building a new launchpad from the ground up

A New LaunchPad From the Ground Up

Designing a Gateway for the Hotel School Web Ecosystem

Casey Dreier Web Systems Programmer

Cornell School of Hotel Administration

A New LaunchPad From the Ground Up

Designing a Gateway for the Hotel School Web Ecosystem

Casey Dreier Web Systems Programmer

Cornell School of Hotel Administration

Takeaways:

1. Everyone Should Have a Gateway Page

2. Design Considerations of a Gateway Web Page: Simplicity, Flexibility, Humility, and Hyperlocality

3. Gateway pages can create a sense of a unified web system, and foster a shared user experience

What is LaunchPad?• Not the Public Home Page

• A specific term for a general idea of a gateway page to specific online resources

• Used as a universal start page for the Hotel School students and staff

• Provides access to useful online services

• Different flavors for Students and Staff

• Fundamentally, a Collection of Links

People Search

Cornell ElectronicDirectory

Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary

Merriam-Webster OnlineMerriam-Webster Online

DictionaryDictionary

ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad

Click Here to Make This Your Default HomePage

Learn How To

Customize

Click here to learn how tocustomize the color, modules,and more.

Click here to learn how toadd personalized links (video)

School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request

Material Safety Data

Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

1

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

21

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

21 3

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

Launch Pad

Featured Links(deemed most important)

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Secondary Contextual Links(depend on user and initial URL, different for Students and Staff, hierarchical)

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

Header and Internal Navigation(Home, Customize, Login/Logout)

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Widgets(News, Search, Dictionary, etc)

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

Why Have a LaunchPad?


4 full-time web programmers



x 8 years



x 8 years

+ Cornell Central Web Services



x 8 years


> 100 different online resources



x 8 years


> 100 different online resources

We needed a way to keep all this organized

Why? (cont)

• People don’t remember URLs

• Bookmarks become cluttered and intermingle with unrelated resources

• With LaunchPad, we control the hierarchy and implied importance of resources

• Fundamentally, though....

LaunchPad is Useful

• ~120,000+ visits/month

• ~800 visitors/day

• High student participation

59%41%

LaunchPad is Useful

• ~120,000+ visits/month

• ~800 visitors/day

• High student participation

So Why Re-do it?

• Modernize the Look and Feel (same since 2001)

• Streamline functionality

• Still fixing bugs after eight years

• Re-examine the utility and focus

• Make it easier to work with (for users and developers)

Goals of a New LaunchPad

Philosophy• Get users off the page as quickly as possible.

• Paraphrasing Rumsfeld (1932 C.E.), we use the LaunchPad to highlight:

• Known Knowns (Common, oft-used sites)• Known Unknowns (Sites users know *should* exist)• Unknown Unknowns (You can do what now?)

Improve Design• Flexible, modern design via CSS

• Fast loading (minimum of images)

• Easy-to-read (larger text, consistent implementation of styles)

• Simplified layout

Improve Usability• One Page to Rule Them All

(http://onepagelove.com)

http://onepagelove.com


People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

Internal Navigation* You should not need this! *

Improve Usability• One Page to Rule Them All

(http://onepagelove.com)

• A More Natural UI (drag and drop)

• Fewer Options

• Unite content from various internal sources



Improve Maintenance• Built with future expansion in mind

• More readable code

• Embrace standard frameworks(JQuery, Ruby on Rails)

• Fewer bugs (unit and functionality testing)

Challenges

Challenge: Competition

• Why make a LaunchPad when there’s iGoogle, My Yahoo, NetVibes, etc?

• Focus on Hyperlocality

Hyperlocal

• Information that is extremely relevant to a very specific, limited audience

• Usually in reference to new type of news reporting that focuses on neighborhood-level events

Challenge: Competition

• Why make a LaunchPad when there’s iGoogle, My Yahoo, NetVibes, etc?

• Focus on Hyperlocality

• You know your web ecosystem and can serve as a better Editor than individual users.

• Design to your core users

Challenge: Attachment

• Current system has been up for 8+ years and many are used to the way things work

• Give fair warning

• Maintain (most) of what’s there already

• Guided introduction and help

Challenge: Old Data

• Previous data exists and needs to be persisted into the new site.

• Ask what really needs to be saved?

• In our case, custom links.

• Too few options to bother carrying over Widgets, plus new design renders layout preservation moot.

Spoiler

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

School Links

SHA Event Calendar

Sign in to Launch Pad

Search

Weather

GO: STATLER WIRE SCHOOL OF HOTEL ADMINISTRATION STATLER HOTEL OUTLOOK BLACKBOARD CU INFO

Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays

Change Cornell Password

Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness (3)

Cornell Fitness Centers

Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust

Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck Online

Web Financials

Who I Am

Labor and Employment Law Roundtable

Google Cornell People

Search

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009.

Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:

Tue - Showers/Wind. High: 61

Low: 38

Wed - Showers. High: 48 Low:

Search Cornell

Process

Functionality First

• LaunchPad was almost entirely functional before any CSS was written or design finalized

• Focused on feature development, implementation, and testing

• Encourages well-written, style-free XHTML

web.projects.each do |rails|

• Experimental first project using Ruby on Rails framework

• First step in new programming direction focusing on an a priori structuring of code

• Allowed for rapid development, unit testing, data validation, session handling

• By using a mature, open-source framework, a developer’s code is forced into a common structure

• Code representing different types of common functionality (data validation, email-handling, querying, etc) must exist in specific locations and function according to certain rules

What Do I Mean By a priori?

What Do I Mean By a priori?

• That means a future developer knows in advance where a particular functionality resides and how it plugs into the system (a priori).

• This reduces the amount of time a developer must take to understand previous work (a posteriori), and generally makes the code more readable

Implementing Maintenance

• Goal: Reduce Maintenance Time:

• Ruby is extremely readable and light on syntax

• Support for unit testing with easy test data (fixtures) reduces bugs

• Rails has built-in data validation and processing functions

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

Implementing Design

• Goal: Simplification

• 3-columns —› 2-columns

• Fewer Graphics and clearer text(no link graphics, dark text on light background)

• Clear delineation of header and content

• Consolidated similar content

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

header

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

1

header

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

21

header

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

Launch Pad

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell


Primary Links:Get Top Billing, Bold, Easy-to-read

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

School Links

Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am

Secondary Contextual Links:Larger display, expanded categories

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

Statler Launch Pad

Welcome Home

Launch Pad


Learn How To

Customize



School Quick Links

Accident Report

Calendars

Change Cornell

Password

Directories

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting

Health & Wellness

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Request


Sheets (MSDS)

Nestle Library

Online Travel

Reimbursements

Skillsoft

uPortal

View Paycheck On-

line

Search Cornell

People Search


Google Search

Google Search

Search WWW

Search cornell.edu

Webster Dictionary



ThesaurusThesaurus

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

School Links

SHA Event Calendar


Search

Weather


Accident Report

Calendars (2)

Academic Calendar

Employee Holidays


Directories (4)

Alumni Directory

Course Directory

Faculty Directory

Ph. D. Students

E-Reqs

Employee Essentials

Faculty Center

Faculty Reporting



Gannet

Wellness Program

Human Resources

Kronos

Maintenance Reqeust


Nestle Library


Skillsoft

uPortal


Web Financials

Who I Am



Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Search Cornell

Search

Weather


Search


Current Conditions:

Light Rain, 46 F

Forecast:


Low: 38


Widgets:Condensed functionally,

unified styles

Implementing Design

• Goal: Simplification

• No Sign Up form

• Uses Cornell’s User Auth system and pre-existing user data to create new account

• See “Sign Up Forms Must Die” by Luke Wroblewski (http://www.alistapart.com/articles/signupforms/)

http://www.alistapart.com/articles/signupforms/




Implementing Design Goals

• Goal: Fast Loading

• Total of 2 images, mostly text based layout

• Single unified, compressed Javascript file

• Single CSS

• Cached output of pre-rendered HTML

Implementing Usability

• Goal: One Page to Rule Them All

• All content, actions available on one page

• This is achieved using AJAX

• Relevant action windows popup over content, disappear when not needed

• No need for unnecessary navigation


• Goal: More Natural Interface

• Drag and drop to customize widget layout

• Everything underneath the header is a widget

• Large, expressive buttons and icons

• Fewer things to do on the page


• Goal: Unite Local Content

• Widgets encourage data flexibility in other web systems

• Easily pull in data via RSS or XML from Event Calendars, News, Blogs, Announcements etc. without any extra code

Bringing It Together

• A LaunchPad provides a stage to present the full richness and variety of your web ecosystem

• Brings together the familiar and unfamiliar content and resources in a pleasing, accessible, useful way

• You take on the job of an Editor when setting the base layout and structure

Bringing It Together

• Instead of creating a mere link farm or widget groupings of random data, you can create a place of common utility and connection for your audience

• A proper LaunchPad works to develop a sense of scope and community for your web users

To Review

• A LaunchPad is a gateway page to direct users to different tools in your web ecosystem

• The philosophy behind this is to act as an editor, to direct users to resources they may not be aware of

• A LaunchPad should be simple, with the goal of moving the user off the page as quickly as possible

To Review

• Use the concept of hyperlocatlity to drive your feature base and widgets/content

• Keep the interface as simple as possible, don’t let the user navigate inwards, only outwards

• Structure your code to be flexible and easily expandable to keep the site feeling fresh

Shout-Outs

• Wioletta Holownia

• Steve Halasz

• John Cowan

• Dave DeHaan

• John Goddard

Thanks!

building a new launchpad from the ground up

Technology