Design Statement

The internet is increasingly being used to provide elearning and training for many industries within Australia. This website has been designed so that users with a range of abilities and disabilities are able to access the resources made available within it.

Users

Owners and Managers of Hospitality and Tourism organisations have access to printed resources such as checklists that are designed to aid in the retention of employees within the industry. It is expected that users will have access to an internet connection, a 56Kb modem (minimum), and a monitor resolution of at least 800 X 600 pixels.

Design and Layout

The page is designed using a three-column layout with relative sizing to aid the fluid nature of the design. Left bar navigation is supported by links found at the bottom of each page. Rollovers (both active and visited) are incorporated to aid users in navigation.

The design relies on a clean and uncluttered look to counter the large amount of information that is provided on each page. Links to pdf resources are provided at the end of short paragraphs that provide information on each topic. The right navigation bar, which provides links to existing website resources for Tourism and Hospitality, appears on every page. This is a specific design feature that allows users, at any time, to access sites they might find relevant to a particular section of the website.

Colour Scheme

The website uses colours that provide a high degree of contrast to assist users when reading text or navigating through the site. Dark blue (#1B1871) and white (#FFFFFF) feature prominently.

Accessibility

The Staffing Matters website aims to provide accessibility to disabled users of the site through the use of alt text, sanserif fonts, high contrasting colour schemes and the utilisation of both image and text links for navigation. Consistent positioning of links using traditional side navigation bars and relative sizing allowing users to increase the size of text, further enhancing the useability of the site.

Download times have been minimised through the use of small images, css generated rollovers rather than an over-reliance on interactive image scripts, and the use of pdf files rather than the larger file sizes often associated with Word documents. In addition, the open source pdf format has been adopted to allow users who do not own a registered copy of Microsoft Word access to the printed resources that are made available. A link to the Adobe website page that provides users with a free copy of Acrobat is supplied on the Resources Page.

This website complies with www.w3c.org specifications.

Staffing Matters is the outcome of extensive consultation with industry leaders and managers of hotels, pubs, restaurants and cafes in South Australia. It provides a one stop shop of practical checklists, resources and contacts to assist owners and managers to better manage, motivate and retain staff.

Contact | Design Statement | Resources | Home


Email contact
Last updated 1st November 2005 by balicmedia.com.au