Widen copyright licensing through improved information architecture and interaction design.
Background
Creative Commons.org is a non-profit website that allows users to create custom copyright and usage licenses for varied media in multiple countries.
Adaptive Path worked with Creative Commons before their initial launch in 2001 to design the original information architecture for their website. So when Creative Commons needed to redesign their homepage, simplify their licensing process, and improve their search engine in order to grow their user base beyond attorneys and technologists, they turned to us.
Creative Commons Home Page
Overview
Creative Commons came to Adaptive Path to redesign and upgrade their website so that they could widen their audience.
Industry
Non-profit service provider
Project
Website redesign and application design
Project Duration
9 weeks
Project Size
International
Services Applied
- Interaction design
- Information architecture and navigation design
- Design evaluation using usability testing
Defining the Project
To widen their audience to creative people at any level of Internet skill, Creative Commons knew they needed to change the presentation and terminology on their homepage.
Adaptive Path's Jeffrey Veen identified four clear ways this could be done: modify Creative Commons's company and services descriptions to better target their intended audience; reduce the number of primary paths for beginning the licensing process; explicitly reference the types of media that users could license through Creative Commons; and include an option for specifying "country of interest" throughout the site to better serve the global audience.
Interaction & Navigation Design at Work
Jeffrey and his team modified the licensing process and search engine through interaction design. Throughout the licensing process, Jeffrey streamlined forms, replaced technical and legal terms where appropriate, and significantly clarified the process flow (navigation design). Some of the changes we recommended to modify the search engine included enabling users to search for creative works by license type and adding several different types of clarifying icons, keys, and features.
In addition to a great, new design for the licensing process and recommending changes to the search engine, we felt it was important to address the business needs of the new design. One example: Encouraging Creative Commons to strengthen their partnerships with free hosting services (like Flickr and Internet Archives) and highlight these services by moving them to the forefront of the licensing process.
Checking Our Work: Usability Testing
Creative Commons and Adaptive Path worked side-by-side throughout the entire project—including during the user testing phase. We partnered to define the user groups' criteria and then conducted the interviews. User testing of both the existing site and the redesign mockup confirmed that the changes clarified the site experience and delivered a more engaging and usable site for a general audience.
Wrapping Up
Creative Commons' new site launched in October 2004. And feedback from users – both old and new – has been overwhelmingly positive.
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