Currently, web design falls into the “two-click rule”. This is quite a change for designers because we lost a click. We lost placement of navigational tools. Information is literally flooding the main page of websites. Text has taken over. Main pages are full of links to information that used to be in a menu bar that allowed for multiple clicks or “drilling down”.

These days, we are a cell phone/two-click society. We use tools like RSS, FeedReaders, Google Voice, etc. to access instant information. Miniature tools like cell phones make it hard to navigate sites because of the tiny screens. To click on a particular link takes extra time. I want information at my fingertips but I want it to be found without having to zoom in on a button to click on. That takes time!

Today, I read about Wolfram-Alpha; the new search engine that structurally changes how information from a search is presented. Current and popular search engines like Google and Yahoo, require you to enter search queries where a list of links are provided to connect you to pages of information on your query. This requires the extra steps of clicking. Wolfram-Alpha presents the answers to the query without the links.

In effect, they have removed a click.

There is the Twine post about Search 3.0 and how the new search tools will be more personalized for the individual searching instead of the generic search tools used by everybody. Information readily available for my needs in less than 2 clicks in this Search 3.0 paradigm.

I see these things develop and I question the design of district websites. More and more, our district site is moving toward instant communication. You can subscribe to calendar events delivered to email, your personal calendar, or via text messaging. We are looking into an alert system to allow customizable subscriptions to specific groups: band, choir, athletics, reading, emergency, etc.; which in turn will send via text or email. One-click subscription for no-click messages delivered as soon as they are sent.

People are already receiving information via text messaging, RSS, email updates, etc. The questions now become: Are people reading the content on our websites? Are they taking the time to download and read PDFs? Why are we driving traffic to our website if it is storing old information?

In KISD, we have software on our server that tracks not only the places people go on our sites but also how much time they spend on pages. I am constantly evaluating this information to make strategic steps to improve district communication.

But with the coming age of 1-click/no-click/instant information, the district web site design is flawed. So are business designs. So are most web designs out there.

As portals, cloud-storage, and collaborative workspaces become more prevalent, the idea of a “teacher web site” becomes worthless. What are we storing online? Why are we driving traffic to documents that are old and updated (if we are lucky) once a year??

All this to say that I wonder if Web 3.0 district web design becomes much simpler. Similar to the picture posted here, a search window with the district logo could be the new KISD website. Instant information sent to the subscribers but stored invisibly on the back-end. The search provides access to the queries. Instead of listing links, we adopt the Wolfram-Alpha or the next generation of search that posts the answers on the same page.

Search that is personalized and provides answers in 1 click.

Is this the path for web design for schools and districts soon?

We pulled the plug at noon which I consider like the show “Lost” to be “moving the island”. To move a site, you have to change the IP address through the Network Associates site which directs all www traffic. We followed the directions and was informed that it would take up to 72 hours to replicate through all the servers that make up the www.

This is normal. This is part of the protocols that define the structure of the web and I had informed my supervisors and all staff that this would be happening.

Then the abnormal happened. None of the external emails were delivered to us. Vendors were calling that their emails were being rejected. Then links to other pages shorted out. And people could see the new site on the outside of the district but inside we had a page error. I am sure other districts have all their links on their site for gradebook, attendance, sub finder, etc. So when those aren’t available, people freak.

Moving the island isn’t so easy.

Now we are reverting back to the old page to figure out the kinks. I am sort of happy this happened because of my stake in the website. I want it to be at 100% when it is released but I also know that the only way that will happen is to use my Spring Break vacation to do it. And I know that if I do that, I will burn out very quickly in this job and that will not be good for anyone. I did correct three major errors and a typo on the main site this afternoon before I went to workout, so today’s errors had a lighter side to them.

The hard part is to come when a new site is really released. When a new website goes into effect, the entire world-wide web gets to publicly view the gaps in our information structure. The floodgates open to a new perspective of a district’s public information profile. A new website isn’t just a pretty face, it’s a cold slap of reality.

I’m not looking forward to it. I don’t like publicized failure. I don’t like failure, really.

But, I am really hesitant about doing so! Not for any other reason than it is stepping out of my comfort zone and into a new spot that I have never done before. Sure, I have attended those Apple trainings on making Podcasts and Vodcasts with Garageband. I have attended several of them as a matter of fact!

I know Audacity as well and how to use various media editors.

But what is my real hold-back? I am not comfortable on film! I am not sure I am ready to start filming myself for these videos I want to do. I need to make my voice sound stronger too. When I watch or listen to the playback, I am not comfortable with the way I come across on the media.

Maybe this is just pre-film jitters? Anyone have ideas on what I can do to remedy this?