SLA Biomedical and Life Sciences Division

Web Site Redesign Project

Monday, August 13, 2007, marks the launch of the new SLA Biomedical & Life Sciences Division web site.

The Ad-Hoc Web Site Redesign Committee has worked tirelessly for the past 12 months to study, plan, and implement this project.

Project Goals and Rationale:

Our goals for the new web site redesign are to promote the Division’s image and services; increase membership; facilitate two-way communication; encourage initial and return visits through improved usability and appeal; and capture the interest of our members and potential members by its format, ease of use, attractiveness, color, and identifiable logos. It is expected that the redesign will create an infrastructure that makes the site easier to maintain, to add new content and to make future improvements. The DBIO web site is hosted by SLA, our parent organization.

With this web site we wish to communicate that DBIO is part of SLA, the leading global organization for innovative information professionals and their strategic partners. DBIO supports information professionals who are working or interested in the life sciences and related disciplines, through education, advocacy and networking. DBIO Division needs to have its own identity separate from our parent organization while still maintaining a synergy in look and feel between the two. The Medical Section serves as a forum for our members who are engaged or interested in health care. We want to personalize the Medical Section with a separate logo, and offer web content specific to this segment attributes, while maintaining consistency in “look and feel” throughout the entire DBIO site.

What process we have followed:

  • Determine the goals for the site
  • Define the audiences for the site
  • Determine technical and functional requirements for the site
  • Hire an experienced and very talented web developer David Matthews from Ink Stain Design
  • Gather and supply missing content and images, develop the site’s information structure and assign category labels
  • Develop local and global navigation scheme to facilitate access to the information structure
  • Evaluate the graphic design of the DBIO logo and the Medical Section logo created by David Matthews
  • Evaluate the site designed and built by David Matthews

What we have accomplished:

  • The color palette reveals the synergy between SLA and DBIO, while the site “look and feel” emphases the unique personality and subject matter of the division.
  • Better navigation and consistency of page elements offer enhanced interactivity
  • Page formatting, logo designs, and images convey the slightly different subject focus between the DBIO and the Medical Section, although the site design is consistent throughout.
  • DBIO services, programs, events, publications and volunteer opportunities are highlighted and easily accessible.
  • New features such as DBIO Blog, increased visibility for sponsors, “volunteer for service” form; “awards nomination” form, etc.
  • Site updating and editing is done offline using Adobe Contribute CS3. With Contribute, the webmaster can publish content directly from within Microsoft Office applications with the click of a button.

The Web Site Redesign Committee would like to hear from you if you have questions, comments or further suggestions.

The Ad-Hoc Web Site Redesign Committee:

Rev. August 10, 2007