Static site improvements - RE: Jim Knape Review

[geocoug]

@bbest - Below are some topics of discussion brought to attention by Jim Knape (Integral) when reviewing the static site content.

Misc

1. • Determine method for clearing browser cache when new static site features deployed. Possible css/js version numbering to "cache bust".

Landing Page

1. • Carousel scroll is too fast.
2. • Carousel image captions difficult to read. Highlight on hover?
3. • Include a "get started" link to reporting app under "how it works"? The carousel and “How It Works” section are the focal points for the user, however the “How It Works” section does not have clickable link to get started. My initial impression is that I would like to read the how it works section and then click a get started link button to choose a “site” and topic of interest directly from the “how it works” section or a nearby “Get Started” kind of button. I think if a user has read as far as the how it works section they should be rewarded with an easy click button to try the app out – as simply as possible.
4. • Once the user scrolls below the carousel there are no more clickable links to navigate further in the App and may feel a little stranding for the user that once they’ve read all the info and are excited about the app, then they need to go searching again for where to get started.

Interactions

1. • Update page heading from "Interactions" to "Environmental Interactions"?
2. • The description for using the matrix “choose a Receptor (rows) and Stressor (column) of interest” – feels like if the rows is plural the column should also be plural?
3. • Clicking onto a single character link is a little challenging given how small the clickable area is – it may be really nice to add a an clickable box or span or button behind the document count that allows the user to more easily click the desired stress/receptor.

Regulatory Diagram

1. • Unexpected to prompt for PDF document download as a user. Given the names “ex. US Department of Interior” I had expected to link to an outside page. I think users are pretty wary when prompted an unexpected file download, adding a small bit of text to indicate there are the links to download the actual Memos or How the links are named might make it more clear to the user and improve how the page meets their expectation.
2. • OCS diagrams are of low quality, to the extent they are difficult to read
3. • OCS diagrams - If the user clicks the FERC License box to the right of the diagram, the page reloads and takes the user to a “new” page. This adds another page to the user queue, which requires the user to then click multiple times (as many times as the “FERC licensce” block was clicked) to get back to the Regulator Diagram page.

[bbest]

reference styles.css?lastmodifed=YYYY-MM-DD

• html - Force browser to clear cache - Stack Overflow:

Better yet is to keep the filename as-is, but append the version number as a querystring parameter, i.e. script.js?v=1.2. (Or if you're not keeping track of versions, just use the file last-modified time, which is even easier to do)