DOGA hopes that its new website will make it easier for users to find relevant information, regardless of whether they are familiar with the design and architectural industries or wish to use these disciplines in the private or public sector.
“DOGA.no aims to function as a learning platform for DOGA’s target groups. The website lays the foundation for all activities that DOGA carries out digitally and all other activities will be included in the website,” says Director of Communications at DOGA Susanne Ringdal.
More content will be added to the website in the future. DOGA.no will also have an English version before the summer.
DOGA.no content
Content is the core of DOGA.no. That is why the website is based on communication principles for content design, length and language use. We will continue to work on the content in the future in order to create as comprehensive a website as possible.
“The goal is for DOGA.no to provide information in a way that makes it possible for those without any prior knowledge of design and architecture to understand what is being said,” says Alexander Kielland Krag, Project Manager for the new DOGA.no.
“DOGA.no is to communicate design and architecture in a user-friendly way. That is why it is based on the notion that secondary school students should be able to understand the content on DOGA.no.”
Photo: DOGA
User experience key
To create a good user experience, DOGA.no has been optimised in a number of areas.
Text, images and video
The texts on DOGA.no are often shorter now and use simpler language.
More and better photographs and illustrations are used to break up the text and encourage further reading. Video is also used where relevant. Links are included where possible to guide the reader to other relevant content.
Navigation
DOGA.no uses different use cases. Users can use the filter on the homepage, search for related content, use menu navigation and enter search queries. The goal is to make it easy for users to find and share content and to learn.
Universal design
The website meets the standard requirements for the universal design of websites with regard to such aspects as keyboard navigation, contrasts and Alt Text, but the goal is to be at the forefront when it comes to user-adapted pages.
“As more content is added to DOGA.no, the website will be tested for universal design to ensure that we enable users with different requirements to access the contents,” says Krag.
Moving forward
DOGA.no is a living document and it’s not yet finished. “We’re not finished with DOGA.no, but will make every effort to offer as good a website as possible,” says Susanne Ringdal.
“What we need now is feedback from users of DOGA.no in order to improve the website as much as possible.”
User testing
In the weeks and months to come, the website will be developed further based on feedback from the launch. By collecting information through Google Analytics and HotJar, we will have greater insight into how users use the site.
This will enable us to make improvements and work iteratively to achieve the goal of an attractive website that appeals to visitors from both Norway and abroad.
