Websites of the Atlanta Elections 2001

Users and Services

Who are the users and what services do they need and want from a candidate's website?  If you want to impress your web designers and programmers, you hand them the functional specifications (which is part of your RFP), let them build a prototype, then show the prototype to the user interface / graphic design folks.  More likely, you just point your web designers at a site you like and say, "I want one just like that except in blue."  Photo courtesy Philip Greenspun.

Web Designers, Programmers, and Builders

There are website builders for every functional requirement and price range.  All of them can build you a nice site.  You must balance your requirements with your budget.

• Professional web builders who specialize in candidate websites.  They know more than you do about what your site needs and how much to charge.  They have a "template system" and they will plug in your specifics.

• Professional web builders who don't specialize in candidate sites.  They need functional specs.   They know the technology required for the job.  They may or may not have a template or package foundation for a complicated site.

• Part-time web builders.  These folks can build your site fast and economically.  If they are your campaign volunteers, all the better.  Complex sites may be tough.

Users

You have more types of users than you may think.  Starting with this checklist and the RFP. write down the services you want to provide for each user type.  Better yet, write down the services each user really wants, prioritize the services and then work that against your budget.

• Non-English speaking, visually impaired, handicapped.

• The media. (See Jacob Neilsen on managing public relations on your website.)

• Ordinary surfers.

• Other candidates and their staff.

• Election officials.

• Likely voters who haven't made of their mind.

• Voters who will vote for you.

• Voters who will not vote for you.

• Passive volunteers for your campaign.  (Yard signs, bumper stickers, etc.)

• Active volunteers for your campaign.

• The campaign staff.

• Campaign / political consultants.

• The candidate.

• The web staff.

  Technical (this could all be one person)

  • At least one person who understands the technology.

  • At least one person who has a great feel for the end-user and the overall web experience.

  • At least one person who is organized who like to communicate with the user community.

  Content / Publishing (this could all be one person)

  • Authors.

  • Editors.

  • Publishers.

  • Information designers.

  • Graphic designers.

  • Programmers (maybe)

  Administrative jobs

  • Content and version control (e.g. updating the calendar, listing contributors, speaches, press releases, etc.

  • Budgeting, accounting, paying the bills.

  • Marketing the site.

  • Responding to emails, queries, yard sign and bumper sticker requests, volunteers, etc.

(more later)