Introduction

Scenarios
& Claims Analysis

Interviews

E-mails

Surveys

Qualitative Analysis

Suggestions

Conclusion

Visit Nostalgia

Summary of E-mails Exchanged Between Designers and Users During the Design Process

Dr. Rosson, John Kelso, Dr. Carroll, Dr. Keith Furr, and Connie Anderson were basically responsible for the design and implementation of NOSTALGIA. They corresponded mostly via e-mail during the design of this Web site. Dr. Rosson, John Kelso, and Dr. Carroll were the implementors of this Web site while Dr. Furr, and Connie Anderson were representing the end-user. The following highlights some of the key issues discussed during the design of NOSTALGIA.

The implementors had several questions and issues for the end-users:

  • Dr. Rosson and John Kelso customized their already existing Storybase project to suit the needs of NOSTALGIA.
  • The implementors sought a graphic/photo that could capture the essence of the project, that is something that they could put at the top of the page (in place of "A Web Storybase"). They were imagining, e.g., an old photo of Blacksburg, or some other image that evokes memories that the seniors (Dr. Furr and Connie Anderson) were seeking to record.
  • Implementors also needed a name other than the default NOSTALGIA PROJECT.
  • They discussed the different ways to publicize this Web site.
The end-users responded with their suggestions to the implementors:
  • Dr. Furr obtained some photographs of Blacksburg from John Kline and passed it on to Dr. Rosson.
  • Connie Anderson suggested a Hypermail approach because she thought that the seniors would be curious to read stories by named individuals.
  • She also suggested that the stories be subject-oriented because the users would really hate to "arrow" down a web page. She felt that this subject-oriented classification, which at first glance will appear as a new URL, would be intriguing enough to keep the interests of the users.
  • The seniors did not want the Web site to be publicized to the world and so they wanted it to be advertised in the senior's mailing list only.
Dr. Furr played the major role of being the middle man between the implementors and the senior citizens of Blacksburg. He conveyed the issues concerning NOSTALGIA to the other seniors and also worked on getting the necessary material to the implementors. His e-mails to the other seniors addressed:
  • The desire for NOSTALGIA to be a self-generating effort with the storybase growing as people added to it.
  • He also suggested that the material can be compiled and collated which could help reconcile any differences after a period of time.
  • After this compilation, he suggested to the seniors that they should illustrate the stories with photos, or taking specific sites and follow them through the years with both stories and photos.
  • He felt that since there were many photos available, they could make a Photo Album.
  • He also suggested the use of NOSTALGIA in Blacksburg's upcoming birthday. He felt that NOSTALGIA could complement another group which was developing a history of Blacksburg.