Method: Web Design and Construction
Web site design and construction provides a platform for the class to record the results/data received from the various tools and methods used. Using a website presented the class the chance to learn technology that is considered useful for historic preservation, such as how to organize results and how to manage a webpage for public consumption.
The site is a collaborative effort between the class and Shayne Brandon from IATH. The students and instructor, Andrew Johnston, wrote all the posts and uploaded the images. As a class, we determined the site organization, structure, and functionality, as well as its appearance. Making the site possible was Shayne Brandon, aided by Lauren Massari. Shayne showed the class how to run the website—how to add photos, make posts and galleries, etc. He also helped design the page according to what we asked for and to accommodate the results from the technology we used. We organized the website by what we studied and how we studied it.
This organization creates a better user experience because it separtes the core compenents of this class into two sections--Tools and Methods and Site and Interpretation.We laid out what different tools and methods we used at Birdwood. This can help people realized techolongies that are useful in historic preservation and how to use different technologies. The other main section is Site and Interpretation. This is organized by the three main areas of focus this summer. Creating a tab with record of what we researched and our findings helps future researchers at Birdwood know what we looked at, our results, and how we achieved these results.
Creating a website like this one creates opportunities. It becomes a tool for other researchers, whether they are researching Birdwood or if they are looking at how the class was run. Creating open sources on research allows for future historians to access information, resources and questions that were asked and answered. Knowing how to run a web page relating to research and methods is becoming a valuable skill for employers in history and preservation. The limitations of creating and using a website are that it can be a timely process; the authors, such as the students in this situation, are unsure of how to fix problems; and time needs to be spent on only on content, but also viewer experience.