Structuring and Writing Your GPC Workshop

Presented by Rosemary Jean-LouisPresented by Rosemary Jean-Louis 1
Structuring and Writing
Your GPC Website
Workshop

Structuring and Writing Your GPC
Website Workshop
Part 1: Objectives
Digital Communications Theory
•Learn what makes web communications different
from print communications
•Define writing techniques that make web pages
more user-friendly
•Identify most common/helpful pages to include on
sites

Website Workshop
Part 2: Objectives
Structuring and Writing Techniques
•Identify writing/layout techniques that make text
easier to understand
•Identify components of “web friendly” written copy
•Complete a short practice writing exercise to apply
web friendly copywriting techniques

Website Workshop
Part 3: Objectives
Creating and Structuring Your Site Using the
GPC Website Look and Feel
•Define the role of the site owner, site manager and
site writer
•Learn to plan out site by using the website creation
worksheet
•List pages that meet the site goals

Website Workshop
Part 3: Objectives
•Plug in your pages in the GPC look and feel
template worksheet
•Complete a short website structuring and writing
exercise of creating either a fictitious site or
beginning work on your own site

Website Workshop
Part 3: Objectives
•Share work and offer feedback

Website Workshop
Some Ground Rules:
A Q&A will take place at the end of each part (so
hold questions please!)
Will include some breaks in between.

Website Workshop
Digital Communications Theory – Part 1
What is a website?
A website is a collection of electronic “pages”
that can include text, images, video, audio and
interactive forms and games that are linked
together.

Website Workshop
How are websites and web pages unique from
print and television?
•Users interact differently with the medium.
-Use navigation to go from one page to another
(instead of “turning pages”)
-Expect to click on links to go from one page to
another easily (don’t want to do much work)

Website Workshop
How are websites and web pages unique from
print and television?
-Expect to “do” things online i.e. fill out forms, take a
poll, watch videos, listen to audio, click on something
-Users read on a screen (tv screen, computer screen,
e-reader screen, cellphone screen)

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Users read web pages differently than they read
print pages
•Scan pages instead of reading in depth or
methodically
•Read out of sequence
•Don’t like to scroll too much – but will do so under
certain circumstances

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There are different types of web readers:
-Readers who know what they are looking for
-Readers who aren’t sure what they are looking for
but go to a site and stumble upon useful information

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How do we make web pages more user-friendly
for our web audience?
•Make links and information easy to find
•Use action words to tell users what they should do –
how to interact:
(Apply here, Contact us, Download this form, Get
started)

Website Workshop
•Write text using minimal jargon (keep it simple
enough for grandma to read)
•Keep text clear and when possible concise
•Make navigation (your menus) is easy to understand

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•“Chunk out” long pages into several pages when
possible
•Add bolded headings to section off each part of a
long page that can’t be chunked out

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Use common pages that are helpful to users
Four Helpful Pages to Users:
•About us – page that explains what the company/organization
does in brief
•Contact us – phone numbers, addresses and people to
contact*
•Frequently Asked Questions – Common questions and
answers about that department or company

Website Workshop
Four Helpful Pages to Users:
•“How to” pages – page that breaks down how to do
something step by step (how to apply to a program, how to pay
a bill, how to fill out an application)

Website Workshop
Another Helpful Pages:
•“Who We are and What We Do” pages –
This is a combination of an about us page and contact us page.
Example: Dean of Student Services site:
http://www.gpc.edu/~gpcdeans/

Website Workshop
Not So Helpful or Relevant Pages Unless…*:
•Mission Statement – Only helpful if it is a
requirement that the organization or group finds it on
the website.
•Welcome Letter – Only helpful if its from a
“personality” driven site or page

Website Workshop
Example of a website that contains pages that are
user-friendly: www.gpc.edu/tag

Website Workshop
Q&A – Then
STRETCH BREAK!

Website Workshop
Structuring and Writing Techniques– Part 2
Computer friendly writing
•Inverted pyramid style –journalism technique
where the most important information is included in
the first paragraph.
•Active voice sentences – Use action verbs and
action sentences (Apply now, download this
document, sign up for this class)
•Simple writing – Jargon and exaggeration free

Website Workshop
Computer friendly writing
•Chunked pages – these are long pages that are
split up into separate pages based on subject areas
in the pages.

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Inverted Pyramid Style web page on GPC site
Examples: www.gpc.edu/geap

Website Workshop
Example of How to Simplify Writing:
•Original version of website copy featured on
site promoting Nebraska parks:
•Nebraska is filled with internationally recognized attractions
that draw large crowds of people every year, without fail. In
1996, some of the most popular places were Fort Robinson
State Park (355,000 visitors), Scotts Bluff National Monument
(132,166), Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum
(100,000), Carhenge (86,598), Stuhr Museum of the Prairie
Pioneer (60,002), and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park
(28,446).
Source: Jakob Nielsen, http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html

Website Workshop
•Revised version that scored the second highest:
In 1996, six of the best-attended attractions in Nebraska were Fort
Robinson State Park, Scotts Bluff National Monument, Arbor Lodge
State Historical Park & Museum, Carhenge, Stuhr Museum of the
Prairie Pioneer, and Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park.

Website Workshop
•Revised version that scored the highest:
In 1996, six of the most-visited places in Nebraska were:
•Fort Robinson State Park
•Scotts Bluff National Monument
•Arbor Lodge State Historical Park & Museum
•Carhenge
•Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer
•Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park

Website Workshop
Computer friendly text structuring
•Bolded Headlines – this gives users visual cues as
to what part of your text is important to skip to (this is
helpful to “readers who scan”; also breaks up long
text
•Subheadlines – headlines underneath the main
headline
•Bullet Point Lists
•Numbered Lists
•Simple Easy Navigation

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Examples: Cornell University
http://cornell.edu/academics/departments.cfm

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Q &A TIME

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Writing Exercise:
Use the inverted pyramid style to write the copy – ONE
PARAGRAPH up to five sentences - for the fictitious GPC
About Us page.
The audience for this page are prospective students of all ages
looking for general information about GPC.
Make sure you are including the most important information
about the college in the first two sentence of the paragraph that
you feel the prospective students should know.

Website Workshop
Writing Exercise:
You may include the following details:
(Four campuses: Clarkston, Decatur, Dunwoody and Newton
and one location Alpharetta Center. Affordable, convenient.
Also refer to the OIRP gpcfactsheet document for source
material. .While prospective students include students of all
ages, include the common pieces of information that all of the
different age prospective students need to know.) Use some of
the techniques we mentioned like bulleted or numbered lists.
YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES.

Website Workshop
Class Critique and Questions?

Website Workshop
5 MINUTE BREAK

Website Workshop
GPC Website Look and Feel Part 3
Drupal Content Management System (CMS):
What is a content management system:
A content management system (CMS) is a software that
allows any type of user(s) to create, edit, organize and
publish their web pages without needing to know *web
publishing code.
*Note if you know web publishing code, you can use it to format
your text in the body text of page in content management system.

Website Workshop
What is a content management system:
The CMS takes care of the Web template design. Users need only
enter the information that will go into the specific template
regions. The CMS will organize the content into the GPC look and
feel template for the user.

Website Workshop
Within the system you assign roles to the person
or persons who will maintain your site. This gives
them access to perform certain functions to the
site.

Website Workshop
Role “Job Descriptions”
Site Manager – has total control of site, can
create pages, menus, and authorize other people
to have access to the site to create pages. They
have authority to publish the pages and make it
live to the world.

Website Workshop
Role “Job Descriptions”
Writer – person who has permission to create
content on your site and edit them. They can’t
publish the pages. Once they create the pages, it
goes to the site manager for review and the site
manager has authority to publish it.

Website Workshop
How to Create Your Site:
Step 1: Plan! Plan! Plan!
Plan out the site first following these techniques:
1.) Determine who your audience is
2.) Write out your site goals
3.) Write out a list of pages that meet your site goals (site
map/outline)
4.) Write copy text using techniques we discussed and format the
text the way it should be seen on the screen.
5.) Use website creation worksheet to plan out the site.

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Step 1: Use Website creation worksheet for planning.

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Step 2: Use GPC look and feel template sheet to map out
navigation/page order

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Step 3: Transfer content (text pages to CMS)

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Review examples:
1.) GEAP Website Creation Worksheet for GEAP
site
2.) GEAP website copy draft (completed GEAP
site: www.gpc.edu/geap
3.) Review GEAP Look and Feel document

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Writing Exercise: 20 minutes
Students have two options:
Option 1: Write out a plan, list of four pages and navigation and a
paragraph for one of the pages for your department site.
OR

Website Workshop
Writing Exercise: 20 minutes
Students have two options:
Option 2: Write out a plan, list of four pages and navigation and a
paragraph for one of the pages for the following fictitious site:
The President’s Writing Club is a new group at GPC. The purpose of it is
to get people to write. But the President hasn’t decided which
audience to target the club toward. The assignment is to “flesh out”
this club in creating the site. Determine what audience this club should
target, and what the purpose the site should serve in order to be useful
to the target audience. List four pages that should be included in this
site. Fill out the GPC look and feel template worksheet and write copy
for one of the pages.

Website Workshop
Brief review of one or two sites if time permits

Website Workshop
Miscellaneous:
• Tagging
• Adding Video/Audio :
GPC YouTube www.youtube.com/gaperimetercollege)
Get help from instructional technologists and/or OIT
Trainers to add your video to pages.

Website Workshop
END OF CLASS TIPS:
• Remember a website is a different medium
than print or television
• Structure your content and writing for screen
reading
• Use the inverted pyramid writing style and
easy to screen read techniques like bullets,
bolded headlines and numbered lists in your
writing and layout of text

Website Workshop
SUMMARY:
• Write copy that grandma would understand
(don’t use jargon when necessary).
• Plan out your site and write it out first before
transferring it to the CMS
• Test your site using potential “site audience”
sample

Website Workshop
SUMMARY:
• Communicate with other GPC colleagues who
may have similar sites or sites related to the
site you are working on to keep from
duplicating efforts and to determine link
opportunities.

Structuring and Writing Your
Website Workshop
END OF CLASS QUICK Q & A

Structuring and Writing Your GPC Workshop

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