I just had a nice long conversation with Kari Peterson, who had had three cups of coffee – she is doing a presentation on 2.0 in Grand Rapids this week to the access center folks and at a non-profit conference....she wanted to ask some stuff about our web site, but in the process, I got to hear some feedback on the site from a set of fresh eyes..maybe we can incorporate some of these thoughts in the re-design discussions:
1. She LOVES our web site...to death.
2. She had some trouble viewing videos until she realized that she needed to update her QT. Do we have to be on the bleeding edge of the QT spectrum, or can we back off a bit?
3. She found the title “Video Channel Guide” confusing. Really, it is the “Web Channel,” which is the overall organizer, with the Youth Channel, NeighborMedia, the Media Map (and, when you think about it – also the Gallery and Bandwidth TV and maybe there are others?) as the more specific organizers. I can’t think of a better word, but it’s sorta like the Web Channel is our Network, with all of the other sub categories as “channels”.
4. I think we should look even more at our analytics. read more...

These are some brief notes in advance of a meeting discussing the redesign of CCTV's website.

Some priorities (from my point of view)-

* Consider breaking out different functions: station, video, user community, "town square"
* Reduce the TMI effect, simplify, user-friendlyize
* Video, video, video. Show up front, emphasize it!
(push webchannel subscriptions, miro, itunes)
* Encourage more conversation around posted media
* Make user community more visible, vibrant
* Consistent tagging/categories schema to open up more user-friendly organization
* Develop how-to, "distance/online learning" component
* Think about future needs (mobile devices)

Some sites to consider-

video player layout organization

http://www.cnn.com/video/
http://blip.tv/
http://scantv.org/
http://www.nortontv.org/ (brightcove)
http://www.accessf.org/guide/watch/index.php
http://turnhere.com/ourwork.html (very visual)
http://www.getmiro.com/ (player, not site)

new ways to view/display vid

http://current.com/tv
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/specials/wp/onbeing/

Drupal-like CMS etc

http://www.nymapexchange.net/
http://mefeedia.com/channels/ read more...

Website renovation suggestions (primarily for NeighborMedia):

-A tabbing system (web browser-style) to navigate between zip codes/neighborhoods
-A NeighborMedia-exclusive media map, or different colored nodes for NeighborMedia content

Also, the new site should include two events calendars that get aggregated to the front page so you can see what's going on that day at CCTV and in Cambridge. (And, ideally, an easier-to-use calendar node than the one we have now.)

Do you think it might be good to have an "About" section
on the CCTV website? How about this: change the "CONTACT" section to
"ABOUT" and move it all the way to the left between HOME and SCHEDULE.
Then at the top of the new ABOUT page, above the beautiful headshots, a
summary something like:

Have you ever wanted to have your own television show? Star in,
produce, or direct a film? CCTV is Cambridge's award-winning television
station. For ten years, we have provided residents of Cambridge and
surrounding areas with the resources to create their own electronic
media. That's right- anyone who lives in Cambridge can host their own
television show, produce a film, and put content on the web. The focus
of your production is up to you- and if you don't know the first thing
about video media, we'll help change that. Stop by our next orientation
Nov. XX to get started.

I just remember seeing the site for the first time and knowing nothing
about CCTV, I felt overloaded by all the content without any
introduction. I probably would have gotten involved earlier if I had
known exactly what goes on at CCTV from the website.

Margaret, one of the citizen journalists in the NeighborMedia program, drew up a really great layout focusing on the different zip codes in Cambridge.

NeighborMedia in general, along with the Media Map, is an effort to get hyperlocal and to use the website as a way to gather news, info, experience from all parts of the city.

Margaret's layout is very interesting, and can be thought of as one potential way of organizing a section of the site, perhaps a "news and info" or more interactive, community-based section.

At the very least, the main concept is to be able to filter content by neighborhood or zip code, whether that's built into the layout or can be done on a per search basis. Good tagging of content would be required. Another great thing is the additional functionality suggested: forums, bulletin boards, polls, event calendar, and other useful links.