looking for Website Designer with Usability & db interfacing - NOT yet funded

[CamFraser]

The position is not yet funded, and won't be for maybe 6 - 12 months (if ever). I'm posting this because I'm on a biz trip, so have time to surf portfolio sites.

If you're a website designer with very strong skills in novice usability (particularly senior citizens), and at least some experience interfacing to databases (not db design, just working with a DBA type on a data driven site), then please post or PM or email me links to sites which you have developed and which demonstrate both those two skills (usability, data driven). We have a staff artist, so only routine image manipulation skills are required.

The project will be an info site, mainly targeting computer novices, in particular older people. I can't give details, but it's a "good guy" type project, and will be very satisfying to work on. :P

We're looking for talent, so would consider a serious amateur with at least two good demo sites. We will judge first on portfolio, then on professional experience.

Target hourly range is $20 - $40, with the project budgeted at 300 hours over a 12 month period (maybe 1-3 weeks full time, then rest part time).

If any of you full-time web design pros think that rate is laughable, please feel free to discuss. I worked up the budget (grumbling all the way), and was pulling numbers out of the air. It's 100% offsite, with huge flexibility, which I factored into my guess.

[Mandi]

Do you have contact preferences?

[CamFraser]

Mandi, since the position is iffy, I feel like I'm trolling, so my thought is this is an open invitation for anyone to post a link to a couple of sites that match the above needs. At the very least, candidates would get their sites in this FQ database. I figure there's a lot of casual surfers who have checked out this contract forum.

Anyone who's not comfortable posting, should email me, since that goes to a Yahoo account, and I check it during downtime at work. PM is last option (i only check at night), but still acceptable. No decisions will be made soon, so there's no rush.


Some more tips:
We're not looking for hi end glitz. We're looking for someon who can design a site that's kind to older browsers on older computers over dialup. Something clean & simple like Yahoo and Amazon.

Before I posted here, we considered two candidates that my teammates know. One only seemed capable of producing sites that were sluggish on broadband, the other had sites that were fine, but they all looked alike.

I want to see links to two separate sites, that look at least somewhat different, and which a novice could figure out within five minutes. One or both should involve something data driven. "Serious" amateur sites are fine - many sites in my Favorites are non-commercial. Feel free to post a third "glitzy" site, if labelled so. I don't want to cramp anyone's creative expression! :P

[Wassercrats]

Something clean & simple like Yahoo and Amazon....which a novice could figure out within five minutes.I feel sorry for the senior citizens if you're aiming for something like Yahoo (http://www.yahoo.com) and Amazon (http://www.amazon.com).

[Mandi]

Well, let's see . . .

I like this site (http://www.kodiakmwr.com/index.shtml) or this site (http://www.kerrysherbals.com/index.shtml) for being aimed at novice surfers, but both are just static. (The MWR site was designed by me, but they do their own maintenance and I see they "designed by . . . " linkback.) That site is particularly stripped down (code wise) because the client wanted to be able to navigate simple text updates themselves. I see on one page they've reverted to centered text :rolleye: but oh well. Perhaps the removed linkback (which I always tell clients is optional) is rather a blessing, LOL.

I have experience with a couple other sites that were data driven - searchable member databases, db-driven community forums, monthly activity calenders, flatfile db-driven bulletin boards (for short notes, no replies - different than the interactive forums), tons of interactive submission forms intended to update those db's, a large library of relevant articles submitted by members - but the project is no longer online. Again, the project had a very clean interface because I always try to assume that novices are accessing the site and need to feel fully included from the begining. I'd be happy to send the site reproduced on a CD, as I still have all the files.

Prior to becoming involved in web production, I was primarily employed in the human services field, and have a fondness for projects that serve that need as well. I have several years experience working with agencies that served people with disabilities, and am pretty familiar with issues of accessibility and adaptive technologies.

I'd be willing to work within the budget range you're organizing. When you're developing that budget, remember that you might also need to purchase a licensed application or two, like discussion forums (http://www.vbulletin.com/order/) or community authoring software (http://www.movabletype.org/get_movable_type_notforprofit.shtml) for contributing articles. They aren't expensive in the grand scheme of things, but it's something to think about up front.

Happy trolling :-)!

[Wassercrats]

Originally posted by Mandi:
Well, let's see . . .

I like this site (http://www.kodiakmwr.com/index.shtml) or this site (http://www.kerrysherbals.com/index.shtml) for being aimed at novice surfers, but both are just static. (The MWR site was designed by me...MWR looks good (except I'd like it centered) but http://www.kerrysherbals.com/index.shtml didn't work when I tried it.

[Mandi]

Hmm, the link works for me and I know it's not cached . . . she doesn't host at FQ and her webhost has been spotty to say the least, lately.





Leaving that rant for another day . . .

[Wassercrats]

Still gives me a "page cannot be displayed."

[Mandi]

I know some of that host's problems were upstream, so maybe it's a DNS issue between you and them?

This is a quickie thumbnail screenshot of the basic layout:

http://www.lumendesigngroup.com/clients/graphics/tn_kerry.jpg

[Wassercrats]

I'll PM you a ping and tracert so this thread won't get too messy.

[CamFraser]

Originally posted by Wassercrats:
I feel sorry for the senior citizens if you're aiming for something like Yahoo and Amazon. Oh?!? Please give three examples to back up that view.

If it wasn't clear, I meant as easy to use as Y & A. Yes, there's a lot on those pages, but they're designed so it's pretty obvious where to start. Plus there's no dancing burning singing bears. :P

Mandi I haven't had time to look at those sites yet (have emailed them to project guys), other than that thumbnail, but thanks for all you said!

I'll post a longer explanation of part of the project (the part that won't make money, but which is cool) later. Right now I've got "a problem with [my] brain being missing" (yeah, I'm one of those), so am just going to do a bit of virtual killing then do some unconscious time.

[Wassercrats]

If there were alot on those pages in index form (a-z), it wouldn't be as bad, but there are at least 13 distinct sections on Yahoo.com (http://www.yahoo.com), depending on what you consider a section, in no logical order and with no easy way to find the one you're looking for, so you might have to look at all of them to find what you want. Presumably, they're logically divided, so there should at least be a 13-item index so your eyes don't have to jump around the screen and you don't have to scroll and remember where the section you want is.

I consider something that's wasteful of time to be difficult to use, or if you don't like the word "difficult", poorly designed for usability.

That's the only thing I was complaining about, but if you'd like two more:

2. The "help" button, is too inconspicuous. I'm not competing for this job, but I designed this page (http://www.polisource.com/LinkStructor_Config.htm). It's a web application interface that's pretty complex because of all the technical features of the application, but there are tabs to all main sections on the very top, a conspicuous index with help-sections to the left, and four additional tips just under the heading. That's usability.

3. Some of the text is too small.

[CamFraser]

Valid points, Wass. I've had to explain to many newbies that that search box in the center is for searching. Much too busy, so they do get distracted by the rest. On the plus, both sites load fast, and are browser friendly. Since the target site is not a search portal, it would be laid out more friendily (sp?). The messy parts of Yahoo are easy to fix.

So, how about 3 points against Amazon, since we're on a roll? :P

Just peaked at your page. It took a very long time to load, used accursed frames, but otherwise seemed reasonable. Are those ads pay-fors, or donations? [note: i'm on the road, so have image loading off, lospeed connection, and older browser]

[Randall]

more friendily (sp?) May I suggest "friendlier (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=friendlier&r=67)"? :teach:

Randall

[Wassercrats]

Amazon isn't as bad, but I'll try:

1. Too much stuff, just like Yahoo. Makes it take longer to find what you want.
2. The largest, centered stuff isn't likely to be what you're looking for, but it's what you'll see first. Probably ads.
3. Navigate to any page, and the URL is HUGE. What if you don't know how to bookmark the page you want and you have to write down the address? What if you have to write it down to give to someone? Too much trouble.

Those ads on my page aren't paid for. I just selected some good sounding causes to fill in that area. The page is still under construction and it's disabled as an interface to the application. It's my own project, so I didn't worry too much about some things that I would have if it were for a client.

[Mandi]

I'm pretty sure that after 4 pm, invention of modifying adverb and adjectives is allowable by law. At least, that's what I tell my kids, who like to mock my fading intellectual skills in the evenings LOL!







Well, it SHOULD be in the dictionary, darn it!