1. Travel website usability study
The following press release contains information on the results of a usability study of travel websites.
Rewrite the information for three different websites:
1. The "latest research" section of a usability website which contains guidelines for web designers.
2. The "in the news" section of Michigan State University.
3. The front page of Orbitz.com - the website users said was the easiest to use.
2. Alice Springs
Copy and paste this introductory text from an Alice Springs Tourism website and rewrite it once at about the same length but make it more readable by
- clarifying ambiguous points
- reducing overly promotional language
- reordering where necessary
- adding a clear introduction
- adding appropriate headings
- using lists
- any other structural devices
Rewrite it a second time using a similar set of structural devices but also reducing the text to make it more concise.
3. Crime Stoppers
Rewrite and reorder the Crime Stoppers section of the NSW Police Website
- It is currently spread over 4 pages reorder it so that it logically fits and flows over two or three
- Rewrite for clarity and punch
- Add-in whatever structural devices you think are needed
4. NSW Police Commissioner
Using elements of the introductory welcome message by Commissioner Ken Moroney on the NSW Police home page and elements from his profile in the about us section create a succinct front page for the about us section which features a picture of Moroney and some kind of message from him and whatever other elements you deem necessary. The message should give us a clear idea of who Moroney is and present him as the visionary head who represents the aspirations of the organisation.
5. Nature in South Australia and the Northern Territory
Analyse the relative strengths and weaknesses of the different "nature" pages in the South Australian and the Northern Territory's travel websites.
6. Local Councils: cities on the web
Local Councils use the web as a major way of communicating with their residents. The functions of each local government body are very similar yet the way they organise and present themselves on the web is striking.
Look at the following local government sites and answer the following questions:
- what initial impression of the council does the site give?
- what does the site say about council priorities?
- how easy is it for a new resident to find out what night to put their rubish out?
- how easy is it to find further contact information if I have a question?
- overall what are the strengths and weaknesses of the site?
- does the site give you confidence in the local council's ability to administer the area?
