Market Research, Competitior Analysis and BUCS

This week has seen the first 'hands on' tasks taken place for the Digital Media Project. The first task I completed was a competitor analysis, assessing similar websites that could attract the same sort of users that the university rugby portal will be aimed at. A few examples included 'RuckU', 'BBC Sport' and the official 'BUCS (British University & College Sports) websites. Before conducting the analysis, I did some more background research on some frameworks and approaches to the task, which I read a stored within my project folder for later reference.

I also planned out different methods of market research, that I will be conducting next week when deciding on what users to use for my interviewing. These methods included surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, observation and field trials.

Lastly, I did some background reading on the BUCS website, looking at their terms and conditions around using the data that is stored on their website. I also emailed a member of their staff (which I haven't received a reply from yet) to see their policies on reusing the data on their website. This is vital as if the use of their data is disapproved, I will have to start thinking of alternative methods to use data for the university rugby portal.

Project Beginning Stages

Since the last post, I have completed the Project Proposal document and submitted it for marking. The document outlined my goals, objectives and learning outcomes for the project, and how I am going to achieve this. The document also provided an in-depth calendar outlining what tasks I will be completing within any given period.

Over the next week I have scheduled a Competitor Analysis, addressing competitor websites that prospective users of the rugby portal may be attracted to.

I will also be considering which users to start interviewing for the project, these will most probably be university players, coaches and fans, who the website will be aimed at. As well as this, I will be doing prior planning in order to decide on appropriate interviewing techniques to use when interviewing the users.

Lastly, I need to contact BUCS (British Universities & College Sport) over the next week to ensure that using data and information off their website is allowed, as if this is denied I will have to sort an alternative method of importing data for the portal.

Project Proposal

Since the last entry, I have conducted various types of research to aid me in selecting my project title (and area). After deciding between a usability analysis project and a rugby portal, I have decided to combine the two ideas. Therefore I will be using user-centred and goal-directed design approaches to compile a design proposal for a university rugby portal.

This idea of this portal is that it is designed around the users needs, and what information they want, therefore gaining maximum visitors. I will be conducting in depth usability tests, and using these results to aid me when designing the portal. The plan for the end of the project is to have a design proposal with a series of prototypes that could easily be passed onto a development team to make the portal a fully functioning system.

One of the main reasons I have chosen this approach to the project is that I want to improve my usability skills, as well as catering for the users needs. Although I am not a strong programmer, and taking a programming route for the project may have been beneficial, I feel that improving my usability skills would be more enjoyable and still relevant to my future career. One thing that I do not want to be is a developer who is good with technical skills, but not good at catering for user requirements.

I am currently compiling a 'Project Proposal' document, outlining exactly what I am going to achieve by completing the project, how I am going to go about completing the project and a detailed plan for the process. By next week this document will have been finished and submitted, then I can continue conducting initial research and start planning (and begin) the user involvement within the project.

Project Planning/Research

Over the last 2 weeks I have been planning and thinking about what I could do for a project. By researching other digital projects, reading past project reports and recapping on previous years assignments, I have drawn up two ideas.

The first idea is to use effective analystic methods, including usability and acessibility tests to analyse a popular website or application. BBC iPlayer was one of the first ideas that I thought of, because of its popularity and growth within the last year. The idea of this project would be to analyse the current system and use the results that I had obtained to propose possible improvements (and addons) to the current system. I have been interested HCI and usability testing since studying it in the second year, and would like to persue this path in my career, therefore this project would be enjoyable as well as relevative to complete.

The second idea is to make a online rugby portal (like myUWE) for users to obtain quick information on results, fixtures, photos etc from the world of rugby. Using information provided by the user (eg. current location), relative information would be provided for local teams etc. This idea would require me to gain a quick inderstanding of backend coding such as PHP and mySQL, something that I currently lack.

Within the next week I am planning to complete more research on the ideas I have thought of, thinking about where I could take each project and what I would need to complete each (ie. resources etc). From this further research I am hoping to have narrowed my ideas down to a final idea, which I can draft up a project proposal for by Friday 9th October.