CBA Program Site
A TRICARE Program Web Site
The biggest, most challenging, and most successful project that I was in charge of while working at IBA was the CBA Site. This project consisted of a site that housed 53 sub-projects all relating to the idea of a centralized way to manage Health Care.
I took control of this site when no-one was using it. And I mean that literally. I ran stats for the week prior to taking over the server and site, and came back with nothing. Over the course of three years we increased the size of the site from 50 pages and 100 documents to approximately 1,000 pages and 8,000 documents. More importantly, it became a vital part of the users day, and was a prime vehicle for communication throughout the project.
There were three versions of the site, all developed very quickly within the course of 10 months. Version 1 of the site was a great improvement upon the design of the site from previously, but did not address the needs of the client enough. He had visions of dense informational spaces and easy access to that information. We scrapped this design about two weeks after the launch of the new design based on a breakthrough meeting with the client where we received (from what I thought) were a set of needs and requirements.
Version 2 of the site went in another direction completely. Implementing a “Dashboard” based navigational theme along the bottom and bottom left, it allowed for the data to be the most prominent item on the page, completely separated out from the content. After rolling this site out, we quickly determined that this, in fact, was not what the client nor the users needed. Two weeks after launch, we started on the new design. I vowed to user-test all prototypes and designs from here on out.
Version 3 was a rousing success. To this day I believe that this site was ahead of its' time. We had a prototype &ldquoFlexible Messaging Area”, dynamic menuing system built with Javascript, many prime usability heuristics (bread-crumps, search box, titles, contact info) and a clean and expandable information architecture. This is probably the site I'm most proud of ever creating.
The secondary navigation was an interesting problem. We wanted a multi-layered approach to navigation. We provided the secondary navigational links that would expand out to show tertiary navigation as well. This was accomplished by coding, through javascript. On each image we were poviding a rollover image. We also used javascript to switch out both the images and the links on the teriary section of the bar.
The site-tools bar, located consistently on the upper right of each page, provided the following tools: search, index, site map, feedback, & related sites/projects. Prior to common usability heuristics that related to items such as these, we were able to successfully predict and implement these tools that provided incredible use to the users.
The search function was created by using the Index Search built within IIS. Constant tinkering with the searching and the search results, based upon user feedback, became a very valuable tool once our document load became quite large. By segmenting the documents, providing common search phrases on the results page, and by tracking search queries, we were able to better serve our users.
User testing for this site was done in three ways. The first was through email and phone conversations. These people were chosen from the feedback received from the site. I would then initiate a conversation, first through email and following up via phone. I would then ask for their opinion on some various improvements that we were working on at that time. I would send them a URL and a series of questions regarding the improvement in question.
The second method of testing was “in-house” testing. We had other contractors, or whom-ever we could drag into the offices, sit down and run through the improvement with us. We would have them “drive” the machine, and would take notes and observe their reactions.
The third, and most formal, of the tests was when we had prepared a new section or improvement and would go to the client site. We would set up a computer in an empty office, and have daily users of the site and the stakeholder clients come into the office and run through scripted tasks that we had drawn up for them. We sat around and measured their reactions and attempts at the tasks. We were then able to successfully gauge their probably success of any improvement or section that we wanted to roll out.
The CBA Home Page became a dense informational space that still seemed light and friendly. The center graphic was a Flash piece. We were attempting to create what Macromedia latter came to term a &ldquoFlexible Messaging Area”
The site tools bar, always located on the top right-hand side of the page, provided very easy access to global site tools, such as Search.
A sidebar that was consistently on the upper left of each page provided both secondary and tertiary navigational links.
The original design for CBA was a learning experience in many ways. I liked the design, but did not pay enough attention to the client needs.
And so I overcompensated for version 2 of the site. This was a different approach to a site, utilizing a dashboard approach. However, placing the primary navigation and the secondary navigation along the bottom and bottom-left of the page was not well-received by the users.