As a web designer I live and breathe great data. Every 10 years the Census Bureau counts every U.S. citizen. It also means data junkies like me get access to rich demographic statistics. Highly effective user experience design and web development evolves from knowing your audience. The current census data is gold for church leaders seeking ways to retool their website in hopes of reaching out to their community. Continue Reading…
A highly effective website home page is able to accomplish three tasks: set the tone of who you are as an organization; direct site visitors deeper into your website simply; and in the case of a church website, be welcoming and invitational.
Unfortunately for many church web managers they take the kitchen sink approach. Meaning, in an effort to resolve bad website architecture, the web manager has opted to provide links to what seems to be every page of the site from the home page. Ultimately, visitors are so overwhelmed by information, all messaging is blurred. Continue Reading…
As I shared yesterday, a solid user experience is pivotal to the success of your website. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to read today how a group of Swiss user experience labs had married two of my favorite subjects, user-experience design and LEGOs. Based on LEGO’s experiential process, Serious Play, URL or User Requirements with LEGO allows groups and organizations to gather web-based requirements using LEGO blocks. The URL methodology allows a project lead to break the ice with the use of LEGOs and bring a sense of fun to the discovery process. Continue Reading…
In the years I have worked as a church communicator or as a consultant, I have learned successful communications is measured in relationships. The better the relationships, the more effective the communications.
Relationships are nurtured when the flow of communication isn’t being obstructed by any number of barriers: physical, language, perception, emotional, cultural, etc. I’ve found that much of “the work” of church communications derives from better understanding the barriers. Continue Reading…
For a number of years, I’ve been fascinated by the idea of how the work of web architects and building architects merge. Meaning, how do we translate the visual cues that the visitor may experience on your website to the physical architecture of your building? Cracking this nut creates an enormous opportunity for churches.
In 2007, I had the opportunity to sit-in on the keynote presentation at the IA Summit in Las Vegas. Joshua Prince-Ramus was the speaker, he’s an acclaimed architect who has worked on such buildings as the AT&T Performing Arts Center in Dallas and the Seattle Central Library. Prince-Ramus shared how he used data visualization analysis to develop the design for the Seattle Central Library project – meaning, the architectural blueprint of the building is the visual representation of data collected. Continue Reading…
Best described as a tech-toting evangelist for web and social media, Matt Carlisle consults with non-profits and faith groups to make the necessary changes to fully embrace new media.
