A lot of existing web content and design is based on past convention, anecdotes, and a misguided understanding of what constitutes best practice. In this workshop, web design expert Laura Solomon will give you a tour of some beliefs that many people still have about usability and do some “mythbusting.” You’ll learn why some outdated web practices still persist and why they’re a problem. You’ll learn concrete steps you and your colleagues can take to improve your library’s website from both a content and usability standpoint.
By participating in this workshop, you will:
- Understand how best practices for websites are more than just guidelines and how they significantly affect user experience
- Understand how to modernize outdated conventions made for a print-based world for application in a web-based world
- Learn 20 different commonly believed myths and why they either don't apply or no longer apply to the modern web
Laura Solomon, MCIW, MLS, is the Library Services Manager for the Ohio Public Library Information Network. She has been doing web development and design for over twenty years, in both public libraries and as an independent consultant. She specializes in developing with Drupal. She is a 2010 Library Journal Mover & Shaker. She’s written three books about social media and content marketing, specifically for libraries, and speaks nationally on both these and technology-related topics. As a former children’s librarian, she enjoys bringing the “fun of technology” to audiences and in giving libraries the tools they need to better serve the virtual customer.
