Incremental Redesign: A more manageable approach to improving ...

Incremental Redesign:A more manageable approach to improving your Web site

Incremental Redesign

History of a classic user interface

1912 Ford Model T


1928 Pontiac



1932 Ford Roadster


1959 Mercedes Benz


1975 Chevy Nova

1979 Chevy Nova



2001 Porsche 911


2005 Lincoln Town Car


2005 Lincoln Town Car



The Redesign Wringer

01.1999 01.2000 07.2000 08.2001 08.2002 08.2003 08.2004


- We’re not exactly sure what we’re doing.

Big rollouts (especially regular ones) send the wrong message.

- We’re more interested in playing with designs than serving users.

- We’re basing our designs on internal decisions, not on user requirements.

- We’re more interested in changing designs than dealing with the big picture.

- We’re treating our Web presence like print media.

- Our priorities are constantly shifting.


Big rollouts drive users crazy

- New AND returning users have to learn where to find everything all over again.

- The user support network breaks down.

- Users frequently have to learn a new taxonomy and terminology.


- No matter how carefully you try to inform users, big rollouts still come as a surprise.





Big rollouts drive users crazy

- New AND returning users have to learn where to find everything all over again.

- The user support network breaks down.

- Users frequently have to learn a new taxonomy and terminology.


- No matter how carefully you try to inform users, big rollouts still come as a surprise.

- Users are disturbed by dramatic (or what they perceive as dramatic) site changes.


Big rollouts…


… take months to accomplish.

… consume vast quantities of resources.

… frequently require simultaneous maintenance of two Web sites with the same content. … encourage “design by committee.”

… can become obsolete even before they’re done.

… bog down Web teams. Divert them from issues that require a more immediate response.

… become unwieldy and disjointed over time.… almost always take longer than everybody wants.… lead to proliferation of site-wide mistakes.

… frequently require needless content freezes.

Big rollouts…


… are hell to document.… are hell to manage.

… are hell to troubleshoot.

- When a site is in such disarray that every layer needs to be replaced:

There are times when a big rollout makes sense


- When the organization undergoes a drastic change in identity (and how often does that happen?).

- When you are migrating to a completely new architecture. MAYBE.

- new architecture - new technology - new organization

- new navigation- new content



“simplicity, communication, feedback, and courage”

~ Ron Jeffries on Extreme Programming

- Keep your users close: Make them part of the ongoing development.

Principles of Incremental Redesign


- Integrate site changes in small doses. Do this regularly and often.

- Apply rigorous testing, evaluating, validation.

- Document, but don’t get bogged down in this.

- Adhere to Web standards. Make usability your mantra.- Leverage reusable objects.

- Practice team programming (if you’ve got the team).

- Fix the bugs they find QUICKLY.- Accept that you will learn as you go. And that your users are your primary teachers.

Examples of Incremental Redesign


eBay.com



eBay.com

20042003


Amazon.com

2005



das.psu.edu



das.psu.edu



das.psu.edu


Clutter Creep amazon.com

Watch out for

Taped-on Features

Bolt-On Technologies Rabbiting Technologies


Advantages of Incremental Design

- Far more manageable – especially for small teams and lone Webmasters

- Nearly painless for users

- Can make better use of part-time, temporary employees, i.e. students

- Far less large-scale trouble shooting

- Users are happier with your product

- Allows for prototyping and perfecting technologies before moving on

- Documentation less cumbersome

- Simpler rollback, if necessary

- Easier to collect and manage content

- Users are more involved - easier to get more frequent user feedback- Usability studies more focused, less amorphous

- Easier to manage content providers

- More feasible to drop technologies that are not working- Conversion of future sections becomes increasingly a breeze

Advantages of Incremental Redesign

More fun. Less burnout.More creativity. More innovation.

Further Reading

The Quiet Death of the Major Re-Launch … Jared Spoolwww.uie.com/articles/death_of_relaunch

Designing Embraceable Change … Jared Spoolwww.uie.com/articles/embraceable_change

What is Extreme Programming? … Ron Jeffrieswww.xprogramming.com/xpmag/whatisxp.htm

Extreme Programming: A Gentle Introduction … J. Donovan Welleswww.extremeprogramming.org


http://www.uie.com/articles/death_of_relaunch

http://www.uie.com/articles/embraceable_change

http://www.xprogramming.com/xpmag/whatisxp.htm

http://www.extremeprogramming.org/

Incremental Redesign: A more manageable approach to improving ...

Documents

incremental redesign

comincremental redesign

redesign wringer01

content users

users crazy new

users close

new taxonomy

big picture