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Anne Mitchell
Director of Knowledge Management
The Integer Group |
The Integer Group's intranet redesign recognized as one of "2005's Ten Best Intranets" by the Nielsen Norman Group
by Jesse Berkowitz
Imagine yourself in Anne Mitchell's position. You've been assigned to manage your company's intranet redesign and must:
- Combine two existing intranets into one centralized site
- Improve the navigation, organization, and graphic design
- Allow for dynamic, personalized content
- Do this all with fewer people, less time, and less money than you need!
Maybe this is why Anne Mitchell never planned on a career in usability.
However, her transition from studio director has produced amazing results at The Integer Group, the U.S.'s seventh-largest promotional marketing agency. Anne's background in art, graphics, and business all came together in her new role as Director of Knowledge Management. Applying usability principles during the intranet redesign had a dramatic impact:
- Daily usage of the site increased by 86%
- Employee productivity rose by up to 50% on certain tasks
The usability efforts included heuristic evaluations, though Anne cites usability testing as her favorite part of user-centered design. She prefers "paper prototyping," where participants give feedback based on printed screen mock-ups. This keeps the testing focused on very specific variables, such as structural self-evidency, so that test subjects aren't overwhelmed by a site's robust functionality.
| "I try not to approach usability testing with my own assumptions. Each project is unique, and you have to keep an open mind." |
"I try not to approach usability testing with my own assumptions," says Anne. "Each project is unique, and you have to keep an open mind. As much as we know about heuristics and best practices, we still tend to be surprised sometimes."
Anne loves introducing new online tools to her users. She was instrumental in convincing The Integer Group to dedicate resources to develop a new intranet six years ago. Anne also spearheaded the creation of a Digital Asset Management site, which serves as a repository for the company's vast library of graphics and images.
When Anne researched usability certification programs, she discovered that Human Factors International was the only company offering one and jumped at the opportunity to demonstrate her knowledge.
"I like having the CUA credential on my resume," she says. "Getting certified is valuable because it shows you care enough to stay on top of the most current usability knowledge available."
Now, with CUA certificate in hand, imagine yourself in Anne Mitchell's position. It just got a lot less daunting.
Note: Anne Mitchell will be speaking at the Intranet Week 2005 conference in Boston on Tuesday, July 26th, 2005. Her topic is "Devising a Governance Framework for Your Intranet: Who Is in Charge of What?" More information... |
