News: Updated Website Redesign Phase Outline

For clarification and simplification

When taking on something as important and significant to an organization as the Website Presence, it’s a good idea to have a clear path forward to ensure that things are done in a timely manner, and that things do not get lost in the shuffle. With that goal in mind, I wanted to take a moment to outline the different phases of development that will be taking place with the CAPEX website over the coming months.

There has been a change in Phase Scope. Previously, the Portal was described as a part of Phase Two. However, due to the amount of work needed on the Content and Accessibility, the Portal has been moved into a separate Phase. This post will outline the current 4 Phases of the website development.

Notice of Change in Phase Scope

Phase One – Design and Build

Phase one was dedicated to the initial redesign and building of the website. This included determining the best overall design approach, building the website in a current Content Management System so that it can be easily maintained, and ensuring that the website used a modern responsive architecture for mobile devices.

Additionally, we needed to pull in as much relevant content as was needed to get the website up and running. Some content was updated a bit to ensure it was up to date, and some that was very outdated was set aside for the time being. Overall, content was re-organized to make it easier to find.

The design and initial build has been complete. You can read more about the concept behind the design with the Phase One of CAPEX Website Redesign Complete post.

Phase Two – Content and Accessibility

Phase two will be all about the content and making sure the website is accessible to all individuals. As a non-profit, it is very important that the website be ADA Compliant, so we will be working on adding in some very specific features to help accomplish that.

ADA Compliance Focus

• Font Size Adjustment Options – This will allow those with visual needs to easily adjust the font size to fit their needs. They will be able to increase or decrease the font size as desired, and the responsive nature of the website will automatically adjust accordingly. This will be managed with a small cookie set in the browser, so that the settings will stick from page to page without having to readjust each time.
• ARIA references within the coding – ARIA is a technical specification that provides richer semantic references to elements within a web page, which helps enable text readers to better identify the content and assist the user with text readers that will read aloud the content of the website. While ARIA references are already present, we will be doing a comprehensive review of the coding to ensure that we are enabling this everywhere possible within the website.
• Color Theme Options – “Dark Mode” is all the rage in today’s modern web, and the overall color scheme for the CAPEX design fits within that style. However, some people may have challenges with the color scheme or deal with eye fatigue as a result of the color combinations. While the concept of “dark mode” has been linked to making things easier to read for some, there is evidence that it does cause fatigue for others. As such, we intend to have a “light mode” as well for the website, so that users can choose their preferences.
• Translations – Not every person speaks or understands English very well, if at all. For many people, the use of translation tools can help them understand the content of a web page. Google used to offer a “Translate” widget that could be added to a website; however, that has since been deprecated. However, most modern browsers have built in tools to handle that task! So to help ensure that the information is easily accessible and translatable, we will work to ensure that the language of the content is clear and concise.
• ADA Compliance Review – Special software can be used to help review a website to ensure the content and structure is ADA Compliant. This is especially useful, as ADA Rules can be complicated and there are various standards. The software can help compare to all up to date standards and rules, and provide additional guides on what may need to be addressed.

Content Focus

• Typos and Grammar – Review of all current content to correct typos and grammar issues that may be present.
• Relevance – Review of all current content to ensure that the content is relevant and correct.
• Privacy – Review of all current content to ensure privacy needs are met. There is some content, such as the History, that includes specific names. We will attempt to reach out to those individuals to ensure that they approve of their names being specifically mentioned, as well as making sure that the references are correct.
• Past Content – Review of any past content not currently added to the website. We will review the previous content that is not present on the website to determine what may still need to be brought over, and how it can/should be updated as needed. This will focus on Public content in this Phase.
• New Content – Creation of new content that is pertinent and relevant to CAPEX and how we do business. This will focus on Public content in this Phase.
• Content Classification – What specific content should be publicly available to anyone and what should be Contributor access only. We do not want to limit information in any way, but there is likely some information that is more sensitive to the Contributorship that would need to be accessible only by current Contributors. The current thought process identifies 4 distinct profiles:
  1. Public – Information accessible to anyone that visits the website. This content will be identified and addressed in Phase 2.
  2. Current Contributors – Information accessible only to current Contributors in good standing. This content will be identified in Phase 2, and addressed in Phase 3.
  3. Past Contributors – A more limited view of Contributor information, designed to keep the past Contributors informed, while hopefully inviting them to rejoin. This content will be identified in Phase 2, and addressed in Phase 3.
  4. Reciprocal Friends – A more limited view of Contributor information, designed to help keep our Reciprocal friends informed of what is going on with CAPEX. This content will be identified in Phase 2, and addressed in Phase 3.

As you can see, Phase 2 covers quite a bit. It is designed to make sure that we have the best information available on the website, and that everyone has the ability to access that information.

Phase Three – Contributor Portal

Moving into Phase Three, we start to see some of the really exciting enhancements for the website. As the content and accessibility items would be addressed, this Phase is all about our Contributors! We will be taking the 4 identified Content Classifications, and adding in the remaining ones beyond the Public needs.

There’s still a number of ideas floating around, but the current minimum expectations are:

• Portal – A login required access point that allows for limited access to information designated to the non-public Content Classifications
• Detailed Event Information – When event details are released, the information will be posted to the website. Public sees only that there is an event, with past Contributors and Reciprocal friends getting a bit more information (minus specific location details) and current Contributors having access to all the information.
• Contributor Information – Personal details, such as real names, addresses and the like, will not be held on the website due to privacy concerns. However, current status as a Contributor, current preferred email address for communication, preferred scene names and links to FetLife profiles will all be present and available to be updated by the user. This can help keep your information up to date!
• Digital Contributor Cards – Yes folks! We are finally getting into the Digital Age! You will have access to a digital version of Contributor cards so that you can easily show when needed.
• Access to Minutes – Contributors will have direct access to the Meeting Minutes that will be posted each month. This will provide an easy way to review the minutes at any time, right from your Portal.

This may not be the exhaustive list of items that will be included in Phase Three, and this list may indeed be subject to change. However, this will give you an indication of the intentions we have with regards to the website and the access of information you will have in the Contributor Portal.

Phase Four – E-commerce Options

The final phase of the build out will include adding E-Commerce options directly to the website. Much of this area is still a work in progress in terms of what to expect, as we need to take a look at the different accounts and integrations we can incorporate into the website. We are also weighing any security and privacy risks involved to help ensure that whatever we incorporate, your information will be as safe as possible.

Some initial ideas include:

• Event Ticketing
• Event Room Reservations
• Contributor Renewals
• CAPEX Swag
• Online CAPEX Library Management Process
• Grant and Scholarship Management Process

Again, details and availability of what will be included in this Phase are still very much in development, so please keep that in mind. We still have a bit to figure out here, but will try to keep you updated as we continue forward.

Summary Notes

This website is still very much a work in progress, but we’re very excited and proud of the work thus far. With everything that is being done, we are keeping the Contributors top of mind to keep everyone as updated as possible. If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please be sure to send us a note through the Contact Page. Your input as a Contributor matters!

Finally, I wanted to offer a truly heart-felt “Thank You!” for your support, both with the website, and with CAPEX as a whole!

Red
@theRedLife
Communications Director