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Knowledge sharing for digital decision makers
Conference, 3-5 May 2011

Anne Petersen

Director of Digital Marketing, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Biography
• University of Illinois at Chicago
• Presentation
• Downloads

Biography

Anne Petersen leads online communications at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). A web director with an emphasis on usability, she launched a new site and a new Facebook design within her first five months in the central Marketing and Communications office at UIC after consulting from within UIC’s College of Applied Health Sciences. Both redesigns integrate community and grassroots participation: students, faculty and staff contribute ideas and vote events and pages onto the UIC homepage.

Before UIC, Anne headed electronic communications within the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Penn State University, coordinating efforts for Penn State’s 20 undergraduate campuses. Her work there included a site redesign, producing a virtual tour, coordinating a Spanish-language microsite, and developing a presence within Teen Second Life. While at Penn State, Anne also chaired the Penn State Usability Group.

Anne serves on the HighEdWeb Conference Committee and is also their official photographer. She holds an MFA in creative writing from Penn State and BAs in literary studies and creative writing from Beloit College.

While her name may look Danish, Anne was born and raised in America, though she lived in Køge near Copenhagen several years ago.

University of Illinois at Chicago

UIC is one of the top 50 research-funded institutions in the United States. Our 27000 students make up one of the top 10 most racially diverse universities in the nation. Part of the land-grant public University of Illinois system, our mission includes strong commitment to excellence in teaching, research, public service and economic development.

Presentation

Politics or treason: Toeing the line or begging forgiveness in site adaptation

Case: University of Illinois at Chicago

Track: User experience
Conference Day #1, Wednesday May 4th, 1.00 pm - 1.45 pm

The fine art of tightrope-walking in site management and adaptation: when to toe the line, when to beg forgiveness. Playing politics can be dangerous, but it's sometimes beneficial—but it can also be beneficial to commit treason.

Our landscapes have changed—now each customer and every person you work with has power. Improve the lives of both yourself and your site visitors: find out when in your workplace it's best to fly below the radar or when it's better to engage in the politics you prefer to avoid.

Learn methods to make politics become immaterial and even make treason seem truly reasonable through usability testing, setting goals and creating or working with standards.

How? Start being transparent with those you might have to play politics with. Make sure your objectives are clear and your reasoning evident.

With intriguing examples from business, higher education, and hackers of systems and life, Politics or Treason will show how to change your corner of the universe.

For more on the talk, see Site changes: should you follow the rules or beg forgiveness?

See slides online

Downloads

Aarhus 10:

• Case: University of Illinois at Chicago: The fittest survive: site iteration and adaptation (PDF)