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Tweaking your Web site.

Article Excerpt
AS intranet sites grow larger and more complex, the task of undertaking a complete redesign becomes more daunting--not only is it costly to undertake, but by the time you are done, it may be too late for many of your users. A great intranet team usually has some members that are world-class tweakers. Just as you take your car to the garage for a tuneup with a top-notch mechanic, your Web site needs regular tweaks and tuneups to its design, code, and user experience. Tweakers are happy tuning your site until it merrily hums along.

What do I mean by tweaking? It refers to fine-tuning or adjusting a complex system, usually an electronic device, to use Wikipedia's explanation. Tweaks are any small modifications intended to improve a system. Tweaking marries play with intellectual curiosity. At its heart is the pursuit of making something better.

Of late, many of my projects at work could go one of two directions: a major redesign or a series of tweaks. Usually I opt for tweaking the site in order to get significant improvements rolled out the door quickly, hoping to delight and benefit site visitors. Often these tuneups involve deleting outdated content, perking up the design, and/or adding some social software tools to the Web site. Examples include a blog or blog headlines, Flickr photo galleries, and embedded YouTube videos. If all of these upgrades happened at once, it would amount to a major makeover. By rolling them out incrementally, the site is tuned up and improved bit by bit, without upsetting users.

I have certainly seen some projects that have opted to go the full redesign route. In one instance, the Web site languished and became outdated during the 2 years it took the Web team to make the case for a redesign. Once the redesign was approved and...

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