Portal Services Liaison Training

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Portal Services Liaison Training

• Sydney Donahoe
• Portal Services writers

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About you

• Whats your name?
• Which department do you work for?
• How long have you worked at UCSD?
• Tell us about a Web site youve worked on, or a
  Web site you like.

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What does your target user want?

• Get to know the target audience(s).
• Identify primary tasks users will accomplish.

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How can you meet users needs?

• Define specific goals for the content.
• Decide on main categories.
• Create a content plan.
• Create the pages.
• Test the content.

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Specialists on our staff will guide you.

• Writers
• Usability analysts
• User-interface designers

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Well ask you to identify some specialists, too.

• Unit liaison
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)
• Working With Portal Services

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Who is your audience? (Exercise 1)

• Age
• Male or female
• Education level
• Web savvy?
• Familiar with content?
• Major interests
• Discussion How is your audience unique?

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What does your audience want?(Exercise 2)

• How did they navigate to your site?
• What do they want to do on your site?
• What is your main message?

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Main message examples

• Blink is the place you can find
  easy-to-understand information, programs, and
  forms to help you do your job.
• TritonLink is a one-stop Web site where you can
  find everything you need to know about being a
  student at UCSD.

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Share your main message

• Be brave!
• We may provide you with some feedback you can
  use.

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Whats going on here?

• Whats the call to action? Admissions
• Quick! How can this page help you?UCSDs Six
  Colleges

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Facts about audiences

• People dont read they scan. They often leave
  Web pages in seconds.
• They want to get things done.
• Readers like interactivity.
• SOLO

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Some usability guidelines

• Follow proven Web practices.
• Avoid techno-glitz.
• Personalize where possible.
• Use easy and clear navigation.

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Lead with your home page

• Present the breadth of your site on your home
  page.
• Use elements from your home page to build a
  consistent look and feel throughout your site.
• Globalfundforwomen.org
• Sixth College

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Write so users can scan

• 79 scan to find information.
• Web readers often dont scroll down. But they
  will if they catch the scent of the information
  theyre looking for.
• Registrars Office

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Think about Web reading

• When you look at content on a page, what makes
  you skip it?Example 1Example 2

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Keep your content moving(Exercise 3)

• Identify ACTIVE vs. passive voice.
• Look for forms of the verb to be in your
  sentences, and get rid of them.
• Make sure the SUBJECT does the ACTION.
• Get rid of unnecessary words.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• The Mail Services Department is responsible for
  processing incoming, outgoing, intra-campus, and
  student mail in support of the UCSD Campus
  community.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• The Mail Services Department is responsible for
  processing incoming, outgoing, intra-campus, and
  student mail in support of the UCSD Campus
  community.
• To this
• Mail Services processes incoming, outgoing, and
  intra-campus mail.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• Before the previous quarter was over in June, the
  UC budget for next year had been approved by the
  Office of the President itself.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• Before the previous quarter was over in June, the
  UC budget for next year had been approved by the
  Office of the President itself.
• To this
• The Office of the President approved next years
  budget before Spring Quarter ended.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• The ten-year plan was developed by a student
  representative group after consultation with the
  UC Regents and a faculty group.

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Exercise 3

• From this
• The ten-year plan was developed by a student
  representative group after consultation with the
  UC Regents and a faculty group.
• To this
• Students developed the 10-year plan after
  consulting with faculty and the UC Regents.

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Format

• Indent to show the hierarchy of information.
• Use bullet or numbered lists.
• Use bold-face text.
• Include links.
• Flexcar

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Page titles

• Keep them short.
• Include key words.
• Think of them like markers on a road map.
• Blink
• Welcome Convocation 2006

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Subheads

• Introduce the next paragraph.
• Keep the info moving.
• Use information-carrying words.
• Chunk the text.
• Career Services Center

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Paragraphs

• Make them short
• 45 words or
• 45 lines or
• 3 sentences
• Restrict their width
• 5075 characters or less
• Traits of a Student Organization Advisor

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Sentences

• Draw the line at 25 words.
• Use short, active verbs
• Fill out the form.
• Apply for a loan.
• Carefully maneuver through the loan application
  procedure.
• Choose the nouns you can see
• Take a class.
• Sign up for a workshop.
• Become part of a unique instructional
  environment.
• Campus Fun 101

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Words

• Address your readers directly (you).
• Use conversational words, including contractions.
• LEAD and Lead Internship Program

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Take a break!
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Before you begin writing

• Decide on the type of page.
• Information
• How-to
• Checklist
• Decide on your voice.
• TritonLink
• Blink
• Wild Animal Park

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Write a draft of your Web page(Exercise 4)

• Create a draft that follows Web writing
  principles. (30 minutes)
• Review your draft using the Checklist handout.
  (10 minutes)
• Share your work.

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Revise, re-cycle, relinquish

• Revise your draft.
• Re-cycle to reviewers as needed.
• Relinquish your work to an editor.

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Publish

• Post the page on the Web.
• Invite reader comments.
• Update the information.

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How to write instructions (Exercise 5)

• Choose a topic.
• Use the big step, little steps style.
• Share your work.

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Your homework

• Write an information page.
• Write a how-to page

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Resources

• Portal Services Publishing Guide
• Portal Services Style Guide
• Content Critical Book by Gerry McGovern and Rob
  Norton
• Jacob Neilsens Alertbox