusively or else used a custom palette
from Photoshop or Debabelizer.
12a)
Have you designed video or audio for the web?
All but
two of participants do not include video or audio in their
web sites (mainly due to bandwidth considerations) and are
not skilled in the production of video or audio. One
participant has set up a link to a live web camera which
updates a picture on his web site every 30 seconds. Another
participant has an extensive background in video production
for multimedia.
12b)
How do you decide about format? wav or au files? video
formats?
Since
two-thirds of the participants did not include video or
audio, they had no opinion as to format. The experienced
multimedia producer discussed the production of video and
mentioned the desirability of producing the best quality
video as a starting point, then using the best compressor
for multimedia, the Cinepac codec to prepare the video.
Another important step mentioned by this person was to put
the files on a really fast file server.
12c)
Are you interested in 3D or VR?
While
all of the participants seemed interested in these
technologies, they all expressed the concern that bandwidth
made it impractical to consider these technologies in their
own sites. One participant mentioned that they were
considering including a Quicktime VR movie on their website
to show a tour of the campus.
12d)
Do you use streaming technologies? Have you or are you
planning to implement these technologies on your
site?
Half of
the respondents who answered that question were unaware of
what streaming technologies were, and said they would not be
implementing those technologies due to bandwidth
problems.
13)
Are there any other things you want to talk about - things
that are really important to you that everybody should do
and should know about?
Design
comments:
- Think
very carefully about your site before you begin to
design. Make sure you have equipment which will handle
the development or you will spend more time dealing with
problems than designing.
- Maintenance
of a site is an issue which needs to be
addressed.
Personal
comments:
- One
designer wanted to identify what kinds of training web
designers want (this designer conducts web
inservices).
- One
participant doesn't want to see web standardization where
policies dictate what will be put a departmental
page.
- Another
participant sees the web expanding to become so pervasive
(banking, email, etc.) that they are concerned with the
isolation which may occur in society.
Conclusions
This
interview process was a very interesting experience for me.
Two of the respondents were new to me, and were suggested by
the administrator of the WEB Information Providers group on
campus. The other five participants were familiar faces,
since I had interacted with them in a professional capacity
at one time or another. I purposely included one graphic
artist and one computer programmer to see if their responses
would vary based on their backgrounds. I was amazed at the
similarity in responses from all the
participants.
As a web
designer myself, I started the process of designing
questions for this interview schedule with some
pre-conceived notions of what I would ask and what I would
find out. Through the process of the key informant
interview, questions were added to the list which were not
ones I would have thought to include. My key informant
suggested adding an open-ended question very early on which
surveyed respondents as to the process they went through
when starting to design. This was not a question I would
have thought to add. Similarly, the question about the
evolution in their design strategies added an interesting
dimension to the interviews.
Back to
my preconceived notions. Although many of the responses were
what I expected to hear, the depth of analysis which many of
the participants evidenced was quite unexpected to me.
Nobody mentioned needing control over page layout, which is
one aspect of web design which receives a lot of emphasis
out on the web. I was amazed that few of the designers used
any explicit guidelines when designing, yet were able to
maintain very attractive well-designed sites (Three of the
designers had received Web awards from the university last
year). I was surprised at the emphasis on the user as
opposed to an emphasis on the content. All but one of the
designers had been involved in the construction of at least
one promotional site (departmental or university-wide) and
yet they all discussed the need to try to get inside the
user's skin and design a site which was functional and easy
to navigate as opposed to considering what to publish first.
There was much more emphasis in their answers on the
navigational aspects of a site than the content or
attractiveness of a site. One designer said "adding creative
elements sort of comes down, farther along down the road but
that's my favorite part so I always get that in". All the
participants seemed to echo the refrain "Keep it simple" and
at least two mentioned that illustrations should be included
only if they added to the clarity of a site.
It was
obvious to me throughout the interviews that I was dealing
with a group of extremely capable professionals who spent a
good deal of time wrestling with some very complex issues.
They all mentioned, in one way or another, the lack of
training available for this endeavor. Considering the fact
that all the respondents were self-taught, the level of
excellence attained by their web sites is remarkable. For
some of these designers, web design and maintenance was part
of their regular job. However, one respondent mentioned the
long hours spent outside of the regular job hours on
evenings and weekends to create the site and at least two
others donated time to create web sites for other
organizations.
As for
any broad conclusions arising from the results, it is
obvious that bandwidth is an important limiting factor in
site design and will continue to be an important issue for
the future. Due to bandwidth issues, it is unlikely that the
web will be able to use the high-end multimedia features of
audio and motion video in any extensive way for some time.
On the other hand, the fact that web authoring has become so
easy with the advent of WYSIWYG tools, the fact that the
integration of multimedia capabilities in a web document is
so much simpler than regular multimedia tools, and the fact
that the web provides a cross-platform mechanism for
delivery of these experiences provides web authors with
perhaps the most powerful tools for communication which have
been developed to date.
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