Phoenix Gets it Right
When I first looked at the new Phoenix Public Library (PPL) web site I thought: nice job�they probably outsourced everything. Why? Because the site feels like a high-end commercial site. We’ve all seen the bells and whistles before�when buying a book, tracking a shipment, or performing any number of other complicated transactions online. Finally, my thinking ran, whoever created one of those sites did one for a library.
Was I wrong. The entire site (www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org), both front- and back-end, was done in-house.
Even if we ignore the high-end nature of the site for a moment�after all, not everyone has a programmer at their beck and call�there is still plenty at which to marvel. What really stands out, especially after talking to some of the people involved with the project, is the attention to how things work, and don’t work, on the popular, commercial sites. PPL’s web team looked closely at Google, Amazon, and other consumer sites their customers use regularly. Then they applied what they learned, with embellishments, to the delivery of library services.
The robust nature of these applications, together with the dynamic nature of the site and the integration of information and services (here is where the programmer/developer comes roaring back), puts this site head and shoulders above other library web sites.
This site is far beyond what my libraries have. I wish the article gave more detail about how they did it.
<nitpick>
- The color scheme, while fun and energetic (doubtlessly the goal), is too bright and contrasty. I find it difficult focus on any one area to see what’s there because my attention is constantly being drawn in other directions.
- No standards support: nested tables galore, not even a doctype. Not necessarily the most important part of web design right now, they are a key factor in accessibility for the disabled. They also make changes much easier.
- There are two sets of important links outside the white box that defines the content. It could be the browser-grey background but those areas look abandoned and ignored.
</nitpick>