Guidelines for Redesign of
Amstat Online
Pages
Amstat Online underwent a major redesign in 2001 to address
problems experienced include (in no particular order) poor navigation,
non-websafe colors, integrity and maintenance of pages, attractiveness
and ease of redesign. As a result of this effort, an annual review of
page design is recommended:
- Redesign team should involve key ASA media staff, the Amstat
Online Editorial Board, and the ASA Executive Team
- Annual review of site design (discuss during Fall after JSM feedback)
- Release changes on January 1st of following year
New members, long term members, staff, general public, potential
members, students, teachers and news media.
- Avoid duplication of content
- Header and footers delivered via templates (one source for change)
- Enhance use of white space to promote attractiveness and readability and ease of modification
- Guidelines and/or tools for staff and members to design new pages
and modify existing pages
(see Technical Guidelines for Site
Hosting for important links, including the Web Accessibility Initiative)
- Clear tags/links to main ASA functional units (e.g. level 1 page
bullets)
- Organize pages into folders by delivery (how does an AP stat teacher find a BAPS workshop?) rather than by ASA structural units
- News – short and sweet. UPDATED PRESS RELEASES!
- Maintenance of dated materials (need a good process) Single point of update for critical information (prices, annual deadlines)
- Level 1 page
- To setup a home page that is the simple, visually pleasing directory to the entire site – "cover of the book"
- Level 2 pages
- Design 10 to 12 "main" pages that will be "chapter headings of the book".
- These pages direct the viewer to all related material for that "chapter".
- Lower level pages
- Contents of the "chapter"
- Navigation as appropriate
- Discover/develop new tools and guidelines for easy page updates
- Identifying out of date pages
- Giving appropriate staff limited access to update their pages
It is crucial during any redesign to have ample feedback from ASA
staff and ASA members. This includes preview and open discussions at
ASA staff meetings, JSM sessions (especially Council of Sections and
Council of Chapters). The ASA Executive Team and the ASA President
should be informed early in the event of major anticipated redesign.
The ASA Board, possibly through representatives selected by the
President, should have an opportunity for input on major changes.
Remember that many people feel ownership of these pages, and they
serve multiple uses.
Key ASA media staff: Megan Murphy, Megan Kruse, Amy Farris, Tim Gill,
Carol Edwards. Vicente Martinez provided important graphic design.
ASA WebMaster Ryan Bell headed final prototype development.
Advisors to redesign were Mary Fleming, ASA Director of Programs, and
Brian Yandell, Amstat Online Editor. Input was garnered from ASA
Executive Team, ASA Board, Electronic Communications Committee, and
the Amstat Online Editorial Board.
Return to Amstat Online Guidelines.