Discusses how Web portals can best serve higher education institutions if portal designers first understand and satisfy user needs. Shares findings from a usability study of an Indiana University enterprise portal application, which indicated that many existing interaction design principles still apply. (EV)

In this study, a popular search engine was used to find multicultural counseling Web sites. Over 100 sites were visited and categorized by type of content. Common problems in each category were identified and discussed, along with practical solutions. Recommendations were then made for future developers of multicultural counseling Web sites.…

Benchmarks online retailing transactions against critical factors that impact online retailing. Findings suggest several areas that e-retailers should target for improvement, including the speed of home page loading, ability to translate into multiple languages, capabilities of search engines, security policies display, payment options, minimum…

This paper discusses the technical features necessary for a good World Wide Web (WWW) discussion forum, the fact that it should be seen as part of a more general cooperative space, and psycho-sociological aspects that are essential for success. The first section introduces the paper and lists reasons why newsgroups are generally more successful…

Delineates a user-based design process for Web sites, comprised of four stages: information-gathering; development; test and evaluation; and implementation. Operationalizing definitions of design criteria and translating the criteria into Web page features are also addressed. (PEN)

This paper summarizes a 10-month long research project conducted at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center aimed at developing the design concept of a multi-institutional art and culture web site. The work followed a user-centered design (UCD) approach, where interaction with prototypes and feedback from potential users of the web site were sought…

Over the last year the J. Paul Getty Trust's Web presence has evolved from a group of disparate, independently maintained Web sites into a homogeneous consistently branded one. This transformation recently culminated with the implementation of a leading Content Management System (CMS). There were and are many process-changes and challenges in…

This paper is an analysis of Intranets and Extranets at selected state libraries in the United States. The paper does not review World Wide Web sites designed for use by the general public; rather, it focuses on Web sites designed and delivered by the state library to a targeted audience, typically state government employees, state library…

This paper documents the authors' efforts at constructing, deploying, and analyzing Snapshot Surveys in a range of educational settings. The Snapshot Survey Service is an Internet-based technology that enables educators at the local, state, and even national level to survey, quickly and at low-cost, other educators on issues that are particularly…

Investigates Web site design factors and their impact from a theoretical perspective. Presents a two-factor model that can guide Web site design and evaluation. According to the model, there are two types of design factors: hygiene and motivator. Results showed that the two-factor model provides a means for Web-user interface studies. Provides…

Effective navigation is becoming more and more critical to the success of electronic commerce (E-commerce). It remains a challenge for educational technologists and Web designers to develop Web systems that can help customers find products or services without experiencing disorientation problems and cognitive overload. Many E-commerce Web sites…

Reports on the human factors considered in the design and implementation of a digital museum for historic costume. Starting with an elicitation and analysis of the qualitative and functional needs of its users, an evolutionary prototype was developed for a model of digital archiving that delivers a gratifying Web experience, visually and…

Provides an overview of Web-site design and discusses three steps in building a site: audience analysis, design, and evaluation. Includes an analysis of loading speeds with and without graphics; examples of no-style, low-bandwidth, and high-bandwidth Web sites; and addresses for related Web sites. (PEN)

Describes the cultural history of linear narrative and the veering away from that tradition by film, television, and, most recently, by World Wide Web hypertext. The World Wide Web has new rhetorical and symbolic implications, because coherence in that environment is anchored in associative, linked structures rather than linear ones. Contains 33…

Describes how to design Web sites that will reach the most people possible. Discusses publicity; Web search engine sites; adopting Web development standards; using metatags to effectively index a site; Web site addresses and naming conventions; writing for the Web; mass submissions; subject area knowledge; making Web rings; and additional ideas to…