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- Bob prefers to develop this in Flash as there are more control features with Flash (vs. Java script). Also, the multimedia overviews will be published using Flash- having only one technology will simplify usability testing and limit the number of users with accessibility issues.
- Issue: Bob will work with Wing and Kath to fix the size of the bubble. Making the bubble size dynamic will add too much complexity.
- The content of the bubble will be data driven based off an XML file. This means semi-technical users will be able to update or to freshen up the mix of factoids without programmer intervention. (E.G. News topics will need occasional refreshing.)
- Issue: accessibility for users who lack Flash, or who have an incompatible version of Flash. Bob suggested creating a new page which has all of the Fun/Jargon/News topics available. For users lacking Flash, a link to this page would display. Still need to determine how to implement the link if the user has a non-working version of Flash. An additional benefit to the separate Fun/Jargon/News page: users wanting to see a specific topic (vs. the random one) will have the means to do so. Need to figure out a way to make a "View All" link accessible without cluttering the design. Last, we need a "Get Flash" link available at proper locations (e.g., page with link to multimedia overviews).
2. _ Development Schedule. _This is posted on the NEO Wiki- see either the Timelines and Milestones or Development pages.
- Pre-requisites for Bob to begin development work:
- Templates from Wing
- Content from Kath for 3 +/- pages, initial content TBD with Bob
- Issue: timing of full Usability Testing & Phase II proposal
- Full Usability Testing involves producing scripts for test users to follow. The scripts typically present challenges for users to obtain information or perform certain tasks.
- Issue: Based on the development schedule, there is limited or no time to introduce any meaningful changes. Usability testing can take place only after a full build, which is scheduled for 7/30. By the time the studies are complete, we could only risk introducing the most minor of changes without compromising the QA or the launch deadline.
- Issue: The web site has a 3 to 6 month life expectancy. Usability has to consider test users at different stages of their new employment. Performing the usability testing before we have users at different stages of their new employment will produce less meaningful results.
- Proposal: we schedule full Usability Testing in the fall (Oct.?), and plan an updated release that coincides with the open enrollment benefit updates (both web content and multimedia overviews.)
- The group agreed this approach made sense.
- The 7/10 Usability Review, based on Bob's initial build of 3 pages, will still take place. Ranjani stated that the focus of this task will be a code review and accessibility review. The June 12 Usability Review will focus on navigation type features.
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- Slight change to the Writing schedule- the 7/1 deliverable will consist of just 3 +/-final pages to allow Bob to begin his development work. The complete set of content will be delivered on 7/11.
- The Multimedia script schedule is part of the Multimedia Development schedule on the NEO Wiki.
- NEO URL Name. Kath and Robert suggested three names:
- *- Welcome
- YouAreHere
- WelcometoMIT
- Everyone liked the simplicity of "Welcome". Bob thought "Welcome" should also appear on the web page design, to reinforce the URL name. While everything about the current design says "Welcome" to new employees, nothing in the design explicitly states it. We discussed alternatives and the use of redirects and came up with the following first choice:
- The new employee letter will direct the recipient to: hrweb.mit.edu/Welcome
- The system will redirect the user to the site's true URL: hrweb.mit.edu/YouAreHere
- The technical implementation (redirect vs. dual URLs) is TBD.
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