beyond brochureware - building functional university websites (the ‘gestalt’ view) david...
TRANSCRIPT
Beyond brochureware - building functional university websites (the ‘gestalt’ view)
David Christmas
Ian Roddis
September 1999
‘The Next Steps’
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Presentation Outline
• Four classes of website we know
• OU examples and their key characteristics
• Summary of the evolutionary process
• Lessons, recommendations and some questions - ‘OUr way’
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The four classes
1 Indie Sites
2 Webmaster Sites
3 Embedded Sites
4 E-business
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Key characteristics
• What does it do ?
• Who is involved ?
• Who is it for?
• How does it affect the organisation ?
• What technology does it use, and who decides ?
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Indie-site 1
Screenshot of any classic home page (including picture of cat, motorbike and recent birthday party perhaps)!
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Characteristics of indie-site 1
What ? Vanity publishes static contentMaybe accepts feedbackPlenty of external links
Who ? An (undefined) audience (possibly)The author
Effects ? Develops author’s skillsUses up server space andbandwidthHow can you measure?
Technology ? Miscellaneous plug-insVarious authoring toolsPersonal Web server/ISP space
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Indie-site 2
beagle2.open.ac.uk/
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Characteristics of Indie-site 2
What ? Gives information about a specific activity.Maybe encourages feedbackLinks to useful resources
Who ? An audienceA (skilled) (paid) authorThe project owner/teamPossibly a “host” institutionPossibly tied into a network of similar sites
Effects ? Supports a well defined activityPublices and enhances image at low cost
Technology ? Fairly disciplined use of gimmicksVarious authoring toolsInstitutional Web server
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A Webmaster site
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Characteristics of Webmaster sites
What ? Provides “official information”Probably replicates brochuresAllows feedback to a WebmasterMay have forms for simple transactions
Who ? Customers/students/funders/decision makersEnthusiastic managementA Webmaster in the IT departmentContent owners (e.g. PR, Marketing from adistance)
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Characteristics of Webmaster sites
Effects ? Raises internal Web awarenessEstablishes Web bridge-head in ITdepartmentPossibly contributes slightly to organisationalobjectives
Technology ? Unadventurous, but robustVersion control and backups (possibly)Institutional Web server
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Embedded site 1 - a prospectus
www.open.ac.uk/courses
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Embedded site 2 - a web gateway
www.open.ac.uk
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Embedded site 3 - Student record access
www.open.ac.uk/students
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Embedded site 4 -summer schools booking
www.open.ac.uk/residential-schools/
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Characteristics of embedded sites
What ? Provides official information about a majoractivityBrochure data + database extracts + WebcontentSome interaction, but fitting around non-Webprocesses
Who ? Customers/studentsExplicitly funded as a Web projectInvolves managers of the business functionMulti-skilled development teamDeveloped by Web specialistsWeb AgenciesIT departmentData maintenance staff
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Characteristics of embedded sites
Effects ? Supports departmental objectivesBegins to shift business to the WebRaises issues about IT support,security, testing, robustness, contentownership…
Technology ? Robust professional IT approachesSome back-end integration, butincomplete.24x7 a problemPartial automation of updatingPossible parallel management of printand Web content
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An e-business site
www.dell.com/
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Characteristics of e-business sites
What ? A major organisational functionKey to strategic aimsCould possibly only exist in that formonline
Who ? Key customers/studentsMajor funding streamInvolves top managementHighly professional developersWeb agencies
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Characteristics of e-business sites
Effects ? Transforms business modelVital to health of organisationOther media are subordinate to thewebsite
Technology ? Robust professional IT approachesTotal integration with “back-endsystems”Single access securityDynamic contentBusiness driven
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The evolutionary process
• Function
• Organisational involvement
• Effects
• Technology
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The evolutionary process
• Function– From “a website”– To “our business”
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The evolutionary process
• Organisational involvement– Who is it for– Who makes it happen– Who pays for it– Who builds it– Who maintains it– Who evaluates it– Who cares
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The evolutionary process
• Effects– Strategic impact– Process changes– Cultural consequences– Cost of failure
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The evolutionary process
• Technology– Integration with other IS– Development tools– Robustness– Standardisation– Quality assurance– Security
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The evolutionary process
Indie Webmaster
Embedded E-business
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Moving beyond brochureware
• Ownership
• Involvement
• Culture
• Meeting needs
• Processes change
• Adequate technology