2015 LibTech Conference

It has been well documented that web users do not read the majority of text on a page, preferring to scan the contents. Visuals can aid users substantially--or they can be confusing or ignored outright. And yet, working with the visual presentation of guide content often requires a knowledge of CSS and some ability with design principles. Beyond this, with guide contents often contributed by an assortment of people, libraries can feel forced to choose between an ad hoc approach or an enforced boilerplate design. In this presentation, we will discuss an approach to LibGuides 2 guide content that is guided by usability thinking and testing; built on recognizable branding; uses built-in, ready-made CSS classes that all guide creators with basic HTML knowledge can use; and provides uniformity that can be applied creatively by each individual guide creator. This session seeks to blend discussion of usable design with practical, easy-to-implement suggestions. Participants in the session will have opportunity to discuss their own problems and solutions working with content in LibGuides 2.