Koha.org: Website Redesign Contest
Koha.org Plone Contest Background Information
General
Koha is the first open-source library automation system. It was released in 2000, and has since expanded from a single rural library system in New Zealand to a worldwide project spanning nearly every continent with hundreds of library users worldwide. With the launch of the latest version of Koha (3.0), the Koha community seeks to update its web presence to reflect and foster the international nature of the community. The website redesign should better address the needs of the growing number of libraries using or considering use of the system, and make it easy for industry experts to quickly understand the nature and scope of the project.
Target Audiences
The website should target libraries of all types, including: public, academic, special collection, museum, corporate, consortia. The target audiences for this redesign are, in order of priority:
1. Library decision makers, support staff, membership organizations investigating Koha for use in their library or amongst their members (my libraries keep talking about how great Koha is: How can I prove that Koha is viable for us? Who's using Koha? is there support? How risky is open source?)
2. Industry experts looking for information about Koha and the Koha community (Who's using Koha? Where? What can I say about Koha for my next article?)
3. Koha users involved in participation in the community (The redesign should make it easy for users to add content to the site: add their library to list of users, add documentation, join the forum, etc.)
4. People who want to download and install Koha
5. Developers/consultants/companies interested in getting involved in the project
Audience categories 1-2 will tend to be overwhelmed by a 'text heavy' site. They will want the relevant information they're seeking to be presented in a visually appealing, graphical, friendly,inviting, non-technical way. The website should look more like a non-profit organization website, than a open-source 'software' website.
Audience categories 3-5 are more technical folks, and they will gravitate toward the developer-focused areas of the site ... which can be a bit more 'documentation' oriented, text heavy, information rich, participatory.
WHAT GOES IN THE WEBSITE?
The website will cater primarily to audience categories 1, 2 (libraries interested in joining the Koha community and industry experts). We want to focus on the information they are most likely seeking, which includes:
- People/Libraries/Users/Stories (Who's using Koha? Where? What's their story? How do they like it?)
- Features of Koha
- Support options for Koha
The information will be provided in various formats on the site:
Case Studies / User Stories similar to:
User quotes, pictures and stories:
Visual representation of the 'international' scope of the project via an interactive world map.
Screenshots of Koha that describe Koha's features (documentation and/or marketing), though the splash page will focus/showcase users.
Design Elements Should Address the Following
- Consistent visual and navigational structure across different 'elements' of the site (forums, main nav, documentation, etc)
- Should look like an 'evolution' of current site. The website look should be clear and adaptable. It would be nice to keep some of the "themes" of Koha to provide continuity. For instance: the Koha logo font, use of the 'Koha' green. The green doesn't need to be the main color, it could be used as a minor part of the scheme. Current website can be found at: http://koha.org
- We like Ubuntu: for its use of visual icons http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate