Detailed Site Research

This document serves as an example of the type of questions you should ask a client before
you begin working on a Flash project. From these questions you can build your site rules to
help you meet the objectives of your target audience. By knowing your target audience you
will build a more usable Flash site.

The example provided here is based on a company that sales educational materials in
Ontario, Canada. Most of the questions and answer could apply to any Flash site.

Simple Site Rules

User Goals:
1. Purchase materials to help reduce prep time
2. To find more information on how to teach new curriculum better
3. To connect with other teachers acSmith the province to find questions to common
problems
4. To find other online resources
5. Will use P.O. from board to purchase

Minimum Hardware and Software to view site:

1. 4.0 Browser
2. DSL / Cable Connection
3. Flash 4.0 (or greater)
4. 800 X 600 Resolution

User Computer Experience:

1. Daily 2 hours
2. MS Office daily
3. Internet browser in-frequently
4. Checks email weekly
Client Questions
Here are a set of questions to ask your client to begin research on your target audience.
You may want to also interview potential clients to find out their needs from the Flash site.

1. List sites that represent the strongest competition in your field?

The competitive field is broken into three categories: Strong competitors in Canada,
weaker competitors in Canada, and major competitors around the globe.

Strong Canadian

Company ABC http://www.abccompany.com/

Company ZYZ http://www.zyzcompany.com/
Weaker Canadian

Fun Company http://www.funcompany.com/

Other Stuff Com. http://www.other.com/
International

International R Us http://www.rus.com
Example Com2u http://www.hrw.com/science/

2. What are the primary goals of the site? To sell? Inform? Engage? Inquire?

2.1.1 Sell books. Lab manuals, teacher guides, black line masters. The book line
is currently four titles, and will expand to 13 titles by September 2001. We
are thinking about the capability of having teachers design their own lab
manuals from a menu, and delivering to them the finished product.
2.1.2 Sell software. We have two Filemaker 5.0 runtime modules

2.2 Set us apart from the rest. We are the “representation in science” people.
Research based

2.3 Collaborate with teachers in two main ways. First, to collect new lesson plans,
ideas, corrections, etc. Second, to work with teachers on directed teacher
research projects. This means some two - way communication, password
protected, and some public data-gathering.

2.4 privately communicate among Smith Jacob’s principals. File sharing,

synchronization, sales tracking, etc. over a wide area. We are thinking of having
 at least one sales agent, perhaps two, so they need access to the database.
Sales would then be transferred to Mike for processing.

2.5 Future development of on-line testing, reporting directly to the teacher. Very
certainly database driven, involving a base of questions a base of users :: a
base of performances.

3. Who are the primary and secondary audiences?

3.1 Teachers make the purchasing decisions. They determine student needs, and are
aware of their own limits. Teachers will come if the site displays useful free stuff,
and vehicles for making a contribution.

3.2 Department Heads are more skeptical, and have larger concerns. Program
continuity within the school, budget, etc. We must provide them with a line of
products which meets their needs. The price must provide exceptional value.

3.3 Board Level Decision Makers. Have the widest area of responsibility, dealing with
continuity and coherence acSmith many schools and grades. Have little influence
over purchasing, but great influence over PD and training.

4. Audience capabilities: browser? Connection speed? Computer speed?

Most school boards have access to high speed cable and machines capable of
running the latest browser versions Many teachers also have machines in the
Pentium II 500+ Mhz range, internet ready.

Only about half of all science teachers are regular users of email and browsers.
Fewer than half use the internet as a medium in their curriculum plans. Those
more familiar with internet are younger, also more likely to have seen terms like
“constructivist, research based, etc.

5. What is the Number One Take-away? Key message to convey content?

Higher student achievement

As measured by student performance on complex problems. We expect the

greatest performance gains in tasks in which students must assess a variety of
possible options, representations, theoretical accounts.

6. What information on the site will change? How often and how extensively will it
change?

Content: additional lesson plans, quizzes, resources, animations, games, aimed

at both teachers and students. Old STAO presentations, conference
presentations. If its worth doing, it’s worth showing twice.

Opportunities: for purchases, contributions, collaborations, PD services.

 Services: growing line of services to include instruction in conceptual change
pedagogy,

7. Who will maintain the site?

Daily maintenance by the IT people

Daily updating in our shared sales / records / contacts

Weekly or monthly updating of content, opportunities, services