[thelist] Was I gotta vent, but now is a question of how to work with non-web people who have to create web content

[Joshua Olson]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diane Soini
> Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 10:32 PM

Diane,

It sounds as if your collaborators are a perfect cross-section of the users
who will ultimately end up using the site.  Users don't know how or why some
navigations are better than others, they don't know why you don't place
search boxes at the bottom, they just know if they like the site or if they
don't.  So, just like end users, the trick to remaining sane is to embrace
there inexperience instead of wishing they were smarter.

You mentioned that this new person you work with is tasked with the job of
producing web content.  Then, you say that they don't know understand HTML
and CSS or how to create good navigation and content that fits in the
window.  I would suggest that you don't need to know these things to make
good content.  As a person that knows these technical concepts of design, it
would be on your shoulders to take the content they want to publish and help
them organize it such that these additional criteria are met.  Once they get
used to the process of taking the content and reorganizing it to fit the
site, perhaps they can assist in the process, but initially they will need a
lot of hand-holding.

I'm not going to pretend that I know how your organization is hierarched or
what roles people are expected to play.  But, as in any organization, some
people are going to have both strengths AND weaknesses.  It sounds as if
you've already identified where you are strong and others are weak.  Now,
turn the tables and figure out where others are strong where you are weak.
Then, help you and those around you fill in each others weaknesses until
it's all a seamless process.  Try to bear in mind that some people will
always be weak in certain areas no matter how hard you encourage them to
learn.  It's not because they are stubborn, but perhaps because they simply
don't share the same inspirations and motivators as you.

I know this process can be ridiculously tiring and taxing, so hang in there.
Hopefully the above advice helps you, and good luck,

<><><><><><><><><><>
Joshua Olson
Web Application Engineer
WAE Tech Inc.
http://www.waetech.com/service_areas/
706.210.0168