Final Documentation

Project One

Will Kurlinkus

01 Introduction
Entity The Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives URL http://daln.osu.edu/ Site Description The Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN) is a publicly available archive of personal literacy stories in a variety of formats (text, video, audio) that attempts to provide a historical record of literacy practices and values of contributors. The DALN attempts to invite peoples of all ages, races, communities, backgrounds, and interests to contribute stories about how they read, write, compose meaning, and learned to do so.

02

Intended Users

Users and Primary Goals 1. Contributors: need to be able to understand submission formats and guidelines; learn what a literacy narrative is; search, find, and view narratives that might be similar to their narrative; and easily submit. Because of the diversity of contributors, submissions standards and computer skills cannot be assumed and need to be taught. 2. Literacy researchers: need to be able to easily search the archive for narratives by submitter data (age, location, occupation, gender, identity), narrative topic (standardized key terms), medium, date submitted, and period written about. They also need to be able to know what data they can legally use in research reports and how to cite it. 3. Teachers: college teachers of English/writing often use the site as a writing assignment by asking their students to submit. Teachers need lesson plans, including: tips for composing narratives in multiple formats, handouts, and readings about literacy narratives. 4. Collectors: a large group of users collect the literacy narratives of others. They need to know the DALNs guidelines on collection, IRB information, and interview tips.

03 Keys

to Success

Site Purpose The purpose of the DALN is to preserve first-hand accounts of the variety of 20th and 21st Century literacies that have historically occurred in the US, so that researchers and teachers can gain a better understanding of how to teach reading and writing but also so contributors can reflect on those with similar literacy experiences as themselves. Value to Entity The DALN serves to continue to make the Ohio State University a leader in literacy studies by reflecting their critical involvement in literacy histories and teaching. Improvements 1. Most pages are text heavy; 2. User has to scroll down to view full content on main page; 3. Homepage could use video examples to better introduce users to the literacy narrative; 4. Color layout is hard to read; 5. Individual narrative pages could be more browsable through the use of better summaries and thumbnails; 6. Lower-level internal links could be used to connect similar topics, themes, contributors, etc.; 7. Navigation bar is difficult to use; you cant tell what level of the site youre on.

04 Design

Considerations

Site Requirements 1. Searchability, 2. Instruction on submission, 3. Teaching resources, 4. Data collection resources. Additions While most components are currently available, better browsability of text, more pleasant visual aesthetic, and better navigation are a necessity. The client has requested a new homepage in which a featured groups narratives can rotate monthly.

Identity/Brand There isnt necessarily any branding that must be maintained beyond the title DALN. A logo might be useful.

Page

05 Current

Site Solution

Homepage

The title and image icons can be kept. Theyre good looking.

Homepage is text-heavy. Could use bolding and links from text block.

Redundant links in the text block. Unexplained links in the navigation area. Could use scroll over explanations.

The client has requested that the homepage include a rotating set of representative examples or featured collections.

The current homepage serves the purpose of introducing the the literacy narrative and as a home base for navigation. It is text-heavy and could use more self-explanatory navigation.

Page

05 Current

Site Solution

Homepage: Second Half

Still the first page. Page must be scrolled down to reach this additional content.

No need to have both an advanced search and a quick search.

This browse link is redundant; it takes you to the same list of DALN collections on this page.

Not sure the purpose of this box. It has redundant login and register links.

None of these search and browse features are really self explanatory until you click. Scroll over explanations for all links would be useful.

Page

05 Current

Site Solution

Individual Narrative Page

Navigation bar needs to more clearly indicate page hierarchy and location.

Page needs some sort of visual thumbnail to indicate content.

Needs link to other pages of similar content at this low-level hierarchy.

Page doesnt explain why there are two files instead of one.

The time period the narrative is about might be useful.

This is one of the lowest-level pages, the individual literacy narrative. It is where

people download the narrative; find out information about the author, submission date, location, topic, etc.; and learn about how they can use the narrative for research (usually the narrative is under a creative commons license). The page could use thumbnails for better browsability and add links to similar topics, date ranges, etc.

Page

05 Current

Site Solution

Submission Guidelines/Teaching Material Page

Links arent self-evident.

Text color is ugly. Pure text is hard to read.

Navigation bar is different from the individual page design.

The submission guidelines/educational materials page is where users go to find out about literacy narratives; submission guidelines; tips to make an appealing narrative; and handouts for students. The page is too text heavy and the links could include scroll over explanations.

Page

06 Alternative

Examples

1. Youtube: Individual Page Model http:// www.youtube.com

Includes video thumbnail.

Includes thumbnails of other related pages.

Includes a comments section which might be useful for the archive. Especially if participants didnt create or edit their own video. They could comment on the interviewers portrayal.

Hit count indicates popularity of page.

Page

06 Alternative

Examples

2. Archives of American Art: Homepage Model http://www.aaa.si.edu/

Same search bar available on all pages.

Has recognizable logo.

Includes the rotating featured content that the client wants.

One selfexplanatory search bar.

Page

06 Alternative

Examples
New content appears in this recent news bar.

3. National Archives: Homepage Model http://www.archives.gov/

Main links include representative images and brief descriptions.

Each main link addresses a different user.

A variety of Web 2.0 features that could benefit the DALN.

Page

06 Alternative

Examples

4. Einstein Archives Online: Homepage Model http://www.alberteinstein.info/

Links include scroll-over explanation functionality.

Image helps explain content.

All content viewable without scrolling down.

9 10

Page Page

07 Current

Site Map

08 Proposed

Site Map

09Design

Concept

10 Design

Prototype

1. Homepage

2. Homepage Pop-Up Function

3. Archive Page

4. Teach Level 1

5. Teach Lower Level Page