Delivering a successful design

• 1. Developing a design The AFAO Website Redevelopment Jill Sergeant AFAO Website Officer

2. About AFAO 3. 4. The working group

• Five staff representing the three main teams at AFAO Education, Policy and Admin

• Members / stakeholders were invited but not interested in being involved it was too big a time commitment

• The group met regularly while developing the design brief, then not again until we had to start choosing images for the site build.

• I also had additional meetings and brainstorms with the Communications Officer.

• Executive Director delegated authority to the group.

5. How to brief the designer?

• • We kept it simple in the original tender document:

• • The AFAO logo must be displayed in the banner, but in all other respects a complete refresh of current visuals is required. We are seeking a clean, simple, contemporary design.

• • But we needed to a comprehensive briefing when it was time to actually develop the design.

6. Developing the briefing

• Information you need to supply to the designer

• • Information Architecture

• • • Wireframes, navigation, sitemap

• • Major influences on your design

• • • Style, brand, competitor sites, target audience

• • Design Specifics

• • • Colours, fonts, images, animation

• • Technical Issues

• • • Screen resolution, tools, accessibility

7. What we want

• cleaneasy to navigate

• authoritative reassuringup to date innovative trustworthy

• rooted in real lives clear

• accurate accessible

• mature, not conservative human

• warm light uncluttered

• balancedoptimistic

8. What we don t want

• corporate

• cold

• modular

• dark

• dour

• funky

• busy

• animated menus

• too many competing moving graphics

9. Things we like . 10. Choosing colours http://www.colorcombos.com/ 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Some feedback on our proposals

• I really like the blue, green, orange one. I think it makes it bright and engaging and still allows for some warmth and other tones that can be used for highlights etc. I like the blues one as well, though I don't think that allows for the contrasts/ highlights that the blue, green, orange one does.

• I'm not particularly fussed either way though I do like the softer colours.

• Definitely charcoal and brights is my choice, earthy and expressive!

16. Decision time

• Completed design brief

• Meeting with Squiz

• Consider functionality

• Still trying to decide on colour

• Conservative or out there?

• = two design mockups.

17. 18. 19. Surveying the members

• Which concept do you prefer? (Tick 1 only)

• • Concept 1

• • Concept 2 chocolate

• • Concept 2 light background

• Did you prefer this concept with or without the AFAO logo?

• • With

• • Without

• • Indifferent

• Name 3 things you like about your most preferred option

• Suggest 3 improvements or changes that you think might make the concept better

20. Nearly there

• Consultation with stakeholders

• Review design options

• Choosing the best of both

• Tweaking, tweaking .

21. 22. 23. Lessons learned

• People like to feel included

• Design is a fun way to engage people

• If staff werent engaged with the website before, this could be a way to get them interested.

• Be clear about the time commitment

• Know the culture of your organisation & work with it

• Structure stakeholder involvement around organisational events

• • E.g. Give regular updates at staff meetings

• Having a side-kick helps a lot

24. Feedback on the process

• I thought the process was really well done. There was consultation from the start, but without huge time impositions. The times that did take longer were done in a way so people wanted to engage with the process and contribute. Ben, staff

• I am glad to have had the opportunity to have a saying in how the website of the organisation for which I am working is going to function and look like. I am also glad that I had an opportunity to learn how complex the website redevelopment process is. Danica, staff (design working group)

• I found the AFAO website development project process engaging and consultative - from the formative early development consultations and then later in the design phase. The process was participatory (inviting) with clear communications and project clarity. Fiona, AFAO member

25. Thanks

• www.afao.org.au

• [email_address]