Conceptual Analysis Each web page that is published will attract an audience. This audience may be very specific or it might have a wide range of characteristics. Before publishing a web page, the designer must try to step into the shoes of their intended audience to become in step with the needs and wishes of that audience. A successful web page will be easily accessible to its audience. The Audience My audience is generally a young, college age group who has grown up with computers and the internet. They are generally proficient with typical web design and understand the basics of navigation on the web. They generally access the internet at home, where the majority of people use Windows based computers or in the laboratories on campus, which mainly run the Windows platform. Those in the target audience of my web site are individuals who are currently working on their undergraduate degree at GVSU. These individuals have some advanced education and can easily understand information that is presented to them. They have the skills required to solve problems and find information when they are presented with something new and unfamiliar. AB is dedicated to organizing 18-20 volunteer trips during the school year which last from two days to a week. The members of the AB audience are all involved or interested in being involved in volunteer work, which makes it easy to find pathways for drawing them into the site, be it through logos, pathos or ethos. Objectives Some objectives of my site are to inform the audience of the purpose of AB, how to become involved and to keep them informed of required activities and meetings. Another objective is to help people get the information about AB that they need, such as program costs and travel details, so that they can make an informed decision on whether or not they will become involved with AB. Certain portions of the web site are included to make sure each member has access to the organization’s calendar or to make sure that each member knows how much each trip costs or who their site leaders will be. Making sure that this information is readily available to interested and current members keeps people involved and active in the organization. In addition, the site leaders and executive board members of AB are hard working individuals who deserve some recognition for their hard work during the year. Use and Purpose The users of the AB web site will be accessing the page for a number of different reasons. The most important reason people will be accessing the web site is to find out exactly what AB has to offer. This information is included on the index or “home” page, which users will see first. Here they are able to obtain detailed information about the three programs AB has to offer. Along the navigational bar, users will be able to access the mission statement of AB to see if they support AB’s cause. Included in this is a link to the parent organization of AB which gives even more background behind the organization. Another important aspect of the AB program are the issues it is involved with on the 18-20 volunteer trips. A page dedicated to these issues helps visitors to become informed about the various topics they could be dealing with on an AB trip. This also helps them decide if there is something AB offers that they would like to become involved with. Having each and every issue listed make sure that no one turns away from AB because they think that AB doesn't’t offer something when it actually does. The site leader page is a tribute to the hard working men and women who make up the core of the AB organization. This page helps potential participants get to know their leaders and become familiar with the structure of the organization. Another important page on the AB site is the applications page. On the applications page, two of the three AB applications have been made available for easy download. One of the program applications changes from month to month and is more readily available through e-mail; the address has been provided on the web page The easier it is for potential members to fill out an application the more likely they are to join the organization. This page is absolutely necessary to complete the AB experience. Once the visitor has read through the rest of the pages and become interested, they are able to easily download and fill out an application while their interest is at a peak. Once the important information for potential members is reviewed, the “dates” portion of the web site is important for both members and potential members to go over so they can make sure that they do not have any time conflicts with AB events and so that they can be available for the many required activities AB puts together during the year. Hopefully once members are accepted into the organization they will use the site to continually make sure they are aware and available for AB functions throughout the rest of the year. Conclusion The AB web page is a tool for both potential and current AB members who wish to join a volunteer trip. The information on the page is the most important and essential information about the organization. By not including a lot of non-essential information on the page and keeping it brief, there is a better chance that the visitor will get an accurate picture of the AB organization and be better able to stay involved or become involved. |