Ibero-American Institute (IAI) of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation
Accessibility compliant relaunch of the website

Definition of personas  

User orientation was the focus of the concept - the alignment with the interests and needs of the target groups, a differentiated approach to the various target groups, versatile access and entry offers and active guidance of the users through the content.

• To ensure user-friendliness, personas representing typical visitor groups were created in workshops: Scientists, students, cultural professionals and interested laypersons. The needs, goals and typical usage scenarios of these personas formed the basis for the design. 

Content analysis and restructuring 

• Based on the prioritized target groups and use cases, a basic structure was developed that answers these wishes and needs. 

• The existing content was analyzed, streamlined and transferred into a new, user-oriented structure. The aim was to make a clear distinction between information that serves the library on site and information that offers online services, such as research tools or event calendars.  

 Navigation and page types 

• The navigation concept was structured along the most important user journeys. Pages with frequent reasons for visits, such as library research or event information, were particularly emphasized. Various navigation models were initially reviewed and agreed as wireframes. 

• The most important page types were created as sample pages with real content in order to check the layout and elements at an early stage. They were designed to meet the requirements of their users in a clear and accessible way and also to provide good orientation in the portal for users who access it via a search engine. 

• Based on the user stories, the required content elements (components) were defined, used in the sample pages and clearly presented in a concise element library. 

The technical implementation was carried out entirely in TYPO3. The new design was implemented responsively and barrier-free. 

• In order to give the IAI editorial team as long an editorial phase as possible to revise and update the content, the basic elements that make up most of the content pages were implemented first. 

• The technical implementation began with the migration of the existing data to the new system. 

• During the editorial phase, the Solr search was configured and implemented and the extended functions of the closed user area were integrated. 

• The next step was to train editors in the new system to create accessible and SEO-friendly content. 

• All elements, functions and modules were created barrier-free and then tested automatically and manually with assistance technologies.

The new website of the Ibero-American Institute reflects its interdisciplinary and international character. With its improved user-friendliness, accessibility, modern design and technical innovation, it offers its international target groups tangible added value.