Structure+and+Design

Structure your wiki
Why are you making a Wiki? What is your wiki for? (Would a blog or a webpage be a better choice?) Who will be the authors? Audience? Public or Private? What do you want your students to do on/with the wiki? What will the wiki contain? Text, media, hyperlinks? Discussions? How will you help your students use the wiki? How will you share the process with your community?
 * ===Purpose===
 * ===**Authors & Audience**===
 * Collaborators
 * Synthesizer
 * Explainers
 * Problem solvers
 * ===Content===
 * ===Scaffolding, Security, & Structure===

As you'll see in the screen shots of sample wikis from the workshop presentation slides, there are any number of design possibilities, and "looks" you can give your wiki. Creating a wiki is not much more complicated that writing in a Word document. Designing an attractive, inviting, readable wiki takes a bit of talent, experimentation and practice!

Design
Presentation is important - just as important as the contents. You are going to put your time and effort into your wiki for a reason; you want your "audience" to return with pleasure to the site, and be able to find their way around the pages easily. Keep them in mind as you design your pages Consider color Think about flow, or eye-movement Analyse your use of space What font, and what size font?

Accessibility
Another consideration to keep in mind is accessibility. Is the page easy to read, or are the colors too bright? Is the font too small? Do the links not stand out? Is the content easy to follow, and to understand?

The Web Accessibility Initiative has a put forward a list consideration for website builders. The Guidelines are
 * [|WCAG 2.0 Quick Reference List]
 * 1.1 [|**Text Alternatives:** Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols or simpler language.]
 * 1.2 [|**Time-based Media:** Provide alternatives for time-based media.]
 * 1.3 [|**Adaptable:** Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.]
 * 1.4 [|**Distinguishable:** Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.]
 * 2.1 [|**Keyboard Accessible:** Make all functionality available from a keyboard.]
 * 2.2 [|**Enough Time:** Provide users enough time to read and use content.]
 * 2.3 [|**Seizures:** Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures.]
 * 2.4 [|**Navigable:** Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.]
 * 3.1 [|**Readable:** Make text content readable and understandable.]
 * 3.2 [|**Predictable:** Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.]
 * 3.3 [|**Input Assistance:** Help users avoid and correct mistakes.]
 * 4.1 [|**Compatible:** Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.]
 * [|Conformance Requirements]

Site Point and About.com explain them in everyday language. Not all of them would apply to a wiki, but many of them should be kept in mind - you are probably building your wiki for a diverse audience. . Pay particular attention to //**1. Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content - use illustrations, diagrams, etc. to enhance text.**// //**2. Don’t rely on color alone - certain colors are invisible to the color-blind. People with limited vision can often not see very small, or lightly colored text.**// //**7. Ensure user control of time-sensitive content changes - if you include blinking or scrolling objects can be controlled or stopped. Some people cannot read scrolling text quickly enough; some find repetitive movement on a page to be very distracting. Try to avoid auto-start and looping videos.**// //**13. Provide clear navigation mechanisms**// //**14. Ensure that documents are clear and simple**//