KBD_PACTAnalysis

KBD Index | Scope | P1 Envision | Process Work | Discussion | Resources | P3 Process | P3 User Testing

= PACT ANALYSIS = = = 3005 DESIGN & SYSTEMS BRITTANY, DASHA AND KITTY

Current VA Website: [] Link to resource website: [|ccca.ca/york_va/] Interview with a 4th year Visual Arts Major. Interview with the FFA Publicist Amy Stewart.

[ [|Pact Analysis] ]
Using the PACT analysis to understand the current VA website, to establish where possible improvements can be made as well as to help us better envision a future solution.

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People:
The people who are currently using the Visual Arts website are students (both current: graduate/undergraduate, and prospective: novice/transferring/international), alumni, faculty (full time and part-time), administrators, parents, as well as discretionary users such as interested visitors. Users are generally well educated, affiliated with a university education, and have a substantial understanding of technology and multimedia devices. Several of these visitors are frequent users, like current students, while others are infrequent, such as parents. Hence the website caters to both heterogeneous groups as well as a variety of homogeneous groups, such as the students in their respectful programs.


 * **students, alumni, faculty, admin, parents and infrequent visitors.**
 * Visual art students typically have higher **visual processing** skills and are visual learners.
 * cultural and language barriers may exists for international/ESL and multicultural students
 * **parents** may have novice spatial abilities to navigate digitally
 * **homogeneous** groups with similar objectives under the visual arts program
 * student users also fall into **novice and expert categories**, freshman may not be familiar with the online education experience, senior students on the other hand require a different set of resources within the system.
 * high stress levels of students as well as time constrains may affect temporal aspects

Activities:
This wide range of people are looking for a variety of information from the visual arts website, including: general program information, degree requirements, student handbook, application process, contact information, facility information, equipment information, news, events, frequently asked questions, faculty support, location, and the resource centre. The activities listed above may carry varying degrees of importance for each particular user group. Some of these activities are frequently accessed by users and are therefore of more importance such as degree requirements, contact information, news and events, as well as others. Additionally, the website may be more frequently used by current students as opposed to prospective students.


 * **program information, degree requirements, student handbook, application process, FFA scholarships, bursaries, awards, links to OSAP and financial information, equipment and studio information, news and events, frequently asked questions, faculty support, faculty bios, locations and building acronyms - map, resource centre, GPA calculator, galleries, student associations, grants**
 * taking into account and placing greater importance on the most **frequent** resources used by current students. (GPA calculator, degree requirements, course descriptions, faculty bios, contact information, ext..)
 * quick system **response time** requires manageable large graphics and video
 * activities are based on both **well-defined** user tasks such as those for current students, and **vague** activities such as browsing around

possible freshman activities: Expert/senior:
 * possible novice and expert categories:**
 * maps, campus tours
 * course information/description
 * pub and social events
 * important academic dates
 * handbook and academics
 * FAQ


 * events and news
 * bulletins
 * updates for fine arts awards
 * gpa calculator
 * course schedules/description
 * exam dates
 * faculty bios


 * Context:**

These resources will be accessed in a variety of locations, from home and school, usually indoors and generally on a personal basis. Most often accessed from personal computers, the website will also be viewed on smartphone devices. The context of the website itself is to facilitate easy accessibility of information and resources regarding the Visual Arts department as well as some Faculty of Fine Arts and YorkU information. Socially, the website exists within an educational environment which fosters contemporary creativity and cultural engagement.


 * to foster **creativity**
 * to function within a **contemporary social environment**
 * to **allow easy access** of information and resources within VA, FFA and YorkU.
 * functional throughout **different platforms** (desktops, laptops, smartphones, handheld devices)
 * organized with logical sequencing that is understood and recognized by its users

Technology:
The website itself uses various elements of technology, including interactive event calendars, searchable content, and databases hosted from other locations. This means that the technology used must be easily understandable and accessible as it details a large amount of information under a variety of different topics to a variety of different users with different purposes. Communication with other databases /websites may be necessary in order to keep data/information up to date, accurate and consistent.


 * interactive event calendars, possibly an interactive map, searchable content, outsourced databases
 * output is both textual, visual and multimedia
 * high bandwidth and visual feedback on loading video/graphics
 * communication with other sources to provide accurate content from external sites