LBSC 690: Homework #2

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Design a website

You are the media specialist in an elementary school. You have been asked to develop a new Web interface to assist children in locating library resources and other resources on the Web. Here are some examples of sites with similar purpose:

• USM Library's catalogusmai
• PG County Library Catalog
• Arlington Public Library's Kids Catalog
• KidSpace at the Internet Public Library
• Children's Books Online: The Rosetta Project
• ICDL

As you're looking through these sites, keep in mind user interaction issues discussed in class, for example:

• Does the interface fulfill user expectations? Does it match the mental task model of the user?
• Is the navigation consistent? Do users always know where they are? Is it easy to get lost?
• How well is the site organized overall? Are topics coherently grouped? Is it easy to tell what's where?

Based on what you think is effective and ineffective in these digital libraries and library catalogs, develop a Web interface to support elementary-age children in finding books in your collection as well as resources online (decide what online resource you think are appropriate!). "Develop a Web interface" as in create a mock-up; for example, the search functionality doesn't have to work, links don't necessary have to go anywhere. The Web mock-up should contain at least three pages and demonstrate understanding of user interface design principles.

Last updated: $Date: 2006/08/25 02:42:49 $